The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-05-23
BrOadDrimS New York Letter
Special to the CARBON ADVOCATE.

ioDCCldl 10 Jue OAhBON ADVOCATE.
The curtain has fallen, the drama has
ended, and most of Our favorite actors
have skipped by the light of the moon"
As l prognosticated a few weeks ago,
Mr.. Steele Mackaye's new Lyceum
Theatre is the dcadest of all financial
failures, and the stockholders who were
expecting 100 per cent. dividends, find
the balance on the wrong side of the
ledger. Mr.. Mackaye is like that mem
ber of Parliament, who, after sitting
twenty years in the House of Commons,
started up one day, electrified his fellows
with one of the most brilliant speeches
ever delivered before that body, then
subsided into his seat AMI never spoke
again. With the single exception of
Hazel Kirke," 3lr. Mackaye has been
a most lamentable failure. How he
could ever have induced lot of smart
business men to invest 100000 in his
utopian scheme, is an unfathomable
mystery. But their money is in there
and it looks now as though it might re-
main there for some time to come. The
object of the Lyceum, as you are doubt
less aware, was to train actors for the
stage. II was a sort of dramatic college,
whose diploma was supposed to be
carte blanche to any theatre in the land.
Dramatic dudes and dudines, dying for
a first appearance, paid their three or
five hundred dollars for thorough
dramatic education, and | have vet to
learn that there was one person connect
ed with the board of management that
knew how to act himself or who could
have instructed supernumary to carry
off the bier of a dead hero. At any rate
the thing was a dead failure and the
stockholders are now called upon to pay
the piper.
Colonel Mapleson and his song-birds
have departed. There was wonderful
difference between his exit last week
and the manner in which he got out
year ago. The fact is, that the gallant
eolonel of Her Maiesty's Contingent, is
as well as irresponsible: so
well is he understood by the great body
of opera singers, that when he goes to
engage star he has to go with the col
lateral in his pocket. Your song-bird
knows her value; her notes are bank
notes; business is business with her. and
when the impressario asks her to sing,
she answers by saying, 'NIon cher i'm
pressario, how much money have you
got about your clothesP" If the sum
named is sufficient, the gentle creature
says: Now, put up or shut up;" and to
the credit of the impressario, be it re-
corded, he generally puts up. Not a
singer of any note has appeared in this
country whose salary was not assured
beforehand.
The study of music seems to destroy
ones trustfulness in human nature.
The musicians of New York form a
regular guild, and it is as close corpor-
alton as any i'll the country. Unless
you belong to the association you cannot
get chance to play; they are Just as
firm in their demands as the prima dom
ma; the result is that the gentle musician
seldom gets left, if he knows it, and he
generally knows it. Most of the theatres
are now occupied by out-of-town COM
paDies, who wish to make city reputa-
tion. These city summer seasons have
been the starting-poiphssfor some of the
most successful stae4 "a the country.
Lotta and Joe Emmett tried it sixteen
or seventeen years ago; here Colonel
Sellers made his start; Sam'l of Posen
and Uncle Josh Whitcomb and others.
these new aspirants to fame. but the
fact of their having played in New York
gives them a SOFT of Fifth avenue favor
in the country when they go barn storm
ing.
The city has been in a blaze of excite
ment with the trial of police-sargeant
Crowley for assaIlting a young gisi
named Maggie Morris. On one side is
an organized gang of fourth ward pugs,
anxious to clear their pal and ruin the
girl, and on the other hand is the prose-
cutting attorney and all the decent peo-
pie in the city, and behind them stands
the World with its tremendous influence.
determined 10 see justice done though
the heavens fall Nothing has occurred
for years that has caused such n pro-
found sensation. The feeling is general
that the time has come when it is neces-
sary to weed the police. When such
men as Nugent, the robber, Conroy, the
murderer, and rutiians like Crowley, can
get positions on the force, it is time to
cry halt. Day after day, the papers are
filled with murderous assaults by the
police, and peaceable citizens have been
clubbed on their own doorsteps because
they looked askant at these myrmidons
of the law. We must have protection /;
the members of the police force should
be like Cesar's wife, above suspicion.
a man may be able TO stpif a ballot-boX,
or carry primary, and yet make an in
different policeman; and still IL is for
services like these that many Of the APP
pointLaents ON our police force are made.
1t is tint these disgraceful appointments
We're stopped. If ever civil service re-
form was needed. it is in the police de-
partment; sever Il from politics and we
Fbaii have no more lT.ttians like Crowley
to disgrace the uniform of the police.
We shake hands with our sister across
the big bridge; she has made another
step forward, and after much travail,
rapid transit Is an accomplished fact,
and there Is much rejoicing -thereat.
There was not the booming OF cannon,
nor the waving Of bunting like there
was at the opening OF the bridge. The
celebration was exclusively a BROOKLYN
affair, and the Brooklypites are a very
good orderly people. As an evidence Of
the decay OF pnbilc spirit in that suburb
an town, though thousands tnrDed out
TO see the cars make their trial trip, and
many thousands took their first ride,
bhNAN W - sNalNtil u VI uuASll uldn 10 De
seen, aud there was not respectable
fight don't know what We are com
ing 10 when we can have celebration
like that nf Wednesday. without any
drunkenness oT disorder. bat then.
Brooklyn is fair Gn preaching, and such
like never was much for . first-clsss
row. Let us hope for better things as
She grows older.
The weather is simply horrid. Sever
al times / have tried to say something
civil about the weather. but every tine
it stuck in my throat, for | felt that 1
was -- -; well. DO matter but
slightly misrepresenting the facts. Here
il is ia the middle Of May when We
ought 10 be walking about IN gauze
pants and linen busters, instead of which,
we are skating about in Arctic uhbers.
with waterproof coats on the outside Of
our ulylerg pQr-mufis lultfeug and chest