The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-30
NOTES OF MUSIC.
Patti and Gerster TriIl Their Trills
in Chicago.
A Chat With Col Maple son. tserster
and the Bahy---The impress
sariO and His Rival,
Abbey.

CHICAGO. Jan 30-Col Mapleson and his
opera company have arrived in the city from
Baltimore Nine Gerster, her husband, and
party occupied Mime. Pats special car on
the trip, and Col Mapleson and all the prin-
cipals went direct to the Grand Pacific hotel
on their arrival. Nine Gerster and Mime.
Patti excused themselves to all callers, the
former making the plea that her long trip
had tired her, and the latter excusing herself
on the ground that she was obliged to sing in
the evening.
A large and fashionable audience, which
filed the entire main floor of MeVicksr's
auditorium, heartily welcomed Nine
Patti back to Chicago in the evening 1t was
an exceedingly fashionable audience, and all
OF the occupants of the boxes and prominent
seats wore elaborate full dress At the end
of the first act Mime. Patti received two very
handsome floral tributes
Col. Mapleson was almost too busy to talk
dnring the morning, as he had hundreds OF
little things tolook after; hut he was finally
cornered by a reporter and short converse
ton had.
NCOl. Mapleson, said the reporter, Il would
like to hear from you just what occurred in
Baltimore last week" 2
What do you mean? 1 have heard of
@IVsiI the disnstcbas fr ON R.,.,rno-a
stated that Mime Carstar had lsft vo,gS
on that's all nonsense Those DISPATCHES
were inspired by nav enemies, Mime. lerster
came to me and tod me- that she had heard
her baby was sick in New York and asked
for leave of absence to 90 and see it. told
her did not think there was ANYTHING very
serious to fear bnt she said she wantad To
90 to New York ANYWAY and pet from IN.
Jacoby prescription for her throat She
said the membrane ON the left side of il WAS
irritated
s"WelI,p continued the colonel. al had
about persuaded her To stay when there came
& telegram saving that the habv was coverad
with spots or something of the sort She
was up in arms in a instant and insisted
upon going to New York. To tell YOU the
truth, Il am glad the baby was i'll New York,
for if it had been in Europe she would have
left by the first steamer. Well, she found
that the baby had been gorging itself with
candy-that was also she came back, and
ell is right now
Is it true that Manager Abbey endeavored
to engage Mime Gerster away from you2n
He sent her blank contract and asked
her to fill it out with her own terms Init che
refused. as she preferrad To stav with mo
allow Was vour sassop in Nav vorh ar
Immense. We did splendid business.
and have done remarkably well since we left
New York"
by the way, it has been charged that YOU
dismissed several members of your company
when you left New York. How is thatg0
II did dismiss number of worthless peo-
pie. did not like the idea of paving salaries
to people who did not sing, and who were
Kissed when they did sing SO | let them 90
But if the Chicago public wants To hear them
! will bring them here for an extra week of
opera after, the regular season If | can ba
guaranteed receipts of $50 per night"
Has MIR. Abbey iuterferei with you any2n
Not very much Abbey thought to dazzle
the public by show, but he can't do it. He
has collected lot of street singers, some of
whom he pays only SIS per week and his
musicians are crowd who pIsy ON cheap $40
Instruments. You can get no music from
such instruments Now Sig Arditi has men
in his orchestra who have bsen with him for
years, and who ara trained men, They have
fine Instruments. One of the first vioIins
cost S40d, and one of the double bass players
paid $500 for his instrument. 1 know that,
because he paid for it in installments through
me. sa -
II see continued Col. Mapleson, that Mr.
Abbey has announced I'll Profeta' for this
week, although he postponed it last week.
He is obliged to sing this opera at the Cincin-
natl festival, and he is going to make this
Chicago performance a rehearsal of it.
Now, to properly produce I'll Profeta' requires
four or five months of hard rehearsing, and
Mr.. Abbey can not do it properly. But
Mr.. George Ward Nichols, of Cincin-
natl, has told him that if it is not
produced there he will consider the
festival contract null and void. Abbey