National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-04
AMUBEMENTS,
PROF.. MoRToN,S LECTURES.

VIII Oe given ~ Alncoln nail tomorrow evening
and Thursday evening. In his lecture on color
Prof. Morton will 20 over this ground: The two
fold meaning OF the term and tWorold treat
ment Of the sube objective color, color as it
exists in light; subjective color, or color It IS
waves Of certain lengths; drawings Of waves OF
red yellow, blue and violet colors: actual size Of
waves Illustrated by Webb's test and Nobertis
soap bubble; discrimination between wave lengths
py the prism; beautiful experiments, In which
series OF eolored disks, or a white ring into an
interlocking chain Of colored links Colors OBJ
finite in their possible and actual variety, how
many Of this can the eye recognize "a distinct or
to what degree has IL power OF Discrimination
structure OF the retins; Its appreciation Of color
distinction directly threefold only, or in other
words, the eye only recognizes positively three
wave lengths, red, green and violet; all others
only impress it as mixtures of these3 Is the re-
sultant. or compound, or mixture OF two waves OF
different lengths Identical with their average or
intermediate wave lengthP Answer to this by
experiment, in the negative. But can the eye
distinguish between the resultant Of two waves
green and one OF violet light, thrown on screen
and moved so as to overlap; the result, blue
which the eye can in no respect distinguish from
the single blue wave Of the spectrum. Three
disks Of red, green and violet, from three Ian
terms, thrown on the screen and shown by their
white. Many different combinations, producing
to the eye tho same color. This and other like
evidences Of the inability Of the eye accurately
actual coIors produced by a variety Of expert
ments, including some new ehromatropes lately
designed BY Prol; Rood, or New York. Youngs
and BreWster's theory Of cOlors compared. Blue
and yellow do bot make green, but white. The
apparent contradiction In mixing paints ex-
planned. Subjective colGs-the same actual color
made to appear successfully Of every tint In the
spectrum by contrast. The powers and defects Of
the eye. The eye not sDectroseope, but an or
And in his lecture on huorescence. which Is
change in the wave length or color Of hight
rays he will first review the relations Of ordinary
eolored objects TO the light waves. Have ordinary
colored objects the power Of changing the wave
lengths Of light, or to what do they owe their
ects only select, from The waves falling on tSsw
some which they absorb and transmit and some
which they reflect but have no power to modify
trate this a number Of highly eolored objects are
illuminated with light having in IL waves OF only
one length, Whereupon all colof but that Of the
light disappears, and the brilliantly tinted OBJ
jects become simply black and gray. Trans
parent cOlors are then shown, by prismatlc
analysis, to result simply from Partially or Sc
lecliVe action in the transmitting medium, which
makes beam OF white light red only by absorb
ing and removing from 1t all but the red waves.
COlored objects Of all sorts, then, ordinarily
the lengths Of light waves but to owe all their
color directly TO the presence Of that color or
waves of that length In the light falling on them.
But general this rule is it has Its exceptions and
there is a class Of substances called hUorescent
which possess the power Of turning shorter light
waves Into longer ones. To illustrate this, two
large screens, one with . painting in ordinary
colors, the other with the same design in huor-
escent substances Illuminated with white light,
the one shows brilliant red, green, blue, yellow,
and the other an almost uniform buff tint. Throw
ing, then, on, both violet (short wave) light, the
hrst loses all its tints, while the second flashes
out in magniheently glowing eolors. Other
striking illustrations OF huorescence, including
some magnificent electric tubes, containing highly
fuoreseent materials Some waves Of light are
too short to vibrate the nerves Of the eye and are
therefore, invisible, but these may excite huor-
essence, and IN that way be seen, The invisible
spectrum exhibited on screen Of tballene; appll.
cations Of huorescence,: first, to the study of the
uranium salts; second, the investigation Of some
mense screen, with q design in thaIlene, nIumi-
mated by the violet and invisible rays from an
electric light; physical explanation OF huor-
escence and illustration Of the same By curious
Full reports OF these lectures will be published
in THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,. The reports
Will be illustrated with explanatory cuts and dia-
grams.
FORD'S OPERA HOUSE-UNDINE.
This is to be at Ford's opera house week Of
splendor, fairy illusion, grand ballet, beautiful
singing and infinite variety. "Undlne, the
Spirit Of the Waters is to be produced, with all
effects used by Jarrett { Palmer at Booths
theatre in the production OF the gorgeous spectacle
Of the Black Crook; The company comprises the
kirahy brothers, the Lenton family, the Boisset
family, those Swiss Warblers, the Ulm sisters,
Jeune Bonnsy, the celebrated KiraIfy sisters,
two premiers, twelve secundos, and seVenty.nve
cOryphees and q full dramatic company. The
kiralfy sisters established favorites In WASH
ington. The admirers Of the Ulm sisters will be
glad to hear them again, and the lovers Of good
dancing will rejoice that at last an opportunity
is afforded Of witnessing grand ballet. The
splendid scenery includes the cavern Of jewels,
the crystal palace and the Rhine by moonlight:
An immense expense attends the production Of
all this dramatic paReantry. and we expect TO see
1t appreciated by crowded houses.
A NOVEL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.
We are essentially q musical people. Go
where you will the sounds Of music greet the ear,
and frequently from the most unexpected places.
The piano is what may be said to be our national
musical instrument. Nothing can be said
againstit, when properly played upon, except its
great cost, which places It beyond the use ofa
vast number OF people who would be glad
If there were no great similarity in the instru-
ments. The Austrian Germans have grasped
the situation, and nationaliZed an Instrument
little known in this country, and called the
Eeithern, an exhibition Of which will be given
this evening in Marini's hall, street, between
Ninth and Tenth streets, by Miss Kuhn, young
lady from Munich, who, Il is said by the best
musical critics, produces some Of the most beau
tiful tones capable Of being brought ont Of any
musical instrument. Besides the fnducement to
hear the zeithern scientifically played upon other
frst-clsss musical talent Is combined with the
readers how to pass a more delightful evening.
Tickets are only fifty cents, and can be had at
Solomons & Chapman's bookstore.
THE NATIONAL THEATRE-UNCE TOMS
CABIN.
Mrs. G. @. Howard, with her own company,
commences an engagement at the National thea
tire this evening. Her own character is that of
Topsy. 1t is hers hers alone, and is celebrated
the world over. She has played 1t more than four
times. She Is the great original TOpsy.
Eva will be played by the wonderful child actress
Lulu. Her representation of the little angel is
most affecting. Uncle Tom is in the hands Of 3
m ost competent actor, and we have no hesitation
SAVING ba 9a inc Psss w De PSsysE
Uncle Tom will attract large audiences, forit is q
drama which never loses its hold upon the SYM
pathies Of the public
THE THEATRE COMlQUE.
This week the patrons Of the Comique will find
themselves in the enjoyment Of the best variety
Of the season. "The Shadows Of
Parfsn remain on the stage. Besides this there
Is to be an elegant parlor minstrel entertainment,
In which all the ladies Of the Comique will ap-
pear Miss Minnie Gray is engaged for the
week, and Miss Fanny Davenport ID. A. Walling
and H. L. Western. Miss Davenport's return to
sood ballad singing. Ii is 3 great pleasure also
10 announce that Virginia Stickney's unfailing
popularity keeps her with the INST Of star per-
formers at the Comique,
CAROLINE RICHINGS-BERNARD
This evening and Tuesday and Wednesday
evenings Caroline Riehings- Bernard, assisted by
troupe Of artists numbering eighteen, will sing
n the Congregational church. Eminent success
attends these concerts wherever given. The art |
SITS eostumed in the fashion Of ye oldde fOlkes
and their revival Of old hymns, tunes and ballads
constitute q most pleasant entertainment The |
I'd friends Of Caroline Richings will be glad to
lee her again. /
MILE ATLANTIS CONCERT.
In consequence OF unforeseen circumstance, |
Hr. Strakoseh is compelled to postpone indee- |
,lteIy the concert Of Mile Albani, announced fer
o-night at Lincoln hall. Money invested for |
iekets will be returned at MetzeLott's.
FIRST DISTRICT REGIMENT.
Saturday, while acting as an escort to the:late
len. NJ. L Smith, the members OF the LIST regi-
nent were in full winter uniform, and made nne
appearance. The action Of the members Of this
egiment in turning out for escort duty, partieu-
arly on such occasions as the funeral Of Oom-
Dander Cushing and Saturday, both days being
ret and disagreeable, has received the highest
not only from our citizens but the
secretary OF War, and It Is reported that he pur-
oses making an effort 10 secure an appropriation ]
o be devoted to the completion Of the OrganiIa- /
ion Of this regiment
1t 70 now time that the citizens Of Washington |
hould show some disposition to aid in establish
1g q full reRiment of militia in the District
hey forget when looking upon the grand show |
the few companies Of the LIST regiment Of Dis
riet militia when paradinR the streets OF wash
lgton. that all the expense necessary to keep up
heea comnnrfea IN horna bV the mem bera rhereOf