The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-01-23
POLICEMEN In OPERA.
New York Patrolmen to Appear i'm the
Pirates of PenZance.

But Tricky.
Special Correspondence of the Evening Light.
New YORK, January I6.-The alarm bells
of the telegraph boxes rang simultaneously
in all the police stations one afternoon re-
Gently, and the dial hands licked off this re-
markable order "To police captains: Select
the best singers of your squads, and report at
headquarters for further orders.
(Signed) WALLING, Superintendent"
That night when the patrolmen reported for
duty to the captains the names of those who
responded most unsteady to the roll-call were
checked off carefully. Next day the captains
held a conference with Superintendent WALL
ing at headquarters, and wouldn't tell what
it was about. Later on, private instructions
was given to the musical patrolmen to meet
in Germania hall on Friday, fortnight ago.
More than fifty patrolmen in uni
form and .armed with clubs assembled at
| 3 O'Clock. They sang together like morn
ing stars, and ever since, Sundays excepted,
at precisely the same hour the same police
men have marched into the building, and
passers-by have stopped and listened to the
stentorian chorus of voices giving utterances
| to the sentiment:
taking one consideration with another,
A policeman's lot is not happy one"
The chorus is sung over and over again
| from 3 until a o'clock. Then the policemen
disappear as il the pirates were after them.
They met as usual at 3 o'clock to-day, and
Mr.. Albert Weber, their musical director,
greeted them with smile.
EACH POLICEMAN
drew printed slip from his coat pocket,
| shouldered his baton, marched around the
room to the notes of piano, and then began
to sing, solo and chorus:
| ''When the enterprising burglars not a burg
ling;
"What are you doing that for ?" the re-
porter asked OF a sergeant as he was leaving
the hall.
"Whats the matter Oh, we are practic-
ing"
"What for %
"For the chorus in the opera"
"What OPERA"
"'The Pirates of Penzance.' The order
came directly from the commissioners. Mrs.
| Nelson, one of the directors ofthe Hahne-
mann hospital, applied for the services of the
men,"
sit is going to be one Of the biggest things
of the kind ever seen," exclaimed Captain
Clinchy. Captain Williams is going to sing
tenor and Inspector Thorne will be the
sergeant and soloist. |, myself, shall sing a
little baritone in the chorus. There will prob
ably be over 50 of us in it,"
"Captain Williams has sold over 500
tickets" said Roundsman Wallace, of the
Thirteenth Street station, "but it will be
something new to hear him sing tenor. No. /
never heard him sing myself, although he
sometimes huns Methodist hymns of an even
ing in the Station-house when things are quiet"
The opera is to be sung by the police and
other amateurs on the afternoons and even
ings Of January 70 and Fl. in the Academy
of Music. The proceeds are to be devoted to
endowing, in ward of the Hahnemann hos
pital, to be set apart for the purpose, beds for
sick and injured policemen.
WOMEN sPECULAToRs.
"Do ladies speculate in Wall street," was
asked of well-known member of the Stock
Exchange. 500 they? Well. | should
smile" was the rejoinder.' "Some of the
best brokers in the street live on the commits
sions they derive from the ladies'. Do you
know this gambling mania has taken hold of
all classes OF society to an alarming extent of
late. The American spirit for speculation has
been transmitted from father to son, husband
to wife, and brother to sister. | wouldn't be
surprised if another fifty years found New
York with ladies' stock exchange, Just like
ours over there" said the broker, throwing
his thumb over his shoulder, with a significant
nod OF his head.
"What kind of spectators do the ladies
make ?"
'lf there is anything in this world do add
m're 1t is a smart woman, one who has business
qualities that can match a man. There are
few such women in the world, but they are
hard to find. As rule ladies do not make
good spectators. They have several short
comings that unfit them for business transac-
tons. speak from experience when l say
that they have no sense of financial obi
cation. Their money is good, but their word
is not worth shucks. Then they have such a
way Of pleading when they get caught that a
fellow has
"You don't mean that the ladies squeal
when they lose, do your"
"Yes, dc" said the broker with empha-
sis. ''They are the worst squealers in the
business. II they lose a little money with
you ten to one you never hear the end of it.
They are 'kickers,' too, and don't hesitate to
say you have robbed them if they happen to
get on the wrong side. II is this fact that has
compelled most of the regular brokers to re-
fuse to deal with them. OF course there are
some exceptions, and now and then a woman
comes alorg that no one can beat, and who
always comes out first in transaction. When