St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-10-19
EDITORIAL CORR REsPONDENCE.
PI7rspuRo, Pa. Oct. 7th, 1868

pITTsDuIG, Pa. Oct. 9TH, 1864.
DEAR DEMocnAT.-I had not thought to
write you~again. but delays have kept me
from home much longer than anticipated.
If in this letter. rs heretofore. I speak only
Of light, gossipy matters, it will be be-
cause they are all connected with my trip
that would, imagine. be of any interest to
the readers of The DEMOCRAT.
Just before leaving Philadelphia for New
York, saw the celebrated Blind Tom, the
negro pianist, whose performances have ex-
cited so much wonder throughout the corn
try. In appearance Tom is the most un-
couth, unprepossessing darkey I ever saw.
apparently bordering On the idiotic Dur
ing the intervals between his pieces, he goes
through a variety of gymnast,c performan-
ces that are, In themselves. surprising,
though by no means elegant. Toms gem
ius-if it may be called such-consists in
his wonderful power Of imitation Wi:E.
out any musical cducation whatever, or an,
kuowletgeSot the science beyond the names
Of the different notes, he will play, with re-
markable accuracy, after another perform
er, any piece of music. Tests of this have
! been made with music composed expressly
! foc the occasion. Another of Toms feats
is to play piece with his right hand, an-
other with his left, aud sing third each
/ being in different key AS for Instance,
! l heard him play "Yankee Doodle" in one
key With his right hand. '.Fisher's Horr-
pipe in another key with his lef, hand,
and sing Tramp. tramp, tramp in still
different key. This was rep eatedly varied /;
and rmight give many instances fully as
remarkable. Tom is about eighteen years
:sold was broughtsrp q slave, and is. still
under the charge Of his MASTER, who pro-
fesscs great ".'love'' for Tom ii, e. the mon
ey Tom brings him. -
| In New York, the celebrated "Ravcls,'' -
with fine troupe, were and still are at
Niblo's drawing crowded houses to witness
their indcscribable. pantomimic pcrforman-
ces. Any onewho has Witnessed '.Jocko"
will not soon forget it. Clarke, the cham
pion commedian. was at Winter Garden
and, as ''Toodles" and "Welhngton de
Bootes,' doing his best to make peopIe
split their sides. The keans were at the
Broadway theatre, and was enabled to
crafty long cherished desire to hear this
renowned English tragedian and his wife,
both Of whom appeared, at q farewell ben
eft, in Richard III. l was not disappoint-
ed in either, although they were SO poorly
supported that proper appreciation of
their abilities could scarcely be formed. I
closed my ''theatrical course" by going to
the Olympic, where ''Po-co-hon-tas," an
absurd and nonsensical Indian comedy was
being played. It served very we'll, how
ever, to show to advantage the saucy and
bhoyish style Of the really pretty and be-
witching Mrs. John Wood, the most taking
actress in the city.
The Opera season opening on Monday.
Sept. 25th, with the grand opera of
ssFaust," you may be sure did not fail to
hear it. Two singers, fresh from the.shores
Of italy, made their first appearance in
America on that evening-I1fre (tenor) as
Faust and Antonoucoi lbasso) as Mephfs-
tophe]es. They were most enthusiastically