The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-29

! second-rate theater with the price of its best
! seats ordinarily at a dollar. That was the
figure month ago. at the beginning of "Ex-
celsor's' run. The piece got popularity at
once, and at the end of a week the charge for
parquette chairs was raised to a dollar and
half. week later, and two dollars
| was exacted - not by fair
and open demand for that sum at
the box office, by selling all of the good tick
cts through pretended spectators. Ask the
treasurer to give you a seat, and he will
| blandly point to a few unchecked spaces at
the rear of the house, as shown in the dia-
| gram. ltmakes no difference that you are
willing to buy two weeks IN advance. No
desirable places are to be had at the office.
But at your elbow stands a man with his
hands full of the kind of tickets which you
want and his price is never less than 81, and
may rise to So or 81 in case the demand is
really greater than the supply. BY this
method of business the receipts at Nblo's
are forced up to fully So, 600 a night. The
same device is invariably resorted to at
every New York theater whenever there is
enough prosperity to make it practicable.
But | was going to tell about a Kiralfy
who is still visible as a dancer. His name is
Arnold, and he is the youngest of the broth
ers. In the present spectacle, he is as nim-
bic and industrious as ever, doubling up lit
orally and technically in TWO of the cnarac-
tiers. But he is not to be seen in the play
maine m. Arnold" The truth is that he
developed a conviviality that was financially
rulnous, while his brothers were getting
along soberly. They kept steady on their
legs, metaphorically, while he staggered, and
so he has been compelled TO actually use his
own weary limbs, while they are a bic 70 hire
by the hundred. When the name kiraliy
became OF some value as a trademark in tine
show business Arnold took advantage of his
legal if not moral right to it. Thus, at JAG.
Aberle's infamous dive, we once had
grand Kralfy production" of some wretched
travesty or other. Somewhere out
West Arnold fell into his usual ill-fortune,
and he appealed to his brothers for help.
They offered him 500 week salary for life
on condition that he should sign a cast-iron
contract, by the terms of which, so long as
his pay was regular he should not profession
ally use his name without his employers
authority. That meant its disuse altogether,
since its appearance in connection with
kiralfy show would lead the public to take
1t for that of the only important Kralfy
Thus one pair of Kirafy legs remained in
the ballet after the Kiralfy name had disap-
peared from it.
STEWART AND HIS CHARITIES.
Speaking of names that stand for some
thing with the public that of Alexander T.
Stewart has almost passed into mere mem
DRY. Strangely enough, the controllers of
his estate did not deem it worth while to
keep on their signboards the one word, Stew
art, which in the dictionary of popular esti-
nation, meant leadership and overshadow-
ing success in the dry-goods business. While |
half a dozen firms in retail trade have
retained the original names, with slight
modification or none at all, long |
after their founders were dead, and no |
aTccessors in their families were left, the re- |
mains of the Stewart concern do not bear
So t1 much as an insoFiRtive remipders trahge I
names painted over the doors of the block
square warehouse, but the color of the
structure has just been changed from white
to olive, thus apparently reducing it great
ly in size, so different is the effect of garing |
white and subdued color. Nor is it be-
lieved that Stewards name will be much |
more permanently retained in those projects |
of benevolence which he planned. His |
widow is inlirm in person and purpose in her |
old age, and necessarily leaves to Others the |
carrying out of those projects W hch her |
husband intrusted wholly to her. The |
Women's Hotel, which he built in Fourth |
avenue at the cost OF million, but died |
before seeing opened as a nome for working |
women, with prices barely covering the |
cost of maintenance-that was the intention |
is now the Park Avenue Hotel.
What would be your price for the board |
of myself, wife, four-year- child and |
nursemad?" was asked OF the manager
Eighty five dollars week, if you remain |
the whole season." was the reply
This shows how completely philanthropy |
has been excluded from the house. Stewart |
intended that the occupants should be |
worthy poor women at So to So q week. Nov
it is high-priced hotel on strictly CONNER
cial basis.
Attention has been drawn this week to the
second and greater of Stewards philan thropic
projects. He bought 10000 acres over on
Long Island whereon TO found Garden
City, in which was to be gathered an
industrial population. He built a |
hundred trial dwellings, laid ont
miles of streets, put in water mains sewers
and gas-pIpes, and then died, at which point
the grand plan stopped short in its process of
realization. 1t is true that the erection of
Protestant Episcopal cathedral has been CON
tinued, though very sluggishly, and that the |
school, which was a feature of the scheme !
has at last been opened; but nobody looks
for much more. The needless delay of years
is regarded as precursor OF failure. just as
the trial of the hotel for women was made
abortive. After the elimination of charity
from Garden City, q strictly business charac-
ter will be given to the enterprise That is
prediction you may as well accept rs GER
tanty. METEOPoL.
LUTHER RELICS,