National Republican., 1876-10-03
AMUsENIENTs.
National Theatre-"Two Mea|of Sandy Bar"
Rret Harte,s nav nlav UTWo Men of Sandy

National Theatre-"Two Mep<of Sandy Bar"
Bret Harte's new play, 1.-TWO Men Of Sandy
Bar, }" is really worth seeing, the adverse crit
icisms it received in New York to the contrary
notwithstanding. 1t is not up to the highest
standard of its class; does not equal "The
Gilded Age" nor "The Mighty Dollar" as
regards the leading character, but 1t intro
duces new features of Pacific coast life, strange
to the residents of this section, and has more
of real plot and ingenuity of situation than
either of the plays mentioned. Probably the
great mistake made in putting it before the
public was the effort to make Col. Culpepper
Starbottle-Culpepper should be spelled with
two p's, Mr.. Harte, instead Of three,
If you mean the Virginia Culpeper
appear as the equal of Sellers or
the National last night, while giving Mr..
Stuart Robson, always a favorite in his native
city, due credit for his rendition of the part,
did not fail to appreciate the fact that Messrs.
Raymond and Florence are more fortunate
than he in having the privilege of repre-
senting stroDger-if the word may be used
in this connection acters in the plays
in which they have, respectively, made their
great success. To those who have read Mr..
Harte's works there is nothing new in the
play; but they will find great satisfaction in
the vivid mimic portrayal of scenes which they
have heretofore enjoyed simply as pictures of
the Imagination. The Gulch of Sandy Bar,
with the pretty school mistress; the drunken
Sandy Morton, always befuddled and disgust
ingly good natured; the romantic and impulsve
Donna Jovita; the cold-blooded, stony y-hearted
John Oakhurst, the Magdalen of the prairie,
the Duchess and the inevitable John China
man are characters copied or inspired by
social creations unknown to the majority of
Washington theatre-goe but still familiar to
those acquainted with the style of indigenous
Pacific slope literature, of which Mr.. Harte is
a leading exponent. The Spanish boLero, in
the first act, is unique feature, while all of
the tableaux are strikingly attractive.
Ford's Opera House-Rentz's Female Min
strels.
There was a large ngregation-mostly
majestic witness the "woman show" at this
house last night. 1t was "woman show" In
more senses than one, and truth demands that
it be added that there was something elevated,
if not refining, about the performance. That
something, however, was mostly feet, toes and
legs, to the exclusion of the finer feelings and
sentiments of mankind. As "woman show"
it must be chronicled as quite a success.
There was a very good exhibition of clean cut
limbs and a number of attractive forms, set off
to much advantage by their contrast with those
less faultless and more encumbered, If not
hidden, with flowing drapery. In short, there
was a collection of women more or less beau
tiiul and more or less dressed, only upon the
average they were rather less than more of
the latter. There was some good singing and
some good dancing and posing. It was an ex-
hibition to which people of sound morals and
a proper sense of selfrespect would hardly care
to introduce their families.
Theatre Comiqus-Model Artistes.
Matt Morgan's pictures of nude females
drew a large crowd OF the more degraded
and abandoned portion of the community last
night, of course. The debased naturally seek
further debasement. Such exhibitions as this
would-be artist, Matt Morgan, has originated
are the very fuel which feeds our brothels
and populates our work-houses and prisons.
They are exhibitions which no good. pure
mother or father either would select for the
amusement of their sons. The managers of
Ford's and the Comique seem to vie with each
other this week in the presentation of "leg
OPERA" and, If reports are true, there is also
some competition in their efforts to achieve
the best representation of nudity "with all
that the word implies" Without attempting
to decide which has taken the palm In this
respect, or desiring to appear over-fastidious
in these matters, it may not be out of place
to suggest to these managers that "there is
a point at which forbearance ceases to be
virtue"