Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-05
FLORA AT THE OPERA.
FLOWERS SAID TO Be A PART OF
THE SINGERS eERouIsITEs.
Chat with Q Lady Who Presides in = Large
Floral Estabiishment-Flower IN En-
pcnsiye Luxury-stags Prcsen-
tatiou-At Work.

'afoetry in our businessp exclaimed lead
ing florist in answer 10 the query OF re-
porter We'll, yes, there is in certain
sense. As far as the business prope. Is con-
cerned there is no room left for poetry. Cut
flowers, bouquets and designs require so
much care that the poetry is all taken out Of
the dealer. 1t may be all right for a Gus
toner who buys fine design, or for the re-
cipient Of floral Offering, to marvel at the
exquisite beauty Of the colors and go into
raptures over the delicate perfume but n
person who has to handle these beauties Of
creation in a moist state during ten hours Of
each working day, and On pressing occasions
keep awake by force to finish the floral out
fit for Wedding or for a wedding banquet,
Is very apt to find the work prosaic and
tedious"
Then the gentleman was called away. and
his sister, who rresides over the retail de-
partment in the fashionable store, took up
the thread of the discussion. "Flowers,"
said the lady, @are an expensive luxury.
Take. for instance a sash bouquet for lady
at grand occasion, like a night at the
opera festival 1t is eminently proper that
a gentleman should send the lady whom he
accompanies n bouquet, but he can hardly
afford to spend less than s. for this purpose
| "a 40 Hscuhs W 70 al Stylc 1E6 lauJ neTseAk
might not go beyond 81 That is about the
lowest price for u sash bouqust that looks
like anything at this season Of year"
~Could you give an approximate idea Of
the amount expended for flowers at an opera
nightP queried the reporter
| Il should say that not less than 81 900 IL
expended for natural flowers on q frst-class
night; that is, when everybody that is any
body turns out There are certainly not
less than 500 sash bouquets in tho house,
ranging all the way from 81 so to IS and
over. Then the management on such
night expends about $50 for flowers pre-
sented to the leading singers. They have to
expend at least $50; it is part of the con-
tract That takes the poetry out Of the
floral tributes to prima donna, does it nota
But, then, there are real admirers who spend
as much more as the management does, and,
strange to say, these admirers are not al
ways wealthy people There is an old Ger
man professor of vocal music He is by no
means well of IN worldly goods, but he has,
ut our place alone, expended nearly $500 for
flowers that were presented to Nine Fursch-
Medi"
@Then the big floral Tyre which was pre-
sented to Mme. Patti at the Aida perform
ance must have cost q small fortunelr sug-
gested the reporter.
"There is where you are probably mis-
taken,' was the reply, although from the
way the diva carried on when she received
the design one would think it had been made
up Of the rarest flowers. Most Of these big
designs are furnished by the management as
part Of the contract, and the raptures OF the
singers are mainly for show So are the de-
signs. Now the Tyre, although four and
half feet high, cost only $50 It was made
up Of the cheapest material-smiiax and
roses. 1t was paid for by an ardent admirer
Of the diva, who seemingly went into
sctasies when she saw the card of the donor
attached to one OF the chords. You noticed
that she kissed the card repeatedly in full
view Of the audience II the Tyre had not been
80 large, and consequently difficult to ham
die, it would have very likely shared the
fate Of the bouquet of magnificent Jack
roses which the diva received on the same
evening. You saw that after kissing the
flowers passionately several times she hurled
them into the wings with that particular
Patti jerk which would suggest that she
has some experience as a base ball pitcher.
The big lyrs was left for a day in Mme.
PATHS dressing-room, and then it was carried
away. That is the fate OF most flowers pre-
tcuoscd vi LILO ssdSo ~ ID O1ly Ou IoE6 OCCd-
sions that these beautiful children of the
moment are carried to the boudoir Of the
singer. In most cases they are left to wither
unless some stage employee takes pity and
places the flowers in water to keep for day
of two
In a dark room. lighted by gas. back Of
the store where the conversation took place,
about a dozen girls were hard at work wind
ing flowers into wreaths, bouquet,es, and
Isskets. The floral offerings were for
great party, and artificial light was en-
ployed 50 as to make the colors OF the flow
ers to correspond to the occasion. @If we
would select the flowers in daylight" said
the lady. "the colors would not show off well
under the gas-light." Flowers form one Of
the main items in the expense account for
weddings, banquets and parties Most Of
the cut flowers come from hot houses in the
suburbs, but there is one whole ale firm
dealing in cut flowers which receives daily
by express flowers from all over the country,
doing a furnishing business all tas year