Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-01
FRA DIAvOLO.
What Came Of Emma Abbott's
Denver Debut.
r,vo lawsuits for One Of Eugene
EieId's ParagraPhs-The Dea-
con and the Fra.

ST. Louis News.l
Among the racy specimens Of the
atrical gossip, the little prima donna's
Denver campaign last autumn fur
nished a moroccan that develops with
dramatic movement and effective
characters, the buffo being Deacon
Evans, of Colorado, and the rest OF the
cast being filed by lawyers, judges,
sopranos and newspaper men.
It was in the mild September when
Mr.. Tabor. millionaire and politician,
onined that the alleged melancholy
DAYS Of the season should be begulled
with lyric Warbling, and the yellow
leaf of autumn made verdant again by
arousing the distant West with opera.
| Tabor, statesman and fnancier, not
content with gold and greenbacks,
Office and honor, longed to be wreath
ed with a modern Mac@nas, and he
allowed that he would make Denver
his Rome, appoint Emma to take the
corresponding place Of Horatius, and
put opera in place of poetry. Or, in
plainer phrase, he built a gorgeous
operahouse in his own honor, and tel
eeraphed the American prima donna
to come and open it, which she did.
flying westward from New York with
| fifty warblers, cat-gut scrapers, cornet
infators and flute tooters, added to
whom were a staff Of managers and
agents, bill posters and beguilers of
newspapers.
Mr.. Tabor sat in the telegraph sta.
ton aud slept BY his end OF the wire at
Denver, being officially informed Of
the arrivals at the different stations
His speech was written, his money
was up, his pride was on the rampage,
and the modern Mac4nas had sworn q
deep oath thatthe thingshould be - so.
He was aware that money might van.
ish in speculation, and ofice go glim-
merinE at the ballot box, but as s
patron Of opera he saw himself solid
against any risks. At last the long
4
hours dwindled into minutes, and 6
prolonged shrek Of the locomotive
whistle announced the arrival Of the
special train. He made his speech,
| tie crowd shouted, th prinA donna
rode in triumph, the momentus even
ing came
There was another eminent states
man, Governor Evans, who took 9
| hand, and pined TOR fame IN the brigh
realm Of an. but be hesitRted, for piety
stood between him and the happy land
like the symbolical what's lis name
waving him back. and at every advance
| his superintendent angel called hin
4 with the whisper Of Deacon, which
WIS the soubri9ast attached % % iFsss,l,l a
assent to the pioGs side OF the Cover
nor. he heard the shouts, hereai tn
! bills Of the tsncs, ne giosted over thl
II rietures In the windows, and pernssC
The newspspsr articles he scentea
the sEest o30T Of opera as al exotic
trznsplsntsd AT Denver, and AZ Jas
the superintendent angels Ehisps
vas waited AWAY Ike a faint dyinl
erho, ard the Descon drank tire
champagne cocktails. saying II
tAkss shy al the 1Tsra u burst
Il Ersst toEE-I1E letters On ever
/ val. II every hotsl, b var ard 1iisy
rhsrs doomed bsfors the DeEeon ii
, name. Fra DiEvslo, 3 rolhekinE
rnscrliy nEns. suggestive d brigandisl
silBrt, and Tie dsnouiBe Esnin yslle
: 70 the rsTEbsrzts echoes. Book q
the upsrR. . cents TIE Daacor
B1u5s5 the lyne Tsrss. and ried {
imagine The MUSIC. mil be cane I
those remarkable lines, -ZsIli8l dis
= robes barssE before TIE glass Al
/, / .ts.ssses Eu1 ElEs 70 TIE SYMPHONY
While The hriEEnas hide II The closet.
The devil, Thought he Dsaeol
Turning tuT I'd ops-s ticket
The Isbur Opsrzh9Bss n Denver
I ths finest temple Of u1sss vest Of 5
: Ions. and s0ms say IN The world
: The DsAeJn wanted . fair show a. Il
beauty. 80 he sat il the front row. II
J listened Erspt In delight While II
= Fra Serensded Lady Allcash and stol
her heart and diamonds.
Q he saw the lights turned down Il
7 the bed-ehamber scene and behel
j zerlins take Of her back hair 40
dance, while the disbolical brgant
INDUCED il a musical chuekle. The
! all at once be heard the prayer as Il
2 damssl prepared to 90 to bed, an
Suddenly the long absent superintenl
ent angel got beside him again and
thought to himself, Its not mut
> after all. !" Then be prepared himse
to beguile the entire acte with anoth
!, cocktail when suddenly the superb
l. tendent angel, who had taken the for
Of reforming gentleman Of his a
qusintance, slipped into the hand Il
Is morning Tribune which the libretto
FRA Dioyolo" had caused him
miss.
A MARKED PARAGRAPH
ran as follows:
Deacon John Evans will be at 4
lg opera tonight, front row parquet'
IL with double barrel marine glass.
ct wouldn't miss the bed chamber see
ay in Fra Diavolo' for the profits Of
e. dozen libel suits, thy sly red rooster
he The deacon's legs stifened al
r. brought him to his feet, then start
en- him out. You won't miss the four
he act Of Fra Diavolo,'" cried
m friend, trying TO hold him.
n, Fra blazes," shouted the DeaeC
all give me a lawyer"
ed But by the time he found vindiC
he tor it was morning, and the very one
MS found was reading the following fro
'ge the same paper:
Deacon John Evans was at t
mt opera last nightsitting, as we expect
Vi he would be, in the frontrow of the pi
de quette. His bald, venerable head a
at tened like a billiard ball under {
ms. glare of the gas jets, and his lit
AfNf /