The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-25

issues. such as prohibition and the like, which
are too strong to he ignored. There is period
of general prosperity coming, now that the
wreck of the past few years is being cleared
away. The trouble will always be tendency to
initiation and the consequent reaction, but il Ia
in these times that fortunes are made. 1 tell
you, sir. this is great country and great peo-
pie. and it is time. General Grant said, we
spelled Nation with big N, and had proper
coast defenses and asked no favors Of any one,
while welcoming all to our shores in the spirit of
the founders of the government. As said, the
people can always be trusted to keep an even
keel, however immodest. sometimes, the cap
tain of the craft may be-
The education of his son will be completed Ia
Paris He is a bright, round-faced lad now, some
eighteen years old and not at all like bis father
in appearance and temperament, but more like
his mother, who was the second divorced wife of
Page the artist Sweeney maintained his habits
OF secretiveness to theDxtent that for years only
his intimates knew he was married to the beau
tiful and accomplished lady who accompanied
him IN his exile and from whom he has been
alienated to the extent that they no longer live
together because, it is limited, of her conversion
to SDritualsm, for which he has profound
horror. While in this city Mr.. Sweeny seldom
appeared down town, but was to be seen ire
quently taking stroll in Central Park, where
he was very rarely recognized. He was very
often visited by influential men in municipal
politics for suggestions. JOHN DARME
The Manufacture of Comic Opera.
NEW YORK. July 23.-Comic opera manufact-
ure is repousse work. Last winter it was fash
ionable to pound brass All the girls had little
hammers and tinkered. You could hear the jim
gle in any well-regulated household. 1t was re-
pousse Now all the museums are doing it.
Cink, clink goes the hammer of Solomon, up in
his fat. He is welding and soldering new
comic opera. He and Hoyt forge out pattern,
then they call Lillian Russell in. and she applies
the little hammer of her voice to it, and to
pounding and tinkering they beat out the maid
and the Moonshiners." If you stand in front of
Steinway Hall some clear morning, when the
windows are open, you will hear the hammers
going all over the building. Every room has got
a forge-master in it and comic opera pattern.
But there is a shadow of disaster looming up
on the comic opera horizon. 1t is the manageri-
al opposition to the Autograph. Without a col
ored Autograph comic opera would totter on its
throne, and the Autograph must go. You may
pound opera as much as You please, but it is no
good unless you paint It, You couldn't get pref
ty girls to sing in it if they weren't Autographed
1t is the photographer and the photographer who
seduce innocence and beauty into the chorus and
ballet. No house is safe against the tempta
tiops of the stage if you let man in with a col
ored poster All he has to say to the pride of
the family is, "This style, my dear, for $l2
week." and she abandons home, father. and
mother and friends, and goes upon the road for
the sake of getting on tina coalyard fence and
hanging in the cigar-shop windows
Comic opera is a centipede; it crawls on hun
dred legs. The photographer makes the number
ten thousand
Next fall there will be a burst OF comic opera.
Several twiddlipg composers having secured
girls enough and posters enough. made small
fortunes last season by setting rot to rhyme and
calling madness music. This season there will
be double number. The simple receipt given
by Boucicaut for comic opera was Gawdy and
Bawdy." The composer of the Little Tycoon"
tried it and made money. The Casino has paid
off its mortgage with pretty girls. McCaull de-
ies modesty and maternity alike with imported
wiggle, and jigs. and costumes.
Somebody asked Lillian Russell how she
learned many operas She looked as inno-
cent as a snowdrop why, there's no. trouble
after you've learned the first one," said she.
What a confession! They've been doing the
same opera at the Casino for years. They only
change the girls and the topical song.
You would be astonished at the difference be.
tween the man who has written play and the
man who has written a comic opera. One comes
down Broadway skulking. The mark of Cain Is
on his brow. He avoids the light He is pariah.
The ignominy of mis- life clngs to him. He is
has written play. The other fellow-I don't
care whether you call him Hoyt, or Solomon or
Rosenfeld-comes down in a dog cart with out
riders. he wears Q purple neckte and fine
linen. He has a tiger. He acknowledges the
salutations of the rich and influential with easy
nonchalance. The girls in the cheap stores
throw kisses at him, and would like to hold his
horses. He buys cottage at Long Branch. He
is interviewed in the penny papers. He makes
speeches at the fund dinners. He is acquainted
with Mr. Colville, and on speaking terms with
Theodore Most He gets presents from female
seminaries and testimonials from the customers.
He is clever; he gave the best definition once of
comic opera-ssA whirl and swirl Of girl" said
he, and then went to sleep. NYM CRINKLE.
A Novelty in Chinatown.