, 1877-11-04
The Rive-King Testimonial
An Extraordinary Ar
ray Of Artists.
MIR. Eddy's Seventh Organ Recital
---The Swedish Lady
Quartette.
mfr. pratt,s Debut in New York;
The Forthcoming German
Opera Season.
TIE DRAMA. .

MURRAY.
The recorder of dramatic affairs having, 50 t
speak, "clcancd up" everything for the week,
that is to say, having judiciously applied tn
bellows to this entertainment, stamped his foe
mon that, sat down upon the other, and quietl
eIbo#ed the rest out OF his orbit,-put bis hand
in his pockets yesterday and took walk rouu
town, wondering, as usual, how the manager
vcre feeling, and what they thought about tn
coming election. Is a general thing, manaser
don't care about elections, past, present, OF t
come. They regard these things as nuisanccs
as evils to be avoided since they cannot be abol
{sled, and are usually to be seen stamping thci
feet in trghtfully impatient manner as the
clan=e their eyes over the columns Of the morn,
ius paper, and e1ccra1iDg the bad taste OF al
editor who will admit into his columns m III
limited quantity Of political haransues, to th
exclusion OF matter (which everybody is inter
estcd in,'' namely, the merits OF his show.
One OF the first objects the critical eye li9htet
upon vas the tall, STOPPING form and gcnia
couutenance Of Paul Nicholson, the aMn
courier Of innumcrous combinations,-the MAJ
iu whose eye shines perennial sunrise. 1twa:
he who suggested to poet Longtellow the en-
nobIins sentiment, *''Tis always morning
somewhere" There is something inspiring Ii
the answering faith this gentleman has in tht
integrity of dramatic combinations. He is {
bird OF dawn, whose note is ever hera}d;ng the
approach OF some bright lumiuary in the theat
rica1 heaven.
Paul WAS stuf6ng packet Of wcll-filled Ell
yelopes into letter-box on street corner
He turned away from his 1abors with satisfied
air, and. as TnE TRIBuSE's dramatic comulrn-
tator sauntered past, he thrust bis hand lnto
tue ca2acious side-pocket OF his ulster, and pre-
kenred bundle Of newspaper clippings
!.Ab, yes; have seen theul,''' said the D. c.
SADLY ".P Poor 10 Poor Jo'l'
"No, no." said Paul, 'not for Joseph; no
more Of that all thou loyest me-"
s:It is the .Danitcs,' then. Nc? Ah, sec,
The Two Orphans are again on the wing.
What! a new scheme! Yes, yes; to be sure,-
the German opera"
Newspaper cippings,-1oads OF them,-and
what interesting reading they are. You w'll
peyer find q word Of disparagement in one of
them that has passed through the crucible
oi an aoyance agents inspection. Won
dcyful unanimity Of opinion in all these
selections {mainly cullcd from country
pewspapcrs). One occasionally takes to qucs-
tionlng the validity Of all these sugary para
graphs. One sometimes wonders il there Is not
a cloud behind all this silver lining. One some
times says to ones sell, lis there, was there,
ever such thing as all unsuccessful company
outside Of this Western metropolis?"
Paul smiles grim!y, or rather grins Fmilingly,
as the IDEA is presented to him. and walks away
WITH huge springins eternal in his managerial
breast
Enter Frank Pierce, who has just walked into
town after long trip with Jake MurraY's COM
pany. Never mind the name Of it, because it is
dead.
Frank, how are things, generally speaking,
in the country"
.'Oh. nno busness,'' says Frank "djd admi-
1ably wherever re vent. Here arc few news
paper clippings Just cast your eye over few
Of them and see.''
4 bunch OF glowing notices was handed over,
from whicl. it would appear to the inexperienced
eye that Jake Murray must now be waiting
somewhere in the interior for an express train
to convey his safes 10 the Fidelity.
'sWhcrc did you leave Jakea'
'Oh, Jake is in Lincoln, Nebraska"
"What is be doing therein
ssWaitiDg to come home" I have Just got
telegram from him, but for Gods sake don't
publish It, because that might give the whole
thing away, you know"
This Was the message:
FEAsI.: Send mc the strongest pair Of boots
you can get in Chicago. JANE.
"Just SO. Fr2nk Now tell NE how is bust
ness in the countryl Where did you start
from:''
ave opened in Keokuk to s1oo."
"lhat was good paying bouse for such
place. wasn't it?''
"Y-yes. oh res, only the expenses, you.sce,
came to $50, and that rather staggered u.s."
~ should think so. What did you start out
with, and what sort OF company was it!
What's this see III one Of the notices about
coat."
"The goat" said Frank; 20, that was a part
Of our play, The play was 'Grctchcn.' u"
; "Wiat's tllat:''
"'Gretclcn is pastoral drama in five acts,
with maypolc dance in the middle, and an
educated goat scattered proniscuously through
thu scencs,-in fact, as you will perceive, Que of
those things just calculated 10 catch the rural
population. The goat was one Of Jake's ideas.
The company was headed BY 'Amer'ca's |
ha1natir GEM lmogcnt."
us she a gem!' !
"Jakc says SO. Hc says she para|yzes her !
1uQicnce- My cIpcrlcnce 1lWaFS WAS 1i1at sAc |
lid. The curtain lal!s on the first AIT, and the |
Eudlcnre 20 out and don't come back"
That's what Jake calls paralyzing the !
audience. Well, the point however, is in re
ard to business in 1bc provinces. Are they !
Enthusiastic. How do they patronlze your
taveliuC eomranies!''
"We|l, toIcrahly so,' said Frank, that is, |
according to their means ] came here from !
9naha.: We played TO SIS house there last
Tuesdas.''
"Di1 you walk all the way!''
HOuly part Of it. have some real estate IN |
>hisago so didn't u,,na it much. We have !
zen 10 keokul4 Dcs Aloines, Burlington, Of
umwa, Atlantic CltN-and we lett Jake at
4jnroln."
''Ilad good many favorable potices, ] see,
rom it4e country papers. BY The way, here's
ne from the keokuk Constitutions"
-"Don't give that away,'' quorh Frank. "but
ou ,pay just look at it for your own in1orma-
on.!'
Tue Constitution says:
Vel have been inflicted BY smother fnide COM
ny! j. The Star is tue worst in the ouet-
ISL and the educated goa, is the only actor IN
e Elarty- ;,
"Mow,'' - said Mz. Pierce, this is what call
e Inconsistency Of dramatic critics. DO Xon
,oe{. I played Fagi4 in the same torn With
lclfIe Western, and that same man said #as |
= tat acto1-a great actor"