The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-06-05
FLORA AT THE OPERA.
FLOWERS SAID TO BE a PART or
THE SINGERS PERouIslTEs.
Chat with n Lady Who Fresides I'm Largo
Floral Flowers an Ex-
pcnsive Luxury-stage Presen-
tation-At Work.
IChicago Herald.l

aPoetry in our businessp exclaimed Lead
ing florist in answer to the query Of q re-
porter. well, yes, there Is In a certain
sense. AS far as the business proper Is con-
cerned there l. no room left for poetry. Cut
flowers, bouquets and designs require so
much care that the poetry Is all taken out Of
the dealer. II may be all right for a Gus
toner who buys fine design, or for the re-
cipient Of floral offering, to marvel at tho
exquisite beauty Of the colors and 60 into
raptures over the delicate perfume, but q
person who has to handle these beauties Of
creation in moist state during ten hours Of
each working day, and ON pressing occasions
keep awake by force to finish tho floral out
fit for o wedding or for o wedding banquet,
Is very apt to find the work prosaic and
tedious"
Then the gentleman was called away. and
his sister, who prssides over tho 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, q sash bouquet for lady
at a grand occasion, like q night ut the
opera festival II Is eminently proper that
q gentleman should send the lady whom he
accompanies bouquet, but he can hardly
afford TO spend less than $5 for this purpose
II he means to bs In style. The lady herself
might not 60 beyond 81. That Ia about the
lowest price for sash bouquet that looks
like anything at this season Of year"
"Could you give an approximate idea Of
the amount expended for flowers ut an opera
nightr queried the reporter.
II should say that not less than $4,000 Is
expended for natural flowers on firstclass
night; that Is, when everybody that Is any;
body turns out There are certainly not
less than 500 sash bouquets in the house,
ranging all the way from $3.50 to IS and
over. Then the management on such q
night expends about $3.50 for flowers pre-
sented to the leading singers They have to
expend at least $50; it Is q part Of the con-
tract That takes the poetry out of the
floral tributes to prima donna, does 1t noti
But, then, there are real admirers whospend
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 ~
means well of in worldly goods, but he has,
at our place alone, expended nearly $500 for
flowers that were presented to Mime. Fursch-
Madin
"Then the big floral Tyre which was pre-
sented to Nine. Patti at the Aida perform
ance must have cost small fortunei" sug-
gested the reporter. .%E". ...ag
"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 1t had been made
up Of the rarest flowers Most OF these big
designs are furnished by the management a.
part Of the contract, and the rnptureJ Of the
singers are mainly for show. So are the de-
signs, Now the Tyre, although four and q
half feet high, cost only $50. It was made
up Of the cheapest material--smilax and
roses. It 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 ons Of the chords. You noticed
that she kissed the card repeatedly in full
view of the audience. Ifthe Tyre had not been
so 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 base ball pitcher.
The big Tyre was left for . day in Nine.
PATHS dressing-room, and then IL was carred
away That Is the fate OF most flowers pre-
sented on tho stage. 1t Is only ON rare occa-
hADLs tuob IuCoo bo0ubAAuA IAAAintoh VI Su0
moment are carried to the boudoir Of the
singer. In most cases they are left to wither,
unless some siege employe takes pity and
places the flowers In water TO keep for day
of two" ....s e.r t,rssEn... ...s....
In a dark room, lighted by gas, back Of
the store where the conversation took place,
about dozen girls were hard ut work wind
ing flowers into wreaths, bouquettes, and
baskets. The floral offerings were for o
great party, and artificial light was en-
ployed go as to make the colors Of tho flow
ers to correspond to the occasion. 1h We
would select the flowers In daylight" said
the lady, "the colors would not show of 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, bpt there Is one wholesale firm
dealing IN cut flowers which receives daily
by express flowers from all over the country,
doing q fourishing business all the year
around. ~ \ -.. ........