Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-20
NEW YORK LETTER.
EYM cRISKLR ON THE METHODIST CON.
FERENCE AND THE wALLAcx
TESTIMONIAL.
Female Sharks in Wall etrsst-Bow They
Blaekmail BsnkerG-Great Men in
Small Things-Tho Famous
Morstd Rstirss
rconc.poadcaco Of tao RicsmOa4 Dispa,cA.l

lCorespondenco Of the Richmons Dispa,ch.l
NEW York, May 10. 1888.
BY al odds the biggest local event for
the past week has been the Methodist
General Conference. saw tho assem-
b.ago on Sunday afternoon al the Metro
Titan Open-House there must have
been FIVE thousand Methodists packed
mo that enormous building. ,Sturdy,
ortaodoX, psalm sinfing, Go&iearing
pioneers from al parts Of tho country.
When they stood up and sang. go for
thousand tongues 10 sing" the building
shook with the volume OF sound. | have
heard WaCner's operas sung with high
art in that cdiiice, but never heard any
thing ike this There IS only one word
IN the English language that exactly de-
scribes the yolleying OF that old hymn,
and that word is thunder. The tune
ismed from five thousand lus,y thrOsts
with an efficacy Of deep, sincere re-
hcious feeling. II swept up in
surxcs from the great parquet and
rolled down from the enormous gal
lery IN monster waves of sound. /
looked up. and the boxes where late the
laueuid listeners turned their ears IN the
intervals Of small talk TO the inwrOugnt
strains of opera now stood close to-
cether "a dense mass Of men and women.
every one pouring out OF his and her
soul contribution 10 this magnificent
oraiorio. The crowds in the stone lob
bies and corridors that could not get
into the auditorium caught up the strain
There wasn't a Methodist widow in bonn
1..t ff.c IN g. 81
OF vocalism.
have heard good many vocal ics'I-
vals. but I never heard anything that
was woighty with the simple grandeur OF
sincerity in unison as this except once
az the Boston Peace Festival when the
enormous audience stood up and Gang
cold Hundred.
10 sing is a part Of the MethOdist's re-
hQion, and if YOU want to know how in
descrbably majestic and subtle sincerity
is on vocal wings let me advise you to
attend general conference.
MErHoDIsrs AND TOBACCO.
II is worth netting that there is a small
side as we'll as a grand side TO the collec-
ton Methodist. The small side shows
itself annually on the tobacco question.
Fancy this august body pausing for one
moment to consider II bishops should
chew. But there will be u few old wO-
men and fussy old provincial men, too,
who insist that there is no salvation
where there is tobacco, and they stick
the anti tobacco plank into convention
md creed alike. OF course can under
stand that If all Me.hodists chewed and
al sang as Justify as they did on Sunday
It would hardly be a religious atmos-
phcre. but even then il would he mat
ter Of taste and not Of discipline
THE LESTER wALLACK TESTIMONIAL.
The testimonial 10 Lester Wallack has
taken on huge proportions | am told
that every seat in the opera house h2s
lecn sold al so a seat, and that up 10
date $50. 600 have been guaranteed.
Mr.. A. NJ Palmer, the manager OF the
Madison-Squsre Theatre, has engineered
the whole affair. He had Nh Augustine
Dalv associated with him, but that gen
tlefnan went to Europe with his COM
panv, and the whole task fell upon Mr..
Palmer.
1t will be notable dramatic event,
hut it does not follow that it will be a no.
table dramatic performance. The event
will be too big for the acting. l have
seen these star combinations tried be-
fore. Curiosity is glutted, but Shak-
speare is not honored There is a tend
eDcv in the start 10 swallow each other
up. They feel that their personality Is
lost In the grand ensemble.
Still. Lester Wallsck Will get at least
$4,000 to retire on, and he will pocket
his vanity and the check at the same
time.
II is thus the profession and the pub
lie tip with gold these relies OF departed
worth.
Buffalo Bill and Miss Helen Barry
have appeared in the swim here, both
fresh from the other side. Miss Barry
is rather the more stalwart Of the two.
She went straight to Boston to SEQ MIR.
Hills Henrietta and Matt. Morgan's pic
ture. and then came straight back 10 see
the new opera of Nadjy. Meanwhile the
new Union-Square Theatre IS being rush
ed up for her.
Buialo Bill is writing his views Of
England, which 1 dare say will offset
Matthew Arnold's views of America.
TIE FAMOUS MRS. scOFELD.
have often seen large, voluptuous-
looking woman with features bearing
traces Of dissipation, but nevertheless
etll handsome, moving with stately
tread. and al air confident, not to Say
bold. along Wall street on her way to
the Mills building to consult her brokers'
IL was the notorious Mira. Lillian SEQ
field. one Of the chsmpagne-d drinking,
late-dining. loud-talking, stock-gam-
bling circles Of New York, daring ad-
ventures in society, and a studlously
seductive Cleopatra in Wall street, with
more than one fool to play Antony III
his turn.
Yet this woman who led Broker Ma
thapiel W. 4. Hatch into wild courses
that ended in lis mysterious death seems
herself the slave OF an individual named
"Daye" Ferris, a silyer-tongued person
OF whom it might be said in the language
OF the Milesisn, "He could talk the birds
oil the bushes
II is impossible to tell whether the
constant companion and supposed tool
Of this man, Mrs Lillian ScOheld, played
a q. Badger" game of blackmail on Broker
Hatch or not. but that game is often
PLAYED in New York and not unirequently
in Wall street.
AFRAID OF WOMEN.
Many brokers refuse 10 see a woman
alone in d err Offices under any circum-
stances however private the business
the door is left open, so that the inter
view may bc within sight Of the clerk.
There are others more careless, and |
heard Of one broker the other day who
not long ago paid blackmail to a woman
b the extent Of a thousand dollars,
though his conduct seems TO have been
blameless. 1t Is useless, however. 10
make such a plea to the public /;
il believes the worst, especially OF
a man. and takes the word Of
woman who 10 not usually any more
moral than Il man. This broker was talk
-. -. L.. "a ofioa with "a fnp-lOOk-