The sun., 1881-03-13
Fraser OF Fraser. Magazine. and duel with

| mas occasionally. IL 10 true. consented TO play
Idoo one night to somebody's Othello. and re-
verse the performance the next evening; and in
May he is going to alternate tho parts OF Othelto
and Idoo with Mr.. Irving at the Lyceum Thea
trc. London. Neither OF tho pair gives a PER-
| formanoe OF Otliello at all out OF the common
| run. while both are extremely popular in the
part OF Idoo. With this premise. II would not
have been bad idea to get somebody else to
play 0thello. and let Mr. Booth and Mr.. Irving
play Idoo In alternate acts. At George Rieno old's
benefit production OF Romeo and Juliet" there
were no less than flve Juliets In the field.
| The vastness OF individual enterprise in New
York and Chicago. II not eclpsed. was at least
equaed in Paris by NJ. Emile Justin Menier,
| the celebrated chocolate anufacturer. who has
just died. No name was better known in France
than Menier In connection with the article he
manufactured his name is Known throughout
| the habitable globe. His soictude for tho vel
| fare OF his employees made him very popular.
| and the phalanx Of nearly two thousand work.
| ingmen who followed his bier the other day to
the cemetery exhibited the symptoms OF eenu-
Inc sorrow. M. Menier's father was a chemist
| and compounder OF patent medicines.
MeDier dis. after thorough course in
the laboratories OF 0rhla. Dumas. Pelouze.
and Malard. took hold OF the business
with such success that he was soon enabled
! W OothDilbu Wnht mas since D6en known as the
Phdymdcie Centrale. whence he despatched
his wares to ali parts Of the world. While at
work In his laboratory he discovered means
| OF manufacturing chocolate 30 cheaply that 1t
could be In constant use among the poor. In
| order to be Independent OF the market fuctua-
| tions. he established a colony at Nicaragua for
the culture OF the cacao nut. from which choco
late is made. Soon he had erected a grand
mandatory. adjoining his great laboratory.
| and. giving up the compoundng OF medicines.
| devoted his entire energies to the manufacture
| OF chocolate. The city OF Noisiel is made up
entirely Of the dwellings built by NJ. Menier for
| his workmen. There are seven hundred single
dwelling houses. besides schools. churches.
| public baths. and halls OF amusement. For all
this. there is no charge to the work men. who
pay only for their food The factory and work.
shops extend for distance Of moro than
| three-hfths OF a mile. and are capable OF pro-
| ducing over 1000 pounds OF chocolate per day.
| III. Menier has been ably supported In his great
| enterprise by his three sons. Henri. the eldest.
distinguished engineer. remains at Noisiel,
| CASTOR has charge OF the forwarding establish
ment In the Rue d Enghien. and Albert directs
| the rubber works recently established by his
father at Grenelle. where vast quantities OF
cable to be used for electric lighting are insu-
lated. Two years ago NJ. Menier purchased the
| adjoined his manufacturing city OF Nosiel, and
comprises some $500 acres. II was In the
| ancient chateau Of Noisiel that NJ. Menier eI-
| pired.
In finding expedients to overcome Difficult
| ties. NJ Mener resembled the proverbial Yam
kee" who never allows himself to be cor
| nered." 1t is related that upon coming into his
factory one morning NJ. Menier was informed
that an immense quantity OF manufactured
| chocolate, which had been kept on hand for
| some time. ready for shipment, had suddenly
turned completely white. What should be done
Tho workmen. in compounding. had interject-
ed too much starch and arrowroot. and not
enough chocolate. Several millions OF francs
were at stake. While thinking the mntter over
and consulting with his foremen NJ Menier's
face suddenly frightened up. Il have it," said
| he. He sat down. wrote a few words on a slip
| Of paper. which he handed to his manager.
Have this stamped in large letters on every
| box" said he. Case after case OF chocolate. as
| 1t passed out OF the Menier warehouse that day
bore the inscription: The chocolate Menier
is the only one that whitens with age"
1t sold like hot cakes. and it is said for many
n day old ladies. when buying chocolate. always
broke the cakes in twain in order to see II 1t
was white. for otherwise. they insisted. 1t could
not be OF the genuine Menier manufacture.
The Menier mansion in Paris Is situated at
| the foot OF the park Monceau. near the avenue
| Hoche. This is the most beautiful OF tho new
| quarters OF Paris. When the sun first rises
above the horizon. its rays light up combina-
| tlon OF fountains and babbling brooks. Statues
| OF Parian marble. half hidden in the luxurious
| foliage greet the visitor on every hand The
| salons are so sumptuous rs to defy description.
| When the house is thrown open the visitor sees
| an exquisite dining room on the first floor. the
lla - iol a
a collection OF deli ware and Wedgewoods as
| could well be got together. The immense
| greenhouses. full 81 rare trees and plants re-
semtle vast trop,ca forests under the rays OF
| the electric light. which are projected from q
| distance into tho shadows OF the park Monceau.
Like most successful merchants. NJ. Menier
desired to shine in politics. Under the empire
he was strong Bonapartist and owing to his
lberality he was accorded by the Empress tn Q red
| ribbon, and had not the empire fallen to pieces
| the chocolate manufacturer would have occu-
| pied seat in the Corps Lsgisldt0. At
| the fall OF the empire NJ. Menier be-
| came a Republican and was elected Deputy
from Seine-et- Marne. but his influence WAS very
limited. Indeed. he proved politically a great
failure. and tho President OF the Chamber. in
| making the funeral Grafton the other day. spoke
| in high terms OF NJ. Menier rs a merchant and
| Civil Justice. but never mentioned him in con-
nection with politics. He leaves. Of course. an
| immense fortune.
Meilhac. who has so long written in collabo-
ration with Hal6vy. has given the Gymnase a
piece entirely his own in the three-act comedy
"Phryne." AS soon as 1t was understood that
tho last tableau would be- In a sense. the repro
duction OF Gerome's celebrated picture, an I'M
mense rush was made for seats. This is an
era OF intense realism on the Paris stage. and
there was no telling how far fidelity to nature
might be pushed. Everybody had seen Mile
Massin die OF an excellently simulated small
pox. There was reason to hope. therefore. tha
Mile. Magnier would 10 quite az conscientiou:
In reproducing the principal effect OF Gerome'i
picture. But NJ. Melhac is. after all, con
servative. and Mile. Magnier had in the last &C
to put on a tunic. Tho comedy is In conse
quence. pronounced a little stupid. and not a
all up to its authors usual standard.
Brasseur. now manager OF the Nouveautes
made great hit at the Palais Royal with LII
Mariee du Mardi Gras" last winter. A seque
to that roaring farce. entitled lie Marriage d,
Groseillon." has lust boon produced at tn,
| Eouyeaut6S and has in a measure repeateC