The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-11

One of the opportunities provided by the war
in Europe is that of studying the manner In
which the German nationality and the French
nationality evince themselves of the clubhouse,
at the hotels, in places of public amusement,
and, above all, at the boarding-houses The
clearinghouse of high tone is very fair place
in which to study this contrast of nationality,
because people from all parts of the world, and
of pretty good manners, go there to remain for
q longer period than that for which they remain
at hotels and consequently there is larger room
for the manifestation of character. And though
during the course of the year almost every
nationality is represented at the large, first
class clearinghouse, the German element
and the French element are more often
represented than any others. The war between
Prussia and France has therefore operated very
seriously in setting by the ears those Gallo sip
pers of absinthe and Teutonic swallowers of
beer who had heretofore been the best of
friends. Monsieur and Myhheer scowl at each
other across the table, and eonfde to their
neutral neighbors their sentiments about the
Prince Imperials ''baptsm of fire" and "Our
Fritz" respectively. The dinner-table in general
presents the spectacle of an armed neutrality,
engaged, during the intervals between the
courses, in watching the expressive shadows
that float across the countenances of the rival
nationalities. Peace has fed from every board
ing-house dinner-table at which the French and
the German element are brought face to face.
Mutual sarcasm comes on with the soup, and
reciprocal contumely marks the advent of the
coffee. At the breakfast-table the Stats Zeitung
and the Courier des EtdtS- Unis lie peacefully
apart from each other on opposite plates; but
every lover of peace knows that when the
readers of these respective papers take them up
aud open them, it is wise to try to get up
general conversation, without any pauses, on
indifferent topics
The Argus Society.
The Argus Society is the name of an associa-
ton which was got up six years ago. body
of respectable citizens organized what they
called ''The Grand Order of Argus" their OBJ
ject being to convict thieves and to act as
sort of vigilance committee for the detection of
felons in general. believe the society is still
in existence, but its movements are made with
such secrecy that those who are aware of its
existence and yet are not members of it are very
few indeed in number 1t has not been so long
in existence without having accomplished some
good, although the amount of that good may
not be proportionate to its aspirations. The
discovery of the Greenwich Bank robbery,
which took place three years ago, is due to this
association If it had succeeded in identifying
the robber, the public would have more lively
sense of its importance. Three years ago it
was instrumental in the discovery of the men
who committed watch robbery at Cooper
Institute. 1t has also, at various times, made
heavy and successful onslaughts on the Broad
way lotteries, and it is to its influence that the
sweeping away of some of these denominations
lie due. But it certainly never had better field
for the exercise of its ability than that which it
finds spread before it in the Nathan murder. AS
the days pass by and absolutely nothing new is
developed from that startling case public inte-
rest dwindles For few days more the first
thing for which the newspaper will be con-
suited will be for the satisfaction of the ques-
ton, "Who killed Mr.. Nathan ?" But after
these days have elapsed, and unless the inquest
shall bring to light some fact undreamed of
now the crime will take its stand among the
bloody traditions of the city, and begin to be
surrounded by something of the obscurity of
remote past In the United States there seems
to be no Argus Society Chat deserves to be
called such) for the detection of crime. OF
what use are the hundred eyes of Argus, if
each be purblind? That appears to be the con-
diton of the entire police force, including the
detectives.
The End of the Season-HIr. Jefferson.
When the theatres begin to open for the fall
and winter season summer is virtually at an end
The dates at which the majority of the metro
poltan theatres open and shut are an excellent
indication of the tone of the citizens with re-
spect to going out of town and returning to it,
Niblo's Garden and Booths Theatre begin the
season next Monday evening. At Niblos
Garden Mr.. Lawrence Barrett is to appear in
The Dukes Motto, and is TO be supported by
quite large number of actors who hold fair
positions One of these performers is Madame
Ponisi, and another is Miss Price, recently of
Mrs. Drew's Theatre. At Booths Theatre Rip
Van Winkle is to be played for a space of time
to which no limit is announced. We all know
that Mr.. Jeffersons "Trip Van Wlnkle" is a good
thing, and it is therefore, pity that he should
ever give the public reason to think that he has
given them too much of it. The time for
thinking so has not yet arrived, but no one need
be surprised if it does arrive before the
end of the approaching season. There
are two ways of looking at the
question whether an actor does right in
making himself the actor of one character only
One of these ways is the money-making way,
and the other is the artistic. If Mr.. Jefferson
desires to make money only, no one who ad-
mires his Grip Van Wrinkle, and also approves
of erecting money into a god, will growl with
him for never appearing in any other character.
But it is impossible to look upon great actor
merely a money-making machine, and there
fore it is inevitable that people who hold them
selves above mere emoney-making-an there are
a few such people!-should growl with Mr.. Jeffer-
son for waat seems to be sordid lazy, and
unambitious neglect of his art. Suppose Mr.
Booth should insist upon playing Hamlet
year in and year OUT suppose Ristori should
IfIah hafIa or