The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-07-25
The Opera.

scum AZ Minneapolis 10 hear Theodore
Thomas orchestra. the Wagner trio.
and Christine Nilsson. The coliseum
Is a large rink just out of Minneapolis
on the road between that city and ~
Paul. II can seat 1000 people comfort
ably. but the management like Ia
wedge4.5oO people In there on a warm
day. and watch the Precipitation trickle
out through the clapboards on the out
side. On the closing afternoon during
the matinee performances the building
was struck by lightning and q hole
knocked out of the Corinthian duplex
That surmounts the oblique pOrticullis
ua the of side. The reader will see nj
ouee the location of the bolt. The
lightning struck the flagstaff. ran down
the leg of a man who was repairingthe
electric light, took a chew OF his tobacco
turned his boot wrong side out. and in
duced him To change ms sock. and then
ran down the electric light wire. a part
Of II filling an engagement In the coli
scum aud the balance following the
wires to the depot. The immediate and
previous fluid shot athwart the audito-
rum In the direction of the platform.
where it nearly frightened to death "a
large chorus of children. Women faint
ed, ticket spectators fell 81 on desira-
BILE seats. and strong men coughed up Il
Glove. The scene beggred description.
| intended to have SAID that before but
forgot it. Theodore Thomas drew u
full breath and Christine Nilsson drew
her salary. Two thousand strong men
thought of their wasted lives, and two
Thousand women felt for their back
hair to know If 1t was still there. |
say therefore without fear Of gGeeess-
full contradiction, that the scene beg.
gered description.
In the evening several people sang
"The Creation" Nilsson was Gabriel.
Gabriel has a beautiful voice, cut low
in the neck. and sings like a joyous
bObolink in Il dew saturated mead.
tIow's thatp Nilsson is proud and
Mdglhy In her %demeanOr, and J had a
good notion TO send a note up 10 her
stating that If she could sit up IN the
peanut gallery where | was and look at
herself with her dress kind of sawed
off at the top, she would not look so
vain. She wore = dlam ond necklace
aud a silk skirt. The skirt was cut
princess, ] think to harmonize with her
salary. As an old neighbor of mine
said when he painted the top board Of
his fence green. he wanted it ito kind
uf confederate with his blinds" He's
the same man who went to Washing
ton about the time of the Guiteau trial
and sad he was present at the post
mortise' examlnation. But the fun
niest thing Of all, he said was to see
DR.. Mary Walker riding one OF those
philosophers" around the streets.
But | am wandering. We were
speaking of the festival. Theodore
Thomas Is certainly "A great leader.
What a pity he is out of politics.
He pounded the air all up line there
Thursday. | think he had twenty-five
small sized fiddles, ten medium size.
and five of those big fat ones that a
b%aldheaded a generally annoys.
There was Il lot of wind instruments,
drums, ,et ,cetera. There we're 600 per.
formers on the stage, counting the
chorus with 1900 people in the house
and 5000 outside yelling at the ticket
ofiice-also at the top of their voices
and swearing because they could not
mortgage their immortal souls and
hear Nelson's coin silver notes. 1t was
frightfpl. The building settled twelve
inches in these two hours and Il half,
the electric lights went out nine times
for refreshments, and on the whole the
entertainment was a grand success.
The first time the lights adjourned an
usher came on the stage through a side
entrance with a kerosene lamp. J.
guess he would have stood there and
held it for Nilsson TO sing by it if a.
500 people hadn't with II voice laugh
ed him out into the s~tarless night. You
might as well have tried to light be-
nighted Africa with u white bean. II
shall never forget how proudly buoy
ant he looked as he sailed in with that
kerosense lamp with a solid chimney
on it, and how hurt and grieved he
seemed when he took it and CROPPED his
way III, while the Coliseum trembled
with i'll concealed merriment. | use
the term all concealed merriment"
with permission of the proprietors, for
this eaaenn only -nill Nva