Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-16

Tor hardly any one thing would 10 50 mach
10 create and foster an interest in art al thn
capital "a an institution like that. which
would not only ftly accomm late the artists
now here, but induce many Others 10 CONE Il
Washington for p2rma1out residence.
There was at one time a fair prospect th7t
the enterprise would succeed: u9.lcr any cir
cum>tanccS IL would b. pity it IL Shpulf
not. ana I'm view OF Mr.. COTcoTdp'S very lib
erdt ana praISeworthy offer IN The premises
II VIII almost amount TO 4 disgrace if it ,tna~
not.
\ paragraph thai appeared IN this column
last saturday seems 10 have been largely
miSapprehended by one of the sunday pa
perS, which made il the subjnct of 2iitor!al
comment. 1t was not the intention of that
paragraph 10 counsel people 70 stay away
from the opera, when here. bat simply t.
protest against the common mana gerial trick
of having each successive prima donna an
pear here in concert at extrava raRt prices i'm
advance of the regular opera season. and
more particularly - object TO the diScrinli-
nation almost invariably made against
Washington in the matter of the price OF
tickets. IfalybOdy thinks three dollars for
a seat at concert not too much, they are
welcome to their opinion, and they can toS-
tiiy To their faith by buying all they want at
tilat prIce; but the result of the unsuccessful
attempt with Albani shows that the majority
OF people are not Of that way of thinking. Ii
would be sud thing. doubtless, for those on
tue free list If the NcSSrs. Strdko<ch Shof;lI
cancel their engagement at the National FOR
February" as is intimatcd; but if Washing
ton can only have operas and first-class con
ctrts al priceS i'm excess of those charged in
oihtf cites FOR the same entertainment. it *
likely She can survive the deprivation II
would seem that she il willing toTiSk the ex-
pertinent, any way
Mr.. w. HcpwOrth Dixon. who came 10 this
country on Il lecturing tour, seems 10 have
been even more unfortunate in California
than he was on this side. He undertook to
deiiVera fun course in san Francisco. but
the first two were very thinIy ATTENDED,
and at the third the audience wa, 50 srnan
that hc declined To proceed. and withdrew ia
dign9Htly from the field. Mr.. Dixon isno.
without considerable clcvcrness, both rs ;,
writer and "a speaker. but the trOable with
him II that hc rates himself too high. IL he
could only sell himself to The Americans ~
what he eSteemS himself To be worth, ami
thch buy hihStii back at their valuation. he
would 90 home with great deal more money
th;'n ne VIII merely as an author or lecturer.
~
1t is doubtful whether one person in a hun
dred, even of those directly interested in such
matters, is aware of the extent 10 which the
art of wood engraving is carried on in Wash
ington, Oh Of the superior quality OF the work
turned out. 1t is therefore real pleasure 10
be able to say that in the establishment
Of Dir. III. II. Nichols in this city have been
executed some of the very best specimens
ever produced in this country. Indeed. when
il is known that his efforts have carried OF
the palm when brought into direct cOmpari-
son and competition with those Ol the very
best artists Of France, England and G Germany,
it may safely be said that his work is hardly
suil,'SSeu aiiyW,.rre The people OF this city
.s73 or opportunity of seeing, in some
& the portraits published in the illustrated
Chro'ecie, the fidelity with which he repro
duceS likeness, but it is i'll the illustrations
OF such works as the Medical History OF the
Rebellion, the new book on the Birds of Anne
ric3, and Prof Powells forthcoming volume
Oi Explorations on the Colorado, that he APP
learS To the best advantage. These have
justly won the highest praise from the most
eAacting critics, and abundantly demon
strate the fact that those in want OF any
thing Of the kind need not and ought not 20
outside OF Washington for il. Mr. Nichols
deserves the fullest encouragement. not only
because his establishment is home inStitu-
lion. but because his work cannot be ex-
cclied.-whiCh is always the true ground
upon which 10 base claims for patronage.
The highest building in the world, public
OF private, is that recently erected for it's
Offices in New York by the Western Union
| Telegraph Company. Its main portion is only
forty-SiX feet lower than the top OF Bunker
Hin monument. while it. clock tower
reaches 10 a height of six feet above that
structure. or two hundred and twenty-six
feet clear and its dag staf pierceS the air
still higher, by n reach Of sixty-three feet
But when these things are said, nearl Y every
thing in its favor is said, so far at least as
its external appearance goes. It is very much
too high for its h1eadth, 50 that il lacks diZ-
Hity and harmony o. proport ion: and this uu-
| pleasant effect is heightened rather than sub
s..
alternate lines Of light granite AMI rel brick
| "a well as by the almost innumera ble win
| doWS with which its walls are pierced. The
same criticism applies, though IN leSs degree.
| 10 the new IrtbHHe building. or 50 much OF if
a. VIII probably be built II the whole Struc-
| turc shall ever he completed a originally d.
! signed, the effect will be far more pleasing
! IMAM now. bnt at present its height is too
great for its breadth and depth. In style and
| character OF ornamentatiOn II is. however
superior 10 the monument erected by the tel
e9raph company.
Between EOx's drOleries at ForI's AMI
Olive LOgan's clothes al the National. thea
| tor-gocrs have not had "a very wide range 10
select from this week. Both are good enough
ol their kind. bat the kind is not of the best
nor very satisfying To the dramatic taste II
can be said for. HuInpty Dumpty." however.
that ii iS full of fun and that it keeps on, j.,
good humOr. even ii il iS not very edifving
lhis Is rather more than the truth will war
rant IN regard To Surf which in spite OF
one or two novel points, is a tame and dull
affair. In fact, if Miss Logan would display
hei dresses in row on the stage over a set of
well developed wire frames, the audience
would be just about as well satisfied as 70 sit
through the entire play. = Neither is tbe
dramatic bill of fare for next week the besf
that could be conceived, though both theaters
Will probably draw fair audiences The ..Soa
OF Ice, which Ford brings out. is among the
most popular OF the spectacular pieces. and
Emily Soldene, who makes her first appear
ance III Washington at the National ON
W ednesday evening, has won such a replfa-
tlon in opera bOaf1e that she will doubtless
nll the mousse every night of her brief engage
Heht, especially as she introduces a couple of
operas that havenever before been presented
in Washington.
LOUISIANA SYAPATHY-BoTH WAYs-
FaneulI Hall was filled with Louisiana
Nhlte League synpathiZers last night and
was addressed by a number of prominent cit