The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1874-01-23

| sion OF 1urS, Russia leather articles, 1eWelry
and furnishing goods, and the perambula.
ting street merchants tempt the populace
with their fruits and other delicacies. Du,
ring the exposition one had only to take q
walk through the "Graben" to see repre-,
sensations of nearly all the civilized nations
under the sun. Englishmen, Frenchman
and Americans were scattered every where
and an occasional Chinee, Japanee, Turk
or 18th amendment would pass along, ad,
miring Vienna merchandise and attracting
the gaze of Vienna "gamins." Toward
evening the crowd grows thicker, the
street is filled with fashion and fancy
and the dashing demi monde sally forth to
practice their arts on the susceptible youth
of the assembled nations
| AS is always the case where people are
plentiful and labor is cheap, the means OF
locomotion are all could be desired. Street
cars traverse the whole length ofthe Ring.
strasse, and most of the principal streets OF
the suburbs. Omnibusses are also present
as a sort of opposition coaches run to the
different parts of the neighborhood, and
cabs are more numerous than / ever saw
them anywhere else. The street cars here
are much the same as those used in our
cities, and have the same infinite capacity
they are never so full that there is not room
for another. The principal difference be
tween them and ours is that the seats are
placed across the car instead of along the
sides. This arrangement is very nice for
those who obtain seats, but not SO agreea-
BILE for those who happen to come little
late, since think not more than thirds
as many people can be seated in this way
cit in ha -, 81
cars. We might profit somewhat, however,
from their caution in regard to the passen-
gers The front platform is protected by a
movable iron frame work, which prevents
all entrances and exits at that end of the
car, and instead of promiscuous boiling,
there are certain points along the line where
passengers are changed. Smoking is not
so offensive to the authorities as it is with
us, and there are three seats on each plat
form which can be occupied by those who
enjoy the fragrant weed. The fare with
in the "lines" is ten kreuzers, about five
cents; and without, double that sum. The
omnibusses are not especially remarkable
or different from the cars, except that they
take you up where you please and put you
off at the side walk. A top seat is a very
favorable point from which to get good
view of the city. The coaches which ply
between central points in the city, and the
villages which surround it, are very odd
old vehicles. Although they only carry
twelve or fourteen persons, they are divid-
ed into various compartments. The body
OF the coach is divided into two parts the
hinder supplied with longitudinal seats,
usually occupied by smokers; and accessi-
BILE by the posterior door of the vehicle, and
the anterior entered by side doors, suppli-
ed with transverse seats, and occupied by
ladies and their companions. Beside these
two interior compartments, there is & long
seat on the top for those who enjoy fresh
air, and wish to have a good view of the
country. Thus they can all jog merrily
along, each one enjoying himself after his
own fashion, without interfering with any
one else. In order to give you correct
idea of the cabs here, it will only be neces-
sary to say that they are about the same as
those found in any other city, drawn by the
same kind ofhorscs and driven by the same
kind of men.
The most renowned editce in Vienna is
st. Stephens Cathedral, founded in 1447.
1t is an immense Gothic structure, with q
single tower 443 feet in height. Many of
its adornments have been injured by time,
but are now in process ofrestoration. From
the top of the tower there is good view
of the battle fields of Laban, Wagram and
Essling. In my humble opinion the hand
soonest church in Vienna is the "Heilands-
kirch," or Church of the Saviour" built
in 1858. 1t is also built in the Gothic
style, has two fine towers and will, when
finished, be one of the finest architectural
ornaments of the city.
The Hofopern theatre is one of the first
opera houses in Europe, and though it con-
tains seats for 5000 persons, is nearly al
ways filled to overlooking. 1t is solid,
handsome structure, situated on the Ring
strasse, only a short distance from the Hof-
burg, or Imperial Palace. The interior is
richly furnished and ornamented. The ar
rangement is fur different from that of our
American theatres The spaces which
would be occupied by our stage boxes are
filled with boxes of the royal family. The
royal state box is situated in the middle of
what would be the dress circle at Ford's.
There are five tiers altogether, three of
which are entirely filled with boxes, capa-
BILE Of containing five or six persons. The
fourth tier is partly supplied with benches,
partly occupied by the Freunde Logon, or
Strangers Boxes, and the fifth is an ordi-
nary gallery supplied with benches which
are usually filled by the great unwashed.
The stage is very large and can be well
seen from all parts of the building. Du-
ring the Exhibition it was almost an I'M
possibility to attend the opera. The Of.
flee for reserved seats was always thronged
for an hour before the sale began, and to
get in among those who were not blessed
with tickets, one was compelled to 90 at
least an hour before the door opened, i. e.,
two hours before the play began, and sub
nit to most sutfocating process of push
ing and squeezing. Nowadays seats can
be obtained without trouble, and those
who have musical tastes can surfeit them
selves with the sweets of the Vienna opera.
The troupe is always good, though there
are no particularly brilliant stars among
them. The scenery is of the first order, and
the orchestra, as far as my uncultiyated
ear cun decide, faultless. AS Adalina Pat
ii was on her way to st. Petersburg, where
she is now having splendid season, she
stopped here one night and entranccd us
in the person of Lucia iii Lammermoor.
She is tine-looking woman, splendid &C
tress and has voice which combines all
the charms of natural sweetness and artis-
tic cultivation. The "Theatre an der
Wien, is also a very tavorite resort. 1t is
about as large as the Hofopern theatre,
holds as many people, but by no means so
richly ornamented. The performances
vary sometimes the German drama is pre-
sented, lately an Italian troupe were per-
forming Shakespeare's plays translated,
Athletic (lIamletD Othello, &C., and the
sprightly comic operas of Oftenbach are
often brought out in excellent style. There
are many other fine theatres in Vienna, but
us nave not yet visited them will not
attempt to describe them to you.
Vienna Is very well supplied with hos.