, 1872-12-08

on at an average Of s., 900 for each performance
Of the first week. The managers had counted
upon running the piece for six weeks, but on
the the s non kaas y mo4ng soo o h
papers nssailed the performance. s'Good
Tor three MONTHS" said jarrett, as he
glanced over the criticisms. On the following
Sunday g sensational preacher began to de-
nounce it from his pulpit, and his sermon Was
reported. 'The piece will run six months"
eaid Palmer, as he read the abstract Of tho
Sermon put the fellow On the tree LIST, anc
have good sent for him every time ha wants
it." Next the Herald assailed it, and the papers
generally took up the discussion: .'We will
have year Of it now, and quite likely q year
and hail." said jarrett; :" ne let ourselves IN
rather badly by not paying Barras his price out
right, instead Of giving him royalty"
The Black Crook ran five hundred and te"
Berras, tho author, received over 512 0c0 for his
share. It was always considered o good joke
by many persons to assert that the piece ever
had al author, as it was little else than string
OF ballet performances without any particular
continuity. The name and incantation scene
were about all that were used Of the original
piece as Barras delivered it to jarrett and
Wheatleigh, and the author has never Jet quite
recovered from his chnGrin at the sad mutila-
ton which the child Ct his brain received I
have the piece produced as was originally writ
ten. It contained NO ballet, or anything like
one, but was simply me1odrama Of tho aensa-
tional aud hobgoblin sort.
The White FaWn was the natural successor OF
the Black Crook, and cleared S95, 900 profit. The
subsequent reyivals of the Black Crook have
been profitable, and bring smiles Of delight to-
the face of Zimmerman, the treasurer OF tho
establishment.
REAL FIRE SCENE.
There is great deal OF indaumable material
in spectacular piece, and the only wonder is.
that theatres where these things are produced do
not take fire every week or two. Every precau-
ton is taken against fire at Niblo's, and during
the transformation scene, and in fact during all
the scenes, the fremen stand ready to Bave the
house and its contents from destruction. The
Black Crook Was fortunate it Was never on fire
but once, and then there was no serious dam
age. I can tell the story best in the language OF
one Of the attaches, who narrated it to me-:
"The house was full, and the curtain had.
risen on the transformation ecene. The thing
Was unfolding slowly, the girls we're ali in their
places; some up in the air, some at the fountain,
some here and eome there, where they be-
1onged, and everything was going On al right,
when some Of the stuff at the wings took tire,
and vas blazing in 4 second. Palmer, Jarrett.
Zimmerman, and the rest Of us, we're behind
the scenes, looking On. Some Of the girls in tho
Of their places. Jarrett picked up q hammer
and swung it as near to one Of the girls as he
could without being seen by the audience. II
you move muscle, Ill break your head IN ho
Ea1l. auQ ne BLOCK Eu6 uaI1lulEE. Au0 eFAueA11J
meant every word Of it. One OF the girls near
me began to look pale, and grabbed . wrench
and threatened to knock her down if she stirred
I kept shaking it over her, and az the time
looked out OF one corner Of my eye 60 see how
the fire vas getting along. There were Palmer
and Zimmerman, and three Or four others, esch
with club, or hammer, or something OF tho
sort, threatening to pound the life out OF the
girls if they moved hairs breadth. Vincent,
the stage manager, gave signal to the leader Of
the orchestra to stop the music. He did go; and
then the curtain came down as s1owly as it
nothing WAS the matter. The freInen had the
water on the fire and put it out. The blaze was
pretty high before the curtain came down. but
it was stopped in 3 minute or two. The audi
ence never knew anything about it, but sup
posed the blaze VAS part OF the performance.
to faint, and we had to sprinkle about ton OF
them with water, and carry them to their dress-
irr rnSrna ~