Owyhee semi-weekly tidal wave. [volume] (Silver City, Owyhee County, Idaho Territory) 1868-1869, 1869-05-21
Letter from Joe.
APRIL 18th 1850


ton -iti is near enough for all prae-
teal purposes, as | told the propri-
etor of the house in which the late
Presidents. is said TO have breathed
his last, when he wanted TO charge
me dollar to get into the room. 1
told the miscreant that Mr.. Lincoln
was near enough dead before he left
the theater, for all practical pur-
poses, and I'd see him ID before
Id give him dollar, ii he'd give
me deed to the premises in the
bargain. | had been swindled
enough on that sort of thing. and SO
that ended that matter. Just across
the street is the old Ford Theater-
the only thing like a theater before
or since in Washington. But it is
now turned into government med
ical museum, and is place both
interesting to some and disgust
ing to others. | can't see the point
of converting the place into such a
gloomy affair adding horror and
disgust to the sad association. If
there is anything like the Irish peo-
pie for, it is the lively character of
their wakes : with them, corpse is
a sign of any amount Of fun ahead.
The only thing | regret about that
assassination business, on Lincoln's
account, is this 4: He liked amuse-
ment very much, and the play of the
American Cousin " contains con-
siderable matter suited to his taste,
| think and as lie had just closed
out JEFF. Davis, it was too bad that
the play at Ford's couldn't go on
for his benefit. But it was suddenly
interrupted, and was never attempt
ed again till this Spring, when Laurie
Keene revived it for the benefit of
Grant, in Wallis Opera House"
Her experience at Ford's was good
advertisement for Miss Laura, and
hundreds went to see her lately on
that account, who would rather sit
in a hog-pen the same length of time.
If there is one place where amuse-
ments are at a lower ebb than an
other, it is Washington. There are
more creditable theater bull dings in
Idaho, and nearly as good stock COM
panies. If | could conceive OF any
thing worse to say about Idaho, I'd
certainly do it. The influences at
Washington are such that no regular
troupe of any kind of any reputa-
ton can last more than night or
two. Receptions, free lunches and
the like draw best in Washington. |
will relate a little experience tLeat-
REALLY, which will save this batch
from the flames, perhaps. Another
looker-on in Washington and myself,
desperate for some place to go one
night, resorted to Metropolitan Hall
a species of melodeon. People on
the Pacific Coast have good deal to
say about the observation-disclosures OF
the Bella Union in San Francisco,
but recur to it as a most refined re-
sort compared to this Metropolitan
Hall. | have tolerably substantial
sort OF stomach, but | weakened on
this den of concentrated damnation,
indecency and stencil. | stood 1t
about fifteen minutes enough
to inspect the menageric with the
naked eye in short, nakedness was
no name for it. And such an audi
ence Drunken, puking, blear-eyed
beasts-composed of roughs, beg
ears. bummers, Senators, and so on
down to the lowest grade of wretch
ed humanity. Over in one corner,
to the right of the stage, were six
u. s. Senators seated and slobber-
ing round a lager-beer table and adj