Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-05-27
NEW YORK LETTER.
KYm oRrrKLE PHOTOGRAPHS THE 7LEc-
Taic SADNESS OF GOTHAM.
Financial potpourri-Unols Daniels Little
Gnms-Ths Danger Of Showing
0re's Hand.
rcorrcspondencc Of Tho Richmond Dispatch
NEW YoRY. MAY IS. 1893.


New YORK.. May 26, 1893.
A new seriousness is affecting New
York. ] suppose You know that you
can tell resident OF New York in
any part OF the world by certain crush
ed look ne has, and which is said to be
the result Of the fiat house and the jani-
tor. Every man of moderate means
lives in Tower OF Babel and is waiting
for the confusion OF tongues.
Bad as that ls the new misery is in
initely worse. Re now understands that
he lives and moves and bresthes in the
presence OF instant death.
The whole city is cobwebbed over
with electric wires, whose touch is an
initiation. "killed where he stood "
is the standing paragraph in the papers.
Men and women on the crowded pave
ments of Broadway walk in the sunshine
with dim foreboding that it is the valley
OF the shadow OF death. A worse than
the sword of Damoc!es bangs suspended
by a thread above every mans head.
You cant imagine the serious cast this
is giving to the population. | fancy
Wall street, even while it skirs end
jumps, keeps one eye on the unknown
Tor fear something viii break.
Men are touched while they wait,
Jump into the air and are gone. leaving
their sentences uncompleted. 1t dlsar-
ranges business, leaves last words unsald,
keeps dinner waiting. wears out the am
balances. And all the while the subway
commissioners, who we're 10 put these
wires under ground, sit up there in their
Office on Broadway, properly insulated,
and calculate how long it would take to
reduce the population to minimum If n
high wind blew these wires al down at
once.
New Workers rs q rule have got fool
ish prejudice in favor OF dying in their
beds. Country people VINO have tried
their beds will never understand or ap-
preciate this prejudice, but there 1t IS.
THE WALLACE TESTIMONIAL,
as it was called, was an event OF unusual
theatrical magnitude, but not Of large
dramatic significance. 1t drew to the
Metropolitan Opera House on the night
of MONDAY au audience almost equal to
that which has been assembling there on
Sunday to hear tie Methodist bishops
l mean equal in numbers, not in sad
sincerity" A cast of Hamlet, in
which Mr.. Edwin Booth had asso-
ciatcd with him Nine. Modjcska
for M Opbelia. Mr.. Joe Jefferson for the
First Grave Digger, MIR. Frank Mayo for
the King, Mr.. William Flore &c for the
Second Grave-Digger, Mr.. job, Gilbert
for the Polonius, Mr.. Lawrence jarrett
for the Ghost, and Rose Cochlan for tue
Player Queen, with host Of similarly
well. known actors, ranging down to the
court ladies and gentlemen who stood
round. was sure TO be all event OF great
theatrical interest, and the consequence
was the metropolitan Opera iiouse
proved unequal to the strain Of admis-
sion.
Beyond this the event has only two
points worth considering. One OF them
is the testimonial side, which places the
handsome sum OF $40, 900 in Lester Wal
lacks hands. The other is the pro-
digious efort that is required 10 play
one of Shakspeare's dramas with en-
even cast Of dramatic excellence.
Actors Will, on rare occasions, asso-
ciate themselves together for each other.
Il is doubtful If they will DO it for
Shakespeare or the public.
There ought to be instituted an
annual corps parade and Inspection OF
them, where they could show themselves
IN nlrssc, after drilling all the year in
company front and on skirinish lines
Then these affairs would be worth see
ing.