Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-17
LIFE In THE METROPOLIS.
A FEBRUARY WHICH HAS BEEN
CONTINUOUSLY RAINY.

and sullivan 5 New opera ana the new
Play at WalIack's New Theatre-Start-
ling Sides to Two Sensational Tragedies
Correspondence Of the Morning Nea0s.
NEW YORK, Feb. 14.-Such February
was never before known. Ordinarily the
shortest month in the year here consists Of
a succession of bright, sunny days, just
cool enough TO be tonic to the system.
Thus far there has been little else than
fog and clouds and rain. A distinguished
Parsee when in London, on being remOn-
strated with for worshiping the sun by
lady of rank, is reported to have replied:
''If you English could ever see the mag
niticent luminary of the heavens in all his
brightness and glory you would worship
him tOov' His remark, should this
weather continue, would be equally ap-
propriate If applied to New York. Six
days out of seven last week were more
dark. dreary and melancholy than No
yember averages. The clouds and fog
rested on Sunday, but on Monday there
was a snow storm which changed to rain,
and chaos came again. Tuesday and yes
terday were duplicates of Monday, and
to-day the sun is struggling in vain to
shine through the city's cloudy covering.
The continued wet weather has coated
the streets and sidewalks of the city with
an unusual thickness of the combination
of mud and filth peculiar to New York,
which is fouler and nastier than any
possible compound OF the chemist. Pedes-
trian lOcOmOtiOn consists in slipping
along a Shiny, eVil-smelling, pasty fluid
which clings to ones neither garments
in spite of vigorous subsequent brush
ing.
A most melancholy feature, socially
speaking, Ofthese damp and dismal days
is that they extend to Lakewood. 4 resort
on the New Jersey Southern Railroad, to
which the spoiled sons and daughters of
fashion of New York flee for rest
when wearied with the pOmps and vani-
ties of this wicked world. Those who
have gone there within the past fortnight,
therefore, have gained little by the
change. Lakewood is ordinarily, how
ever, a sort of island of calm delights.
The air is both balmy and bTacing, and a
weeks sOjOurn there enables many
beau as well as a belle who would other
wise succUmb from exhaustion to sue
cessfully perform their social duties dur
ing the entire winter. The hotel is well
kept and almost the only drawback to
the place is the presence of invalids
whose doleful faces render gloomy all
sanitariums.
An absurd feature of the hotel consists
l
struck, and insist on giving theatrical
representations for the edificatiOn of
the guests. A short time ago they played
''All is not Gold that Glitters," and they
are contemplating the performance of
/ LED Astray."
| IN THE FIRST NAMED THE PARTS WERE
ASSIGNED
/ in accordance with the social standing of
/ the actors, and without regard to fitness,
/ age or any other qualification. The head
waiter, in virtue of his position, took what
/ he conceived to be the best part, that of
| the villain of the play, who is bold, bad
| baronet. The chief cook was the honest,
/ hOrny-handed hero, whose duty 1t is to
defy the bold, bad barOnet, and bring his
| wicked Vaccinations to naught. He was
the only one of the amateur company who
had any idea of acting, but, unfortunately,
he is an elderly man, while the honest,
horny-handed hero is supposed to be a
young man. This somewhat destroyed
the illusion inspired by his acting, and
the incongruity was heightened by the
person who took the part of the herO's
father being less than half his age.
The latter did not attempt to dis
guise himself, and the effect of
a man of fifty addressing a red checked
IN the extreme. The female parts were
almost equally absurd. Entire scenes
passed without any one sitting down, and
those on the stage who Wore kid gloves
stood with their fingers spread apart so
that they resembled the spOkes of a wheel.
When these ridiculous figures addressed
each other in Vulgarized English as ssMv
Lord" and my Lady, the audience who
filled the dining room of the hotel which
formed the eXtemporized theatre roared
with irrepressible laughter. A more ludi-
crous farce could not be acted on a real
stage, for professional actors could not
force themselves to be so awkward and
uncOuth.
Speaking of professional sBIayers. the
theatrical events of the week have been
the presentation of Gilbert and SulIivan's
Operetta, :" Princess Ida" at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre, and of Buchanan's pIav.
"Lady Clare" at Wallack's. Although
the authors and composers of the first
named have well-nigh worked out the
rich vein OF humOr and music which thev
/ struck half dozen years ago. . Princess
Ida' is far fresher and funnier than one
would expect. Were it the first of Messrs.
Gilbert and Sullivan's productions. it
probably would excite as much enthusi-
asm as = ''PInatore'' did, and its possess
sion, in common with its predecessors,
of clean plot, without any indelicate
Incidents, causes it to stand in refreshing
contrast with the simiiarworks of French
and German composers.
Buchanan's play is far better than his
other drama, "StOrm Beaten" which
made failure at the Union Square The
tire, but i is somewhat unnatural where
/ 1t is not commonplace and unOriginal. 1t
is much better, however, than anything
/ yet presented at Wallack's thus far this
season, and its excellent acting and good
scenery Will doubtless secure it a cOnsid-
cradle run.
A pet theory Of mine that character is
not revealed by the physiognomy has re-
/ ceived a confirmation from the tragedy
| which was enacted on Tuesday at the
| Elevated Railroad station at Third avenue
! and Fifty-nlnth street. Jenny Almy's
features apparently bear the impress of
| innocence and of a dOYe-like disposition.
/ No one would imagine from their appear
! ance in the calmness of death that she
could have led other than a correct life
and been the pOssessOr of any but the
| most angelic Of temDeTs. As a matter of
fact. unless she has been much belied,
she was 50 much of termagant
as to be suspected of INSANITY
and it is only charitable to suppose
that she was not responsible for her ac-
tiOns. 30 far, too, from having been led
astry by Andrce, her character from the
! time she was a child has not been above
suspicion. The tragedy, indeed, seems
| to have the outcome Of a vulgar intrigue
devoid OF sentimentality and romance.
THERE was SEQUEL TODAY
to another tragedy, resulting from illicit
/ love, which was enacted last spring.
| Emma Uhler, whose paramour,
William H. Haverstick, a broker,
was shot by her brother,
| George w. COnkling, on the 2Sth of last
March, died in the New York hospital
early this morning from the effects
of morphine. 1t is not vet known
whether she took an overdose Of
the poison by mistake. or whether
she intended to kill herself. The theory
advanced by some that she committed
suicide in order to avoid being a witness
against her brother at his trial is touch
ing, but it is more likely that her voIun-
tary death was due to depression result
ing from drink. Her life, in all respects.
since the tragedy, has not been one calcu-
lated to make COnkling appear as the
avenger of an injured sister on her vile
| seducer. Indeed, she has lived such a
loose life as to almost warrant the start
ling suspicion of a police official high in
authority that Conkling was her lover
and not her brother, who, when he shot
Haverstick, was putting amend to a rival
in place of avenging a sisters honor!
I Her suicide NAV result in Drovin0 tho