Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-21
B0ST0V C0RRESP0NDENCE.
RosToN. NAV 18th, 1877.

and Mrs Hardy, were published in the Herald
last Wednesday. Mrs. Hardy is well know
srirtuslst, whose house has been the scene OF
many wonderful seance. end who was divorced
from her husband about a month ago. believe.
Mr.. Perkins is very successful contractor, and
rich widower. The marriage has been contem-
plated some time, and has caused great deal of
gossip in the city.
1t is becoming known who the editor oil the
New York Church Union is. For a long time 1t
has been believed that Z. b. Granuis was man,
and letters were written beginning always with
Dear Sir" But in reality the editor Of this
thriving paper, devoted to breaking down scctafi-
an barriers. is a small active, black eyed woman
with a nervous temperament aud great executive
ability. She has more enterprise and industry
| than twenty ordinary women put together which
but be believed, for she is editor, propie-
tor and publisher Of the paper, which had but five
hundred subscribers when she took it, and has
now ten thousand, which shows what a weman
can do who has qualifications for business. The
Church Union has great power in religious jour
nalsm, and Grannis has reason to be proud of her
success.
| Work on the foundation of the Post Office ex-
tension will be begun very soon. 1t will be under
the supervision of architect Estey, and will be
finished in accordance with the original plans.
Few people know of the extensive aquarium
owned by Mr.. b, ker of Grover 4 Baker Sewing
Machine renown On the first floor of the build
ing which he keeps for this purpose. are few Gu
riosies, one of which is grey Arctic owl Down
stairs are tanks and containing fish and hun
l. &c lasr l. IN.
ranged a sub marine cave, OF grotto, and Is
lighted by colored lamps, which give to the whole
place a mystica, fairy like appearance. There IS
a cave with fountain playing in the centre, and
colored stones arranged around. In glass tanks
on the second floor the fish, which embrace
every kind known to mankind. In the centre Of
the room is a large tank, containing three musk
rats and several turtles, and another tank holds
two seals, still another where three beavers make
their home Ono end of the room is arranged as
a work shop. Here may be seen blacksmith
busy shoelng fine horse, (all in miniature) and
a water-wheel and wind mill in constant motion,
run by waterpower. Mr.. Baker has thousands of
young salmon raised from the eggs, brought from
California. This aquarium is not public place,
for think only the acquaintances and friends, or
persons well-known can be admitted Thus a
motley crowd of rude boys and men is avoided.
The fish and turtles are sold to whoever wishes to
buy them, and strange as it may seem to some
great many turtles are bought by ladies who wish
them for pets. Think of making a household pet
of a turtle But they can be tanned very easily
and taught to come at the call and obey in various
ways. Mr.. Baker has spent great deal of mon
ey on the aquarium, and keeps six or eight men
in constant employment. A regiment Of soldiers
| from the South was here a short time since, and
| it is said that Mr.. Baker spent ten thousand dol
lars in entertaining them.
| We have sprung directly into Summer this past
week, having hardly had a taste OF spring. Par
asols and umbrellas are in demand and nearly
every one you meet out shopping has bundle con-
tanning straw hat. All the signs tell of a hot
| summer n prospect, which is enough to make one
wilt like faded violet when taking such a pros
pect in contemplation. Excursions to Chelsea
Beach are already becoming numerous, and the
street sprinklers have all they can conveniently
do to lay the binding dust which lies deep all
the roads. Poor humanity complains of the heat
which has come on US so suddenly. We mortas
are never satisfied. In the winter we sigh over the
bitter cod and the price of Goals, in the spring
we complain of the muddy streets, and constant
rains, and in the summer of the burning heats
which scorch our cities, and cause us to sigh for
the country with its cool breezes and shady or
chards. Fall suits better than the other seasons,
if it wasn't that the dead leaves such bother
and it is so much trouble to keep our yards clean
A al At tto
theatre last Monday night, when the play of
Miss Mutton" was to be performed for the first
time, Miss Clara Morris in the little role The
audience was dismissed by Manager Shewel who
was given this very dsagreeable task to perform.
1t is not generally known that Miss Morris health
has again failed and it with the greatest effort
that she played Camille and utter exhaustion fol-
lowed each performance. She was consequently
able to be but at one rehearsal of Miss Mutton"
and though the actors were letter perfect as they
call it) they did not understand how to play their
parts just Miss Morris wished them played,
and conse quently on the first night Of the per-
Torrance, the acting was so shockingly poor, that
Miss Morris after two acts had been dragged
through, tcld Manager Shewell that it was useless
to try to proceed with the play, and the embar-
RAISING statement was made to the audience, who
were given tickets to another performance, or
their money refunded, whichever they desired.
The next day a thorough rehearsal was given to
the play, Miss Morris experimenting it, and on
Tuesday night very fine representation was
given before a large and enthusiastic house
Such thing as a large audience being dismissed
because the actors were unable to play well was
never known before The play, no matter how
poor, generally dragged through somehow, and
the audience left else looked it out to the bitter
end, just as they pleased. l once saw Barry Sui
livan play in Washington at Fords theatre when
the stock company, now an excellent ons, was
just about as poor it well could be, and the play
was "Richeleu." | never saw before or since
such ntolerable acting. 1t was as good a. bur-
lesque, and the spectators laughed until they could
laugh no more, which made the eyes of the TRACE
dian flash with anger. Such company must
have tried the patience and torbearance of the
star" fearfully, and who can wonder that it did :
Leonard Growers amusing comedy farce "Our
Boarding House." has drawn large audiences to
the Boston Museum for the past two weeks. AL
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