Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-11

Amusemem ts-Methodist Inconsist-
emcy-The Fourth. and Other

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ency-The Fourth, and Other
Matters.
AUSTIN, New, July 4, 1879.
EDrron SENTINEL: Well, we've had a
Fourth of July, and an Old Folks concert.
The concert, with the least mite of stretch
Of the imagination, might have been
termed passable, but the Fourth was an
unmistakable fizzle.
Tie concert, or variety performance, at
the M. e. Church, on the evening Of the
seth ult., should have been u much better
entertainment than it was, and as Frank
House had the management Of the show,
every person expected to see a first-class
bill well carried out, for House is conced-
ed, by the eboys." to be '.'way up" in the
theatrical biz. Somehow, though, there
seemed to be q weakness permeating the
whole affair, which House could not fully
overcome by his own clever acting; but lie
most certainly did his utmost to pacify
and, if possible, please the partially disap-
pointed audience. Every number on the
programme in which his name appeared,
was hailed with deafeDing applause, and
he. as usual, favored us with u double, and
in one instance treble encore. There was
a goodly number Of We actors and We ac-
tresses on the boards" during the entire
evening, but it was generally remarked
that too many Of them were thrown in by
way of contrast. Some time ago, If you
remember, a few of the head -beatlers Of
the M. e. Church in this city kicked up q
terrific dust because, as they claimed, the
Austin Amateur Minstrels tried to force
money that had been gathered together in
IN ~''ungodly" manner, into the Golfers of
the church. Previous to the Old Folks
concert, it was a matter Of considerable
conjecture with myself as we'll as with
many others as to where the ~ungodliness
came in but now we are thoroughly
convinced that the ungodliness consists
Of the mere fact that the Austin amatuers
did not give their performance in the
House of God, instead Of international
Hall. Had the minstrels, like the old
folks, held their show in a place con-
secrated to the worship Of God. n do
mated the proceeds undoubtedly to the NJ.
T.. Church, there is no doubt but that
everything would have gone smoothly;
the Uriah Heaps Of that congregation
would have failed to have noticed anything
ungodly, and the members Of the Austin
Amateur Ministries would, in all probable
iiy, have been honored with chalked seats
on the mourner's bench at the next revival.
/ believe ! am expressing the opinion Of
the majority Of the unbiased people of this
city, as regards the Methodists' kick over
the Ministries donation, when | say that l
consider any kind Of a show or perform
ance held in a church a much nearer APP
proach to ungodliness-if there is any I'M
godliness connected with it at all, than |
atrical hall or theatre.
Al the time of the refusal of the M. E.
Church to accept this wickedly, filthy
lncre donated to it by the kind-hearted
Ministries those H. BIS before mentioned
do not misunderstood me. / mean head
beatlers-published a lengthy communica-
ton in the .Reveille," notifying the mig
ger show boys and other theatrical people,
that the Church would not accept Of
any more uDgodly funds. Then the
boys rose in righteous wrath. and
in a published reply, demanded their
donation returned to them, and they
got it. But it hurt the H. BIS very tell
ingiy, and they waxed considerably warm
when they became aware that it would be
still more ungodly if they did not pungle.
This happened but a few months ago, and
now those same cody folks get up a re8u-
lar variety show and hold it in their
church the Ministries and other theatrical
companies always hold their entertain
ments here in International Hall, but the
Old Folks Concert Troupe held theirs in
the place where they do their principal
praying. Oh, consistency thou art an
II. b. l saw q letter this morning from a
once prominent member of the M. E.
Church of this place-and he is still in
the ring-in which he says, if | may be
permitted to quote his words in an ungodly
form Il think the Methodists had q good
deal of cheek to give a performance of that
kind after the fuss they made over the
MINISTRIES generous donation OF last
spring. l would advise the H. BIS to
corral that member, if they can find out
who he is, or he will get out of the herd.
As regards the
OLD FOLKS CONCERT,
/ must say that one or two pieces on the
programme was rendered in very good
style. This was particularly noticeable in
the rendition Of the little musical sketch,
"We'Il hav to mortgage the FARM in
which Mrs. Smith, Nichols and Mckinney
and Messrs. House and Murray partici-
pated.
But to return to the Fourth of July.
The streets were crowded all day. Every
person thinking that as the regular parade
would not take place, and as the whole
day had been given over to the noble
army Of hoodlums, that when the pro-
cession formed it would be an immensely
successful as well as amusing affair.
Finally, at 2 p. M, the outit hove in view.
The costumes and representations were
very good, as far as they went, but there
were too few of them. But at the Grand
Stand was where the fizzle showed up; the
President of the day arose and read some
thing, then the Reader of the day read an
other something. then they sat down; at
any rate it must all have been uproariously
funny, for we saw two or three ladies sit
ting on the grand platform laughing as
though their jaws were dislocated close to
the ears. Then, after a silence OF ten or
fifteen minutes, the President announced
chat the Orator had had his costume stolen
from him, and therefore the Grafton would
not be forthcoming Then, after sitting
around the table on the Grand Stand, and
cycling each other for ten or twenty
minutes longer, the President and Reader
slid gracefully over to their wagon and
drove quietly away from the mob. 1t was
expected that Billy Newell would have
been the Hoodlnm Orator. but as some
person made away with his toggery, he
was unable to appear in costume, and
therefore declined having anything to do
with it. The announcement that Billy had
consented to crate on the Fourth was the
only cause for the great mob gathered in
front of the grand stand, and as it became
known that he had refused to come for
ward, the crowd became thinned out very
suddenly, every person looking as though
they had done something that they were
heartily ashamed OF.
hope Austin will brace up on the next
Fourth and make a better showing as to
patriotism. CRAIKEy.