Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-04
FLORA at THE OPERA.
FLOWERS SAID TO BE A PART OF
THE SINGERS PERQUlSlTES.
Chat with a Lady Who Presides in Largo
Floral observation-disclosures an Ex-
pensiye Luxury-Stage Presen-
f,.ian-At Work.

sToctry in our business!' exclaimed lead
Ing florist in answer TO the query Of a re-
porter. Well, yes, there is in a certain
sense. As far as the business proper is con-
cernei 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 n fine design, or for the re-
cipient Of a fora! Offering, TO marvel at the
exquisite beauty Of the colors and go into
raptures over the delicate perfume, but.a
person who has 20 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 wedding banquet,
Is very apt b. find the work prosaic and
tedious
Then the gentleman was called away, and
his sister, vino 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, sash bouquet for a lady
at grand occasion, like a night ut the
opera festival. II is emnently proper that
It gentleman should senl the lady whom he
accompanies a bouquet, but he can hardly
afford e. spend loss than s. for this purpose
if he means TO lie in style The lady her.elf
might not go beyond So That is about the
lowest price for a sash bouquet that looks
Ike anything at this seas Of year
Could you give an approximate idea OK
the amount expended for flowers ut an opera
night queriei the reporter.
i should say that not less than 81 900 is
expended for natural flowers on a firs:-class
night; that Is, when everybody that is any
boiy turns out There are certainly not
less than 800 sash bouquets in the house,
ranging all the way from 81. 30 TO 50 and
over. Then tie management on such a
night eNpendS about $50 for flowers pre-
sent.d To the leading singers. They have 10
expcni at least so; it is a part OF the con-
tract. That takes the poetry out of the
floral tribute, 10 prima donna, does it not.
But, then, there ara real admirers who spend
as much more as the management does, and,
strange to say, these admirers are not a.
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 We're presented to Mme. Fursch-
Madir
Then the big floral Tyre which was pre-
sented TO Nine. Patti at the Aida PERFORM
ance must have cost small fortune,, suy-
gestei 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 rapture, OF the
singers are mainly for show So are the de-
signs. Now the Tyre. although four AMI
half feet high, cost only $50 # was made
up of She cheapest material-smiiax and
roses. 1t was paid for by an ardent admirer
of the diva, who seemingly went into
ectasies when she saw the card of the donor
attached to ore OF the chords You noticed
that she kissed the card repeatedly in full
view ofthe audience. If the Tyre had not been
So large. and consequently difficult to ham
die, il would have very likely shared the
fate Of the bouquet of magnificent Jack
e. which the diva received OH the same
evening. You saw that after kissing the
flowers paSsionately several times she hurled
them into tie wings with that particular
Patti jerk which would suggest that she
has some experience as base ball pitcher
The big Tyre was left for day in Mme
PATHS dressing room, and then it was cartei
away. That is the fate of most flowers pre-
sented on the stage 1t is only on rare occa-
sionS that these beautiful children of the
moment are carried TO the bouioir of the
singer. In most cases they are left to wither,
unless some stage employe takes pity and
places the flowers in water 10 keep for day
of two"
In a dark room, lighted by gas back os
TIE store where the Conversation took place,
about dozen girls We're hard at work wind
Ing flowers into wreaths bOuquettes, and
asketS. The fioral offerings were for q
great party. and artificial light was en-
ployoi 81 as 10 make the colors of the flow
erS 10 correspond TO the occasion If We
would select tie flowers in daylight said
the lady. the colors would not show off well
under the gas-ight' Flowers form one Of
tie main items in tho expense account for
weddings. banquets and parties Most Of
the cut flowers come from hot houses in the
suburbs but there is one wholesale firm
dealing in cut flowers which receives daily
by express flowers from all over the country.
doing a Furnishing business all the year
around