New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-23
FROM THE CAPITAL.
STRAY NOTES OF A DULL SEASON.

having nearly died out, aud there being no other
excitement peculiar to the place and season, wash
ngton has grown suddenly very dull. The pro-
tracted Indian summer weather so becoming 10
these ATTITUDES is at length shut of by gloomy NO
vember sky. The Cabinet Secretaries are all back
in their places, and the clerks in the departments
having dlgested their prospective fate, have settled
down once more TO their desks everything has
taken on pok of the approach of winter and Con
gress and the consummaton of the political revoiu-
ton. There remains in fact. nothing Oh the sar-
face here to interest curiosity except few matters
theatrical and personal. Among the former of these
Is the new III ,itary opera house" Albaughs' they
call it--dedcated in the beginning of last week by
the Emma Abbott Company and now proceeding
like q newly launched and somewhat top-heaVy
ship under solemn management OF new plays.
The building and opening Of this theatre had mn
doubtedly to be considered an event in this city
For mure than twenty years no respectable proVlh
cial town in the United States has been neagre
and shabby in it's equipment for dramatic entertain
ments IA Washington No little noise has been
male Therefore. about this new opera house. the
country from one end to the other having accepted
the impression that something very wonderful mas
been achieved here In the way of model theatrical
structure 10 retain this impression Americans viii
do well not to visit the Capiia | attended the
viewed the exterior building later bs daylight The
onn entertainment lihp ihe uthef hal the Washing
ton character II 10 now too lain ~ review Tho 40
tails ~ tho iist Nights performance, recall eehs
crafty tho soene ~ lafgn, not half military hht
sem militia, ionhing aniphea oi :, 900 oohtlaoHhl
people Ia front ut al ample stage bonded with tho
novelty 1T a velvet drop curtain oi MI Ned
Hay" the town el0onionist, stepping 0ut between
the centre folds IN feprOote evening broadent
and giving brief dignity 10 fifty lines OF doggeIel
called q prologue -; of the curtains swinging apart
aud little Emma Abbott in front OF her entlre troupe
AMI an added brass band wrecklng her voice on tho
high notes Of The Star-Spangled Banner" and
almost visibly rending in tatters that emblem OF
American Nationality as it hung across the stage
above her; and finally, through the successive acts
of the heavy opera OF " Semramde,' remember
groups of the citizens and priests of anciet Persia
posing about against tropical South American
shrubs and grasses pa nted on the stage sliding
boards. After that one enjoyed walk home IN the
open air, profound grateful that in the order of
things there could be only absolutely first night
of opening Tor n Washington theatre.
As a structure this new Washington opera house
does well. provided you enter it with your eyes
shut though the galleries tilt downward TO a de
gree that almost excludes vision of the stage to
those sitting far under them There is nothing
either new or comuiodious in the arrangement of
the boxes, and the whole interior tinting and
decoration have q brindlcd brck-dust effect that
gives the spectator the uncomfortable sense of being
III burnt-out paint shop rather than in temple OF
the drama. The touch of downright melancholy in
the matter however, is that all this brndled bust
ness is obviously attempted in imitation of some
sort OF conceived historical art Observation-Disclosures
Pompeiian Hercuianean, or the decoration of the
Catacombs who knows Returning t, the eXteri
nsncct of the cdifice. il would be iclgned compas
ance 10 attempt any moderated criticism OF III.
Simuly and markedly speaking. the proportions are
thos of AZ Od-lasioncd country mill, and any sell
respecting city brewery would he aghast at the
suggestion OF taking on such shape Future eX-
norers over the ruins of the Capital, examining the
nan of the structure will be likely nevertheless, to
hunt for beer vaults and Hour bins III It's iounda-
tons.
A cronp of Western visitors standing in front
of the amorphous heapsa few DAYS since one more
provncial-lODking than the rest, after some mo-
ments of silence, voiced the impression of his
icl.ows with the remark: We'll, | reckon the
artist as they call him, has escapedW
Since MIR. Teller. Mr.. Secretary Chandler is the
last Cabinet member 10 arrive at his seat in his de-
partment; though 1t IL perhaps inaccurate to say
that Mr. Chandler ever arrives at his seat OF all
the Secretaries OF Mr. Arthur Inc is the most
and active. Mr.. Chandler rarely sits in his office
He dresses in suit of gray like Broad [. business
man and plilrs about the II Dor of his apartment
with the quick. easy turns of boy parOr skates.
| discovered him yesterday morning giving audi
reversing the usual and formal process OF official re-
ceiving by crossing III quick succession from one 10
the other OF his visitors wherever they might stand
over the great hall which he occupies in the Navy
Office and disnis,ing them with nod when the
business was finished. BY thus sort of patent pro
cess the New Hampshire Secretary accOmplshes rs
much work of receiving III an hour n must Cabinet
Ministers IN a forenoon. Mr.. Chandler will leave to
his office II model of busin habits not often to be
rivaed pe,laps by his successors.
Mr. Chambers equal in business dispatch, how
ever in the present abinct is the now Postmaster
General, rank llatton, the representative OF the
newspaper men, as hc is considered, in the Govern
ment service. llaton. since his recent return from
the West has moved for the first time into The Sprre
tarys Ohce. where be- holds his seat like an orderly
Editor, hmring what every caller says
~ he approaches his seat. and then resmniing his
wurk. During the present week he has issiiril IN
order which ~ likely Ia stand ne precedent FOR ms
srrpssurs In Ulhrr ana tU serve ietiUt for future
star Route ronltartpts with anibiiiuns Larger than
the inpasuip ul thpt contracts Nv the new iilr,
whenever " is pruessatV iU inritas the speed u any
pust route the spttic Ia ~ br itilttiispd Withunt
hpntfi ~ the lbtnnhpni contractor 40 against The
Hni ihn iiu6ha ~ tho iNshasipf's dphai thipri
ainaV entirely Grrh llaituns ridr ~ plilpp "a nnl
iusiinGitp Lusinpss habits ~ HE American editors
iva months aen ha sal . hs liehIs
= ihs term here hhslins otelal in lor no, linilti
any circumstances shall eo hack a. tho shop ailtr
The fourth at March Anh there remain"
Mr AinsNorth II. Spoford has returned from
trip To- the North and Is again walking about like
III the spaces at the Capitol Library
made narrow by the pressure OF accumulated
books that they have been literally converted Ike
the apartments of the famous bookish Italian. into
aisles The condition of this library is "a National
lsgracc-a disgrace inflicted by criminal ndiher-
.nco of Congress To the librarys necessity. The
Librarians themselves are likely % be presently
uanIshed to the outside by cumulating masses OF
literature now piled the floors IN the very centre
Of the reading and business parts of the library
miracle might be seen by IA Democratic Congress
and Administration beginning its reform here
ii, l.,,S IIs friou
in this city and Just received gives exact iDforna-
lion OF the political situation of a Western state
No reactionary wave bias passed over Kansas. Two
years ago." says Mr. Iugals IN his letter. Kansas
elected "A Democratic Governor by majority OF
< OOO this year we have a Republican Governor
by $4,000 Out of forty senators thrty-cight are
brilliant vi In Eau