The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-13
Gl1e9nteltiqenrer
sunday In the Large cities.


Sunday. II 10 nothing new for the latter
city to have operas and theatrical per-
formances on Sunday night. Such has
been tho custom down thero for an indefl
mite period. With Its large infusion oi
French population from tho start.
New Orleans naturally followed
PArisian ideas in regard to Amuse.
ments, and we all know that
Sunday issimply grand holiday in Par.
Is: But In New York there has never until
lately been asystem ofrespectable Sunday
night amusements inaugurated. Nearly
everything In Its amusement line on that
night has been Of a contrabsnd character
The respectable people Of the city did not
think oI going to the so called sscred con.
certs, which, by the way, are sacred
only In name, and no manager was
bold enough TO experiment upon public
opinion by opening up the Academy Of
Music, and other first class resorts,
to regular secular performances, such as
are given on other nights. But 1t seems
that underneath the restraint heretofore
existing, Mr.. Manager sTRAKosoH per.
Ceived enough ready made sentiment to
venture upon regular operatic perform.
ance on Sunday night Accordingly we
notice that on last Sunday evening the
Grand Opera House was crowded under
his auspices to witness the Opera o.
"Ls TravlatA"-an opera that Is at least
OF questionable propriety on any night oil
the week. Not single one Of the great
papers had a word Of condemnation to
offer. They tell Us that brilliant audi
eucC was in attendance. a brilliant audi.
enCe at the Opera House in Wheeling
would mean congregation Of our most
fashionable and intelligent people. We
presume the word has an equivalent
meaning in New York. We may there
fore venture to call attention 10 the
fact that in the Metropolis Of the
country the lights of wealth and
fashion patronize such operas as
LA Travista" on Sunday night. The
Herald gives US 10 understand that the
larger portion Of the audience present
were attendants at thefashionable church.
es in the'morning, That means, we pre-.
sume, Grace, Trinity and st. PsulS
churches, and perhaps also the conven-
tcles OF CHAPIN and BEECHER II may
include. ,.for aught we can tell, sprinkling
from oil the denominations. We are
further told that the audience was inteli-
gent and critical. From all OF which we
infer that 1t was a first cass audience,
drawn together 10 SEQ an opera that could
scarcely be called irst.Claes.
But this was not the only performance
OF the kind Sunday night in New York
The sIadt theatre headquarters for op'
era boufle) was likewise crowded to wit
ness "Blue Beard" The Bowery theatre
was "crowded TO excess" 10 witness ar
emotional" drama called "Moll Pitcher
the Fortune Teller Of Linn" Over il
Brooklyn, the city Of churches, where the
great and, no doubt, good BEECHER lives
they had a grand Sacred Concert at the
Academy Of Music, whereat GILToRE'i
sacred band rendered the overtures tC
Oberon and William Tell, and Other
sacTed aclcctions, and the leading lady
performer sang q sacred aria from "Lg
Puritaui," and when she was encored sang
the well known sacred song Of "Kathlln'
Mavourneen."
There were several other entertain
ments Of less important character thar
these In different parts Of tho city. They
seem by all accounts TO have been vel
pstronized. Itis not stated that all tht
audiences were brilliant, intelligent ant
critical, but that could hardly be expect
ed on Sunday night. It is presumabl'
thsta few people answering to this de-
scription patronlzed the various churches
during the evening, although 1t il
not a universal custom 10 have church
services Sunday evening in New York, es
peclally at the fashionable churches. We
have noticed when Visiting that Metropo
la that q small amount Of church service
went great ways with the inhabitants
Tho thing is not over done at all. 1t
probable that in this good city Of Wheel.
ing we average about twice as much PEI
capita. And we know Of small village
where tho average Is still greater.
In view Of the inauguration OF Sucl
Sunday entertainments in the Metropolis
Of our country, tho question naturally
arises as to how long it will be belor,
other cities follow suit 1t seems to b,
the old question oil the street cars owe
again. The time was when the propel
city Of Philadelphia would not ALLOW
street cars to be run on Sunday. But ii
thocourse oI time she followed the exam
ple Of New York in that as in most othel
respects. And one by one all the cities o
the country followed the same example
uutil to-day there Is not one Of them .wt
presume where tho street cars do not rur
on Sunday. Whether Philadelphir
and Boston will follow the lead
Of New York in tho matter Of this new
departure in the way Of Sunday night
operas and theatricSls, remains 10 be seen
They may conclude that 1t Is necessary to
compete with the Metropolis in this as in
4 A..