Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-12

ness are the most prominent features. 1t
requires an extraordinary healthy stomach
to enter house on one of these streets with
out feeling Il sensation akin 10 seasickness,
and the squalor and dirt to be encountered
there is something incredible. In these
localities crime of every description stalks
abroad at all hours of the day and night.
An old detective told me that, during the
past fifteen years the perpetrators of the
most serious crimes were found to be resi-
dents of Tar Flat" What surprises me,
beyond all, is that many of the poor. desc
late wretchcs existing there do not fly from
the life which cannot possibly have any
alarcments for them; yet, perhaps, they
have, in degree, become Injured TO their
wretohed lot, and feel rs content Us those
in more prosperous condition.
SAD nE,ru or MR. COOPER.
The suicide ON Sunday last Of Halsey
Fenimore Cooper. lineal descendant of
the late novelist Cooper, and recently Dep
uty Surveyor Of this port, created much
surprise, lie was widely known in this
community, and only the day before his
demise he appeared as happy as one not
having the slightest care upon his mind.
He was about the last man his friends
would have suspected of being capable of
performing the deed he did. His wife is
Mrs Sarah Il. Cooper, the philanthropist,
who, despite the poverty in her own fam
ily has devoted the greater part OF her life
doing good to others. She is indeed q liv-
ing prototype of the late Helen Hunt Jack
son. When such people are afflicted in
this manner-depriyed of the most common
necessities of life, without soliciting them
from more afliuent friends, against which o
proud spirit rebels-the Christian must be
ultra stalwart not TO have his faith in the
mercy 0. God shaken at times.
MRS. LAURA D. FAIR.
saw Mrs Laura D. Fair-who years
ago had such a narrow escape from hang
ing for the murder of A. p. Crittenden-on
the street a few days ago. Time, and re-
morse perhaps, combined, have not dealt
CONSIDERABLY with her. She never was
what one might term a beautiful woman,
but she had thoroughbred air about her
that would strike one at glance. But she
is greatly changed, and had my attention
not been called to her would have scarce
~ recognized her as the woman who once
SO startled this city by her audacious-t
put it mildly-deed. How she has aged in
appearance, and how apathetic she looks !
Her fine head, once majestically poised
upon grandly formed neck, now droops
likes q whitening lily upon q weakly stem
pleasant places. For years she was engaged
in buying and selling mining stocks; but
since there is no profit in that traffic, she
has taken up the vocation of book selling.
| am afraid that, in her case she has
chosen very improbable vocation. be-
cause only the young and fascinating are
successful in that line, especially in San
Francisco. Her daughter is married to a
man who aspires to the Coinership of our
Mint, and from what CLEAN from authen-
tic sources, his chief recommendation is
being the son-in-law of Laura D. Fair.
SONG QUEEN AND CRITICS.
Madame Jude, now playing here, to
whom some of our critics. have accorded
the title of The Queen of Opera Bouffe, -
has proven failure as a great artist, not
withstanding the laudations of San Fran
cisco's professional critics to the contrary
The critic here who dishes up his review
for the guidance of the reading public is a
qneer fish. He is easily caught by the
sight of handsome face and figure, and in
his enthusiasm entirely forgets the artistic
attributes required to accompany them
To be brief, it is unsafe TO accept the printed
Judgment of San Francisco critic in mat
tiers dramatic or musical. Judic's voice is
fair, and her stage actions are piouant. but
her voice lacks fexibility, compass OF
power. To place her on the some lyric
; pedestal (pardon the figure of speech) with
Schneider and Annie is too ridiculous 10 be
entertained for a moment She is no
artist, in the popular acceptation of the
term, and she only earned the little fame
she has through the medium of printers
ink. When so-called great vocalist can
furnish the Associated Press no greater
recommendation of herself, to be flashed
over the wires, than that she bathes in a
solid silver tub, on the side of which heI
monogram is attached in gold, and that the
handles of her tooth and nail brushes are
! made of precious metal, and all that sort
of stuff, she certainly is not entitled to all
the "taffy' given her by this city's press
Verb7sm sap.