The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-01-25
A Question of Identity.
New York Times. !

Evansville, Indiana, is town of more than
fifteen inhabitants, and therefore. in accord
ance with the unwritten law of the great West.
has an "opera house" instead of an academy
of music'-only such towns as have twenty
five inhabitants and upward being entitled to
the latter. The people of Evansville are ex-
ceptionally intelligent and are jealously tena-
cious OF their rights. Last week the town was
stirred to its very centre by the rumor that an
attempt was about to be made to deceive and
impose upon the inhabitants, and the way in
which the alleged attempt was resented re-
fleets the greatest credit upon q high-spirited
and cultured people.
When it was announced in the local Evans
vile paper that Mile. Marie R6ze would ap-
pear as Carmen, in the Evansville Opera
House, and that she was one of the greatest
artists Of the age, sll Evansyiile was deter.
hach that town partic ulariy Csiis, gtsssrs z.
rAs'aiA'~A- 49, O.. No plts-
tion Of Evansville as one Of the gkeat musical
centres of the United States was to be sup
ported, the opera house must be filled with an
audience eager to welcome Mile. Roze and her
trick mules. When the opera company ar
rived, and it was ascertained that Carmen"
was not, strictly speaking, a circus spectacle,
and that Mile. Roze was simply singer,
wholly unconnected with mules or horses,
there was no decrease of the general enthus
asm, and everybody said it was the duty of
Evansville to hear her, and to judge if she
was really IS great singer as Jenny Lind OR
any memt or of the Hutchinson family.
On the day when Carmen" was to be rep
resented and Evansville had bought all the
reserved seats in the opera house, terrible
rumor became prevalent. 1t was said that Mr..
Strakosch, presuming on the fact that the
Evansville people had never seen Mile R0ze
was about to produce the opera of Carmen"
without the help of that lady, and with an OBJ
scure singer as prima donna. Public indgna-
tion at once rose to terrific height. The
fashion and wealth Of Evansville hocked to
the box office, and, informing Mr.. Strakosch
that he couldn't play any cheap opera singer
ON to an intelligent and cultivated communi-
ty," demanded the return of the money paid
for tickets In vain did Mr.. Strakosch pro-
in the Evansville hotel and would positively
sing in Carmen" The indignant citizens re-
fused to believe him. They told him that
Evansville knowed what was what" that
Mile RoZe was in Chicago and that they
wouldn't submit to have some unknown girl
who was no more an Italian than DIR. Mary
Walker, palmed off on them, and that II their
money was not returned they would show him
what kind of circus Evansville could exhibit
at moments notice.
Mr.. Strakosch thereupon sent for the hus-
band of Mile. Roze, and put him in evidence
(marked Exhibit Id as a proof that the
prima donna was ID Evansville and would pos
itively sing in Carmen" The evidence was
promptly rejected. The ticket holders as
serted that, as the husbands 8 name was not
Mr.. R0ze, it was preposterous to claim that he
was the husband of Mile. Roze Moreover,
they pointed out the fact that they had paid
out their money to hear prima donna, and
not to see even the finest collection of hus-
bands that could be got together, and that the
confidence OF an enlightened and self-respect-
ing community could not safely be trifed with.
In these circumstances. Mr.. Strakosch, yield
ing to the inevitable, agreed that Mile. R0ze
should herself be put in evidence, and that a
| committee of leading citizens should have ev-
| cry opportunity to become satisfied as to her
identity. The proposal was accepted, a COM
mittee appointed, and the popular tumult par
| TALLY calmed with beer.
The committee proceeded to the hotel, and
Mile. R0ze, who was peacefully sleeping, con-
sented to dress and undergo inspection When
the members of the committee were admitted
| to her presence they found great deal OF diff
| Guilty in identifying her. She sang for them
but in the prevailing uncertainty as to wheth-
| er she was prima donna or chorus singer
| they were unable to tell whether she WIS
good or bad singer. They were compelled to
admit that in point of personal appearance
and dress she looked like a genuine prima dom
ma, but as Esquire Briggs Justly observed, 'If
this yer Straycuss means to play it on us he
| can dress up nybody to look like a primydon
| n.y." AT the request of the committee that
Mile. Roze would ''sling some Eyetalan," she
| spoke at some length in the language of Dan
| te, but inasmuch as the committee was divided
as to whether she was speaking Italian or
"Portughee" the question of identity still re-
| manned unsolved.
Finally happy thought occurred to Mr..
Strakosch. He produced photograph of
Mile. Roze dated Sept 3, and with her name
printed ON it. The committee carefully CON-
pared the prima donna and the photograph,
| accepted the evidence as satisfactory, and re-
ported to their fellow citizens that it was all
right. The evenings performance of the op-
era was triumphantly successful, and Mile.
Roze, having the endorsement of Evansville,
| will henceiorth entertain no doubt that she is
| fully the equal of Jenny Lind and Asa Hutch
| insOn