Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-10-17
SECOND EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA.
OUR sATUR DAY LETTER.

| The Franklin Institute Exhibition has been
even unexpectedly successful. The display is
now thoroughly organized and ia one worth
coming many mile to see. Expressions of
delight and satisfaction are general, and it ia
evident that the people fully appreciate
| the Exhibition IA prelude to the Centennial.
A great many persons have now the first clear
| idea of what it is possible to accomplish in the
great Exposition, for seeing how readily Phila-
| delphia has filled this large building, even ex-
cluding by necessity many who would have
| liked to contribute, they can readily understand
what the Centennial may be made with the
whole country to contribute, to say nothing of
the outside world. The Institute Exhibition has
had a very noticeable effect upon business
| Of all kinds. The streets are bustling
and cheerful, trade moves, advertising is good,
| and the croakers give us a rest The Exhibition
ls not, to be sure, to be credited with tile whole
of this pleasant reaction. There is trade be-
cause it is natural there should be trade be-
cause the public has wants which must be sup
piled and because the panicly feeling which 80
so long oppressed business men has practically
subsidized. Doubtless, however, the Exhibition
has helped along the good work.
The Medical Department of the University of
Pennsylvania was opened this week, but the
arrangements for tho event were SO bungled that
little attention attracted to the Inauguration.
The ceremonies at the Wonal's Medical College
the week previous were madc much more i'm
pressive, and yet the University is the leading
school OF the country. 1t is not altogether cred
liable to the management OF the trustees and
faculty, that circumstance that might have
been made properly imposing was allowed to
lapse into insignihcance, after great expenditure,
and when it il realized, or professed to be real
lied, that the widest knowledge OF the claims of
the institution i5 desirable. With such an oppor
tunty, New York would have had q different
story to tell However, the University schools are
now all organized, and the work is completed.
The Ross libel suit terminated in u not unex-
pected and yet in a sufficiently painful manner.
With the Libel law as it stands, and with the UNI
answerable evidence III this case a verdict of
guilty was scarcely to be escaped but the fact is
not the less distressing that worthy men should
be 80 severely dealt with for an unintentlonal
wrong and one for which they stroye to make
every reparation. Mr.. Ross ID said to be de-
ranged by his troubles, and the fact no doubt
had its effect on the decision of the case but it
is moro likely that reason gave way under the
stress of anxiety and grief than from the tram
sparent falsehoods in the Reading Eagle story.
However, the thumbscrew has been put ON to
the last turn, while powerful and influential pa
pers like the N. Y. Herald, which published the
same rumors, have been allowed to escape
There is much sympathy for Mr. Ross but pub
lie opinion goes hardly with his friends who have
pushed the Eagle 30 cruelty to the wall.
A slight awakening in politics is noted, but we
| are yet in the main apathetc. Even the stirring
| news from the West fails to rouse us from leth-
| argy growing out of the reversal OF oli-time
customs. II We cannot have an October cleo
| tioD, why should we have an October worry ?
Sufficient unto the day, &c. But we had rat
tling meeting recently, foretaste of what is to
| come.
| project has taken final shape this week for
the erection of all additional first-cass theatre.
II ID to be built at the corner of Broad and Cherry
| Sts, facing the new building of the Academy of
| Fine Arts, now nearly completed, and is to be
| called "The Centre Square THEATRE in COM
memoration of the historic site OF Philadelphia 3
| first Water Works, to be occupied in the future
| by our palatial Public Buildings. A few years
ago the selection of such position for a thea
tire would have been thought very hazardous,
but the changing ways Of the great city
have brought that to pass OF which the
last generation never dreamed. The town
is now gay, at night, on Broad street and
beyond, and the neighborhoods which were
thought essential for such purposes in the times
of " the Chestnut and the gala days of " the
Arch are now so generally given over to whole
sale trade as to be comparatively quiet and retir
ed after night fall. The new theatre is designed
| especially to meet the wants of the Centennial
| year. and as great deal of the interest of that
| time will centre on Broad street and in the Pub
lie Buildings, the propinquity OF the new
PLAY House Herewith will certainly be to its ad-
vantage Having the start the Centennial will give
| 1t it must be success if it il well managed, and
| il really the first class estab ishment promised.
| The "Centre Square" is a private enterprise.
| some erroneous statements nNVe Deen maze re-
garding it, to the effect that it is to be stock
concern, and a reduced Academy of Music, not
| opened with regular company but to be let by
the night or week. 1t is, in fact, to resemble
the Academy in design (and there could be no
better model, but apart from the style of build
ing, there will bo no resemblance to the Opera
| House. The Theatre is to be opened in the
regular manner, and it is understood it will be
devoted principally to the Society Drama
as it prevails at the Fifth Ave
nue." and the "Union Square," in New York.
That species Of entertainment seems to pay bet
ter than the comedy line as exemplifed at 'Wal-
| lacks" The company is to be the best that can
be obtained but genuine comedy troupe we
all know to be the most difficult of all to get to-
gether, and possibly with Waack in the feld it
could not be had. The "Centre Sqnare" owners
| aro four young business men of Philadelphia,
of equal means and taste, and with an enthusi-
asm in the matter OF having this city compare in
| the most favorable way with other leading COM
munities. One of these parties is a Mr.. Gem
mill, and another is q MIR. Bailey,,a connection
of the great jewelry house, though wheth-
er member OF the firm l can
not say. These gentlemen do not 60
into theatricals to make money, although Of
course they would rather make than los6. But
their intent is to found a perfect Play House
and to give the Centennial City an added at
traction. 1t is to be hoped mistake will not
be made OF making the house too small. Hints
OF a capacity of 1900, which have been made,
are rather alarming. A theatre smaller than the
"Walnut" cannot pay, and it might be thought
that experience had proved it sufficiently. The
people must be got in or the best enterprise will
languish, and on 1900 basis the prices would
have to be 30 high, in order to cover the ex-
penses Of such an establishment as to place a
decided barrier in the way Of success. Bad
Judgment on this point would be every way de-
plorabe.
Mr.. J. L. Toole, the English player, has reach
| ed Philadelphia in the process of fulfilling his
benevolent mission of teaching the Yankees
aomething about comic acting. But tits evident
that Mr.. Toole has nothing to teach country
which has produced numerous truer comedians
than himself He is hard and rather unsym-
pathetic actor, not as funny as Clarke and Owens,
without the rare delicacy which distinguishes
Warren, and wholly wanting in that sweetness
| of humor which is the characteristic of Jeffer-
son. In brief, he has the excellences of the
routine actor-perhaps has more than an aver
age share Of them-but is In no wise to be called
man of genius Mr.. Howard, the stock come
dian at the "Walnut, has more real humorous Ca
paoty than Mr.. Toole That London should have
been content to accept this actor for years as its
ideal of Commedian is one more proof of the
fact, of which travelled men have often assured
US, that American actors are better than those
OF England, and entirely explains the furore ex-
cited in London by Mr.. Clarke. Nothing will COM
pensate in a commedian for ability to make us
laugh-not boisterously, necessarily, for quiet
laughter is often the best-yet still to laugh.
MIR. Toole does not seem to have OF himself a
true sense Of humor and he consequently fails
TO humorously impress his auditors.
Servant-galsm had startling illustration In
Court to-day. member in the noble army OF