Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-02-09
IMITATION OF TALMAGE.
AN ACTOR COPYING THE WE'LL
KNOWN CLERGYMAN.

Costly FIat-Reports of VanderbiIt,s
Health-A Paper in Chinese Characters
-LlI-Mannered Theatre e-Goers-Brutal-
1ty of Prison Keepers at BlackwelI's
Island Prison.
NEW YORK, Feb. Al think the Rev, II.
Dewitt Talmage, of BROOKLYN. is showing a
spirit of unfairness in attacking the actor
John Howson. because he makes himself nm so
as to resemble that well known pastor. Mr..
Talmage has had much to say at different
times about the theatre, and many of his most
forcible sermons have been drawn from that
source. 1t is no more than right that the
theatre should in turn make something ont of
Mr.. Talmage. 1t cannot do him any injury.
as his own stage performances in the pulpit
in that way.
The wealthy people of New York CITY. hav-
ing reached the extremity of the luxury that
can be obtained by the expenditure of indi-
Nldual wealth, are combining to secure great
er comforts by union of resources There is
now In process of erection at the corner of
seventh avenue and Fifty-ninth street an
immense JOINT series of flats which will be oc-
cupled, when completed, by a number of mill
honalres. The building is to cost $5,0OOO OOO
and will be one of the handsomest structures
IN the city. 1t will have a common courtyard,
a large restaurant for the sole use of the fen
system. - ''0''i''
Several attempts to depress the stock mar
ket: by circulating reports that Mr.. William
II. Vanderbilt was very i'll, were made last
week. They were based on the 'sIiShtaSt tSt
grounds Mr.. Vanderbilt caught cold on Mon
day and sneeZed more than usual during the
week He sneezed all the Vanderbilt stocks
uOWn TWO or three points. 1t must be pleas
ant for the holders of the Vanderbilt stocks to
know that the value of their property depends
on eI suSh Si a small matter; 1t is quite evident
that Mr.. Nanderbilt's physician is the proper
man 10 get points from, as stocks seem bound
to follow the vagaries of Mr.. Vanderbilts
health.
The Chinese american, newspaper devoted
10 Chnese interests, was issued in this city on
Saturday last. 1t is printed on yellow, semi
transparent paper. As heading it has the
Chlnese and American flags. Wong Ching
Foo Is the edito-, and it is all printed in
Chlnese characters, except an English saluta-
tory. The first page is ON the fourth page
that is you begin at the end and read back
wards. The column extends clear across the
page with no dividing lines. l cannot make
up my mlnd whether 1t is to be read perpen-
dicularly or horizontally. Certainly the Eng
llsh article is horizontal. For this reason |
refuse to read it at all. 1t looks as if a lot of
lnk-daubed hens had walked over the page.
AFTER considerable search find two or three
characters which seem to be alike The arti-
cles are well and ably written
The third page and part of the fourth page are
hlled with advertisements. paid for / think
as they look too lively to be dead ones. The
paper would make an ornamental screen if
mounted on some bamboo sticks Mott street
is In furore over it, and it goes like hot
cakes.
A man named Hayes, a couple eff weeks ago.
slapped a man named Burnham in the face
Hayes had gone to see "a Partisan Romance"
at the Union Square Theatre, and was com
fOrtably seated and ready to enjoy the play
when in walked Burnham with two ladies'
They sat down directly in front of Hayes and
began, according to the time-honored custom
among 1asm0nable people OF. New York, to
converse in loud tones and laugh heartily.
The mere fact that there were people in the
house who wished to listen to the play did not
occur to them. Mr.. Hayes says he stood it as
long as he could, and finally, when a whole
scene had passed on the stage without his
being able to hear two consecutive words
calmly reached over and slapped Mr.. Burn
nam IN the face. Upon this Burnham sprang
wildly into the air and shouted for gore. The
ladies screamed, the actors stopped plaving
and the audience rose to its feet, There was a
great deal OF excitement and finally the two
men were parted. Having slapped Mr. Burn
hams face Mr. Hayes should have been salts
fled. Burnham was not satisfied. He thirsted
for revenge, but could not find out the name
OF MS aSsallant. Nobody knew who Hayes
was shown up in the papers, Hayes very fool
lshly wrote letter, giving what he con-
sidered his side of the story, and signed his
nalne IN Iull 10 1t. The letter was published,
and the next day Mr.. Burnham's lawyers
promptly pounced upon Mr.. Hayes. He was
brought up in Police Court and Judge Patter-
son said he would have to fine Mr..
Hayes unless he apologized to Mr.. Burn
ham. Burnham said he was willing to accept
the apology, and then the matter ended. But
1t has created no end of comment and it has
shown how much the people think about this
popular nuisance, Tor IL certainly is nuis-
ance of the most glaring kind 1t Is a singular
fact that in the poorer theatres of New York
such as the variety shows in the lower Bow
cry and Third avenue, talking is sell
dom iv,
during the intervals between the
acts. But as the theatres increase in re-
spectabllity and aristOcratic surroundings. so
do the i'll manners of the patrons increase II
reaches its highest point at Wallack's Theatre
1t mas become very fashionable of late to hold
theatre parties. a lady wishing to give one
secures ten, twenty or thirty seats, according
to the number of her guests. TheV an meet af
her house at quarter of eight and adjourn
in body to the theatre. They arrive any-
where from eight to half-past, but al
ways after the curtain is up, and
then the ten, twenty or thirty peonIe
march in with an immense rustic of furs and
chatter of voices, and with great confusion
settle themselves down in their seats, Once
settled the chatter begins, and never ends till
the play is over. OF course no one else in the
immediate vicinity of the people who have a
theatre party can hear anything of the play
but then that never bothers the party. They
6omt ond come e t to hear the play; they come to
away with no unpleasant event. Theatre
is over, they adjourn for supper and then 90
nome. auack's Is the favored house for this
sort OF thlng, and hence it is the worst theatre
to visit. Often three or four theatre parties
are there for night, and then the confusion
is simply outrageous.
The Prison Committee is unearthing some
awful facts about the management of our in
on Blackwell's Island. The stories
told before It are absolutely harrifyinp =
charged prisoners have come for 3. lis. lis
numbers ana offered ts~r testimonV @ :" Tbair
the n%i '--S brutality, greed and iniquity of
they are to be believed-and there seems really
TO be no doubt about many of their stOries-a
state OF things exists in our public institutions
Tor the care of cOnvicts and lnnatics that is a
dlsgrace to modern civilization. One of the
leading keepers in the lunatic asylum, in his
own defense, said the only way they could
keep the lunatics down and under complete
c1ntroi was by beating and Furnishing them into
abJect submission that they would fear the
least word of the keepers. That in itself is a
confession. There are certainly
no good reasons why the inmates should be
luaue 70 silHer IrOm the brutality and i'll tenn
per OF their keepers. They could certainly be
governed without such extreme measures OF
course 1t makes the work of the prison officials
easier when the poor wretches under them
lear their Ightest words, but this is an age of
humanity, and it is time that all men in the
keeping OF the State, whether they be c0nVicts
paupers, or idiots, should be treated with CON
u sideratlon and justice. This is. in particular,
Lhe poor creatures should be confined anyhow
The least that can be done is to make their
prisons attractive. 1t is probable that the
revelations Will result in a great many re-
novals, and possibly in establishing an en-
Ilrely new system of prison government
Lord and Lady Vaudeville are great round
ers. we have never had an English nObleman
lere who was so popular with all classes of
men, nor an English lady who was so strong a
as Lord and Lady Vaudeville. T6eV
eem to enter entirely into the spirit of Ameri-
IAN hospitality. Lady Vaudeville is to-day
! social factor in New York of no mean cCnse-
luence. She is charming woman person
lLy, and endowed with perpetual vivacity
md life. She leads all the prominent GER
mans, has dozen invitations every night
u her life, rides to hounds, plays
md sings and organizes no end
which she presides with great tact and
,ood humor. Lord Vaudeville is not 80 fond
i society as his wife, but is a great man for
lubs and light suppeTs. 1t seems to make no
Inference whatever to his nibs who he is
With. He always has a good time He is hale
ellcw well met with brokers, bankers profess
lonal men, actors, and tradesmen Of all sorts.
lie made up his mind when he came here that
e would observe no social line, and has stuck
o his determination. Hence he has had a
jolly time. He is not a brilliant
nan, but he Is good-natured, and drinks like |
hsh. These qualifications make him strong |
avorlte In American society. Besides. his
ank Is great thing in his favor. There are !
eW men, even IN America, who are not glad |
D know LORD. HALL L-HAYNES,
Sad Prospect.
DaSs