The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-18
ROADRHIN'S NEW YORK
LErTEK.

About as conceited a body of
semi literary donkies as caa be
found in the world are the theatri.
cal critics of New York. Superci
liousness and conceit is the charac.
teristic of the dramatic critic every
wherein London. Paris, Vienna
or Berlin. but though the dramatic
critic OF Paris may be and is an
lntolerable Nuisance which it is
difficult to bear, the dramatic critic
of New York is an affiiction which
amounts to a positive calamity.
lie is either some fellow who has
crawled up to position BY reporting
trials in the police courts, and low
political ward meetings. or he is
some broken down amateur or Lad
actor, who having been the deadest
of all dead failures himself, gratlfes
his malice hy maligning and black
mailing every deserving person who
refuses to tolerate or notice him.
l have in my minds eye the spleeny
dramatic lnouthpiece of one Of the
largest, if not the most respectful
journals in the city. Two entire
columns, worth hundreds of dollars
for advertising purposes, are given
up to this worthy each week, and
his articles for years past have been
given up to the most scurrilous
abuse or the boshicst of gush. Mrs.
Langtry forgot to look at him on
her first arrival and the vocabulary
of abuse was exhausted on her.
Seeing her error she gave him q
wink Of her beautiful eye and the
bohemian tiger roared me as gently
as sucking dove. He hid his
teeth, lie pared his claws, he laid
down at the feet of the jersey Lily
like poodle dog. / don't know
that she slipped o ten dollar bill in.
to his coat tail pocket, but l DO
know that from that day to this the
divine Englishwoman has been to
this dramatic Cereberus the most
exquisite pink of perfection. The
woman, though good-looking, is not
and never will be a third rate nc.
tress, and yet to read the gush of
this donkey one would suppose
that she was the dramatic revela.
tion of the century. Place no re.
lance whatever on the dramatic
criticisms of any paper in the City
OF New York; they are merely the
personal experiences and prefer
ences of a set of dissipated Bohe-
mians, who if admitted to the pres
ence of an actor or an actress and
receive what they consider the
proper respect due to themselves,
and what that proper respect is ad-
mits Of the most liberal interpreta.
tion, will fill whole columns in their
praise but if denied an interview,
during which in defiance of all de,
cency, they consider themselves
privileged to examine into the most
private affairs of their unfortunate
victims, irrespective or talent or
merit, they. will hunt the victims
down if possible and keep barking
at their heels as long as their bark
can be heard. It is amusing to
hear with what an air of authority
these blockheads speak of the high.
est and divinest art. They will
give their advice as to how things
ought to be done to ladies and gen.
tlelnen, the latchets Of whose shoes
they are not worthy to unloose, In
New York we have o pretty good
chance TO see much OF the dramatic
profession. There are several large
theatres here with companies OF
thirty or forty people, and I will
engage my word, for | know where.
of ! speak, more respectable, in.
telligent, quiet, refined and unob.
trusive body Of people Is not to be
found In my other profession In
New York or elsewhere. They are
infinitely above the dissipated vag.
abonds who represent the dramatic
critics Of New York. The DRAMATIC
season opened in New York this
week. and the companies are ex.
ceptionally strong, hnd tie season
will be one Of unusual activity, and
from the character of the pieces
presented it is safe to prognosticate
prosperity. The city is unusually
full and with our floating popula.
tion of $4,000 It is no wonder that
our places of amusement thrive
The plane Of amusement has been
steadily elevated for the past TWEEN.
ty years; the scenic effects and cos.
tunes are In themselves a revela-
ton, and while the character Of the
dramatic pieces lack the classic
favor of those in vogue for forty
years ago, it is nevertheless true
that many pieces which were then
received with great popular favor
would now be Missed from the
stage. ..+
Monday was the day set apart
for the great labor demonstration,
and notwithstanding the rose colo.
red reports sent out by the press,
the affair looked to me like q fail.
ure. The main body marched two
abreast and the lines were far apart.
| sat ON the steps Of a house on
Fifth Avenue and should say that
at the most there were not to ex
ceed FIVE or six thousand, one.halt
of those mere boys. The princi
pal banners were made of white
n1ofh-oach having an inlnrin.