The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-06

Whlle the bloodlesS night or a Tree people elecT
ing its political chiefs and statesmen RACES harm
less over the land, there has broken out a war in
the Balkans that may spread to many countries.
To-day the press Of Europe is
Horribly stuff with epithets of war"
The air is full of it. For a moment the politi-
clans pause to breathe. and ask what is the news
from Bulgaria The London papers, having for
years sneered at the sensational headlines of the
American press, are now crowded with feeble
limitations of the displays they have derided
For instance, here is an example from the Daily
News:
THE WAR IN Fl EAST.
CAPTURE OF THE REDOUBTS BY II SERV-
ANS.
GREAT BATTLE NEAR II DRAGOMAN
PASS.
OBSTINATE RESISTANCE OF THE BULGA-
RAMS.
PRINCE ALEXANDER AND THE RUSSIAN
ARMY.
H POLITICAL SITUATION.
The Evening Standard came out at night with
nearly a quarter of a column of headlines, dis
played in the most attractive style, announcing
The Invasion of Bulgaria-Crushing defeat Of
the Bulgarians-Surrender of Three Battalions-
Capture of Guns and Prisoners-Bulgarian Note
to the Powers" and SO on. Some of my Ameri-
can readers will be surprised that I should draw
deIoutIOu U JueSo CnlQRS. bQC we III England
have been mentioning this kind of newspaper
heading as peculiar to America for years past.
Yesterday the Daily News preceded its sensa-
tional and graphic headings with an interview
with the Servian minister. We are a curious
and eccentric people. just as you are reducing
your head lines and thinking less of Inter
views" we are beginning to adopt both; and
now that you are raising a cry for free trade,
we are crying out for protection. There is
nothing new under the sun. We are all
reVlvallStS. Everything has haeO done II ia
done over again at long intervals and called new.
1t will be rather hard on England if the Eastern
question has to be fought out again with her as
~sistance. Should the recent trouble spread it
will be as difficult for a Tory as for a Liberal gov
ernment to keep out of it. Queen Victoria is an
astute sovereign. 1 have informed you moro
than once of the intense interest she took in the
Roumellan rising; how she tried to help Prince
William in his interest, and how the Gear first
grew jealous of this, and the other day, through
the indirect Influence of the Queen, the Gar
withdrew his demand for the abdication of the
Prince. Contradictions of this personal private
action of the Queen appeared in the London
papers, inspired by a court official; but the Queen
would not have contradicted Them and
she snubbed the illustrious Ponsonby
recently for contradicting, reports about
derstands the Eastern question and the ~possibili-
ties of the present war better than the Queen.
Her diary and the published letters show an init
mate knowledge of the subject and a deep per-
sonal interest in it. From the first the Queen
has not believed il a pacific settlement of the
Roumelian revolt; she has had every incident of
the movement telegraphed to her; she has had
every action Of her Ministers communicated to
her. and she considers the outlook to be far
more serious than statesmen and business men
are inclined to regard it. The views of the city
where merchants most do congregate" are more
or less pessimistic. The fighting in the Balkans
has eclipsed in interest our own little war in
!Burmah, which has opened with the usual gal
liant action on the part OF a company OF English
blue jackets, who, in a steam launch, engaged a
fort and cut out a war-ship from under her guns.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
1t is reported in London thatin consequence of
the charge Of double prices, Miss Anderson's
American tour is not a success; and that Mr..
Cobbe (the acting manager at the Princess's) has
gone over to America to make arrangements for
Miss Anderson's return to London at an earlier
date than she had settled upon. If the reports
true. Miss Anderson will enter upon management
with Mr.. Wilson Barrett, and she would un-
doubtedly prove a great attraction at the Prin-
cess's. l repeat the report for what it is worth.
1t is a piece of current gossip in town and is
printed to-day in the Bat, the new rival of Truth.
The orders for the Grant book which are so
enormou in the United States are comparative
ly small in London. 1t will be published as a
library book. Probably when the cheap editions
are published the sale will be largely augmented.
"Erminie," a new opera-comique, is success
full at the Comedy. 1t is bright. moral and we'll
sung, and cleverly acted. Miss Kate Monroe and
Miss Kate Everleigh, both American artistes,
shared the chief honors of the first night, with
a clever supporting company. Our old friend
Robert Macaire has furnished the authors with
their leading idea.
1t is not true that Dark Days" is
about to be Withdrawn for the production
of "Nadlesda;' but Mr.. Barrymores piece
was accepted before Ozark Days" and
will in due course follow the Conway and
Carr drama, which is doing steady good
business, and in the country is a big money sue
cess. Miss Lingard and Mr.. Barrymore will
play the leading parts in the Russian story when
it is produced. Dramatists and managers are
looking with interest for the result of the Dark
Days" litigation at Brooklyn. The fact that the
play was written first and the novel afterward is
regarded here as maintaining the dramatic rights
at common law in America. But no man knows
where he is in a copyright action, or where he is
likely to be at the end of it.
Among the books of the week which are the
most commended in society and the press are:
THE Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains"
ian American story; Richard Doyle's Journal;
"A New Edition of King solomon Mines;
MIR. Stevenson's Treasure Island; 1.-THE Art
Journal Annual; Kate Greenaway's "Marigold
Garden; and William Maginn's 'Miscellanies."
The Two novels that are most in evidence are
Mr.. Haggard's King Solomon's Mines" and
1.-THE Smoky Mountains" novel, previously
mentioned. l have read neither of them. but
at the club this afternoon l saw men devouring
both of them. When l spoke to the
readers they resisted my interference.
'Most absorbing book l ever read"
said the one who was reading the English au-
thor's novel. Bret Harte himself never wrote
a better story than this by Craddock-a woman,
L believe, but calls herself Charles" The World,
however, says the book lis overpraised," and l
have read a similar verdict in another journal
this week on Goethes Faust"
We are beginning to talk about Faust" and
to argue for and against it as a subject for the
stage. Meanwhile, MIR. Irving is working at it
are of the most exhaustive character. In addi-
tition to the work of general preparation and
the rehearsals of the members of the
acting companies there are choruses,
ballots, supers, and mechanical effects