The Washington critic., 1886-09-24
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Sulu COnllneTCiul traveller 10 u CnlCagO
Herald reporter, "and | never again
want to be witness of such scenes asI
saw there. I'll not attempt to describe
the incidents to you-they have already
been sufficiently touched upon in the
daily papers. But there Is one little
phase of the thing which the news
papers have not even mentioned. You
know business was suspended in
Charleston. All Of the stores except.
ing grocery and provision stores were
closed. The banks were not open. Tho
theatres closed their doors. Even the
newspapers suspended publication for
an issue or two. But the day after the
first terrible quake happened out by
the baseball grounds, and I'll be burned
If there WASH two clubs In there u. play
Ing, and quite crowd sitting on the
benches cheering the players. looked
through crack in the fence, and Just
then another earthquake shock
came. The umpire motoncd " the
players to go right along, but the
pitcher, who was then in the box,
asked TO have the game called for
few minutes, because the home plate
was wobbling so he couldn't put the
ball in straight. The umpire acceded
to this reasonable request, and after
delay of ten minutes l heard the UNI
pire call out, play ball--battcr up
Then lett, satisfied that baseball is
the one American institution which
even an earthquake can't knock out"
~
Says "Carp" in his last London let
ter to the Cleveland LeadGr: A few
Of the London theatres are now closed.
The Drury Lane, where Garrick and
SO many other noted actors Of the past
played, will open in week or so, and
Henry Irving's Lyceum Theatre is
billed for Faust as soon as he re.
turns from his vacation trip to Amer
lea. The London theatrical season
lasts from September to July, though
there are many houses which have per-
formances the year round. Til ere are
more now than usual at this time, on
account of the extra session of Parlia.
ment. The theatre opens at 1880 and
the performance usually begins at 8.
In many of these theatres the seats on
the lower galleries are higher than
those of the parquet or pit, a custom
the reverse Of that of most American
cities except New Orleans, and think
In certain New York theatres. No re.
served seats are sold for the pit,
and the usual price for admission
to this part is two shillings, or fifty
cents. Long before the doors open
crowd of sometimes hundreds may be
seen standing In single or double file
before the pit door. 1t is "first come
first served" and no one dares to step
forward and take another's place. The
cheapest place in the theatre Is the top
gallery at 20 cents. the amphitheatre
costs about 62 cents. the balcony IS
cents to 81, and the boxes run into the
pounds in price. Programmes are
charged for at all London theatres, aud
generally Il penny is the price. In
many of them beer and other drinks
are brought into the pit during the re-
cesses between the acts and Sold The
Covent Garden Theatre, which John
Kemble owned years ago, which
Nacready leased, and where Grisi.
Mario, Patti and Albani have sung, is
now known in the guide books rs the
Royal Italian Opera House. aud its
audiences form sight equal to its
stage. AT present 1t has an orchestra
Of one hundred persons, and splendid
repertoire is given nightly. 1t will ac-
commodate two thousand, and its pit Is
now turned into grand promenade
ground, with exits leading into other
magnificently decorated halls and sup.
per rooms. The galleries rise tier above
tier to the roof around this promenade
hall, and there are many stalls or boxes.
The gallery visitors are as rule re-
rpectable people who come solely to
hear the entertainment. The crowd
below in the promenade Is a mixed
one, and that more bad than good. The
tntrance Is only shilling; and the
thousand people who were walking
about 1t last night were fully as wei
dressed as the good people of the gal
leries.
~
In 1884, says New York Tribune
correspondent, when Mr.. Cleveland
was candidate for the Presidency, ht
spent several weeks ON the Upper
Saranac. At the hotel was gentle
man from Hartford, who was an en-
thusast in amateur photography. HI
was very anxious to get picture Of
the Democratic standard bearer, ant
watched for several days, but found NJ
opportunity. AT length, noticing tina
Mr.. Cleveland usually went on
from the boat house with his guild,
about certain hour in the morning
he arranged his camera to rake th,
doorway, yet be almost unseen, ant
holding the tube, stood prominently IL
the foreground himself. Soon Mr.
Cleveland wandered out, and greetei
the supposed idler with Hello, wha
have you got thereY" "a rather Gu
rous little instrument, Governor
wouldn't you like to see 1t work 2
The future President assented, auC
even before he did so his picture hat
been taken, Mr., Cleveland was not n
all displeased. aud good photograph
Of him in boating costume with hi
guide in the background was the re
suit.
Bridegroom Blaine said to n reporte
last Wednesday: my wife is pleaset
and | am pleased and that settles it; /
is nobody else's business" On tn
same day Bridegroom Gould said to
reporters eyes, we are married an,
we are going on bridal tour; we don
know where, and we don't care.
These two remarks, says the Chicag
Noes, illustrate very happily that dc
lighlful Indifference to the rest of tn
world which takes complete possession
Of the human breast aud rules undis
puled there while Hymen burns hi
torch. If we were to analyze the feel
ings Of the average bridegroom during