Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-03
A NEW WORKERS. NOTES.
Mucilage and Ink-Erasers to Influence
the Presidential Election.

Mucilage and Ink-Erasers to influence
the Presidential Election.
THE FATAL LACK OF JINGLE IN THE WOMEN OF
THE oUARp"-A WASHINGTON BOYS STAGE CA
REER-Is MRS. BLAINE, JE., TO GO on THE STAGE?
ETHEL sPRAGUE IN DRAMATIC SCHOOL
Correspondence Of THE EVENING srks.
NEW YORK. November 2.
Wouldn't it be queer If consuming appetite
for mucilage and ink-erasers should defeat
Cleveland on election day? II a current oneer
story is to be believed (and candidly confess
don't believe it), such an appetite may easily
do the job. The appetite aforesaid was en-
couraged by one Costigan, who had the con-
tract for the New York city printing, and whose
vouchers for seventy-five ink-erasers for one
clerk, 1876 bottles of muclage for another clerk.
and like liberal quantities of stationery for
other clerks, were signed by the mayor. the
controller and the corporation counsel in big
bundles at time, and Mr.. Costigan got the
money for them. The story saws that half of
Costigan's, doings and considerable of the
democratic municipal carelessness," have not
yet been made public. but that the full details
of the embarrassing circumstances are known
to leading republicans. who have secured any
quantity of local democratic votes for Harrison
in return for keeping mum about facts which
world work disastrously to Mr. Hewitts cleo
ton. 1t is certainly true that the presidential
election may be decided right here in New
York city, SO if the story is true its conse-
quences may be as powerful az they are alleged
to be. The republicans could almost certainly
elect Erhard. mayor if they cared TO now that
there are SO many splits among their oppo-
nents but they seem SO ready to trade local
power for the national result that Mr. Erhardt
is recognized a defeated candidate if the
mucilage story is true.
The Yeomen of the Guard" Gilbert and
Sullivan's new opera at the Casino, is a disap-
pointment, as you have already heard. Gil
berts hbresto has only an occasional hint Of
most Of his wit i'll THE Yeomen' is reminis-
cent Suiiivans music is considerably more
ambitious than anything he has heretofore
DONE and in this very fact lies one cause of the
disappointment. 1t is sad to say it. but the
popular liking for Sulliyan's music has been in
inverse ratio to its strictly critical worth
"finafore, all jingle, is Sulhvan's greatest
success; Patience" mostly jingle. second;
The Pirates of Penzance," with little Jingle.
third; "ioianthe," mostly serious. fourth; The
Sorcerer, almost wholly serious. fifth. and SO
on through Princess Ida" to Tho Yeomen,"
which is most serious Of all and least successful
of all.
Two things will make Mr.. Rudolph Aronsons
investment in the opera success, however.
One Is the popularity Of the Casino as a place
OF amusement it being a dull show, indeed,
that won't I'LL this pretty theater for a ten
weeks run, and the other is the fact that Gill
bert and Sullivan are the fashion. and it is the
proper thing for everybody TO see every opera
they manufacture. Ii you can only be in the
fashion you may be as dull or uninteresting as
possible.
And speaking of fashion as an element in at
tendance at theaters, 1t counted hugely in the
Coquelin-Hading performances here. I was
vastly amused at the people who triedto appear
engrossed in the French Jokes Of Mascariile,
and the French pathos of Frou-Frou, and who
made frantic efforts to read their books of the
play and look at the stage at the same time II
is positive fact that when the curtain fell each
night upon the last act, unconscious signs of
relief could be heard from all parts Of the
house. The dear people who attended the per-
formances, because it was the proper thing had
simply sacrificed their comfort and endured two
hours and half OF boredom for fashions sake.
A young washinstonian, in whom I have
taken considerable interest, is winning his way
to fame in the histrionic profession. Four years
ago Mr.. Tim Murphy made his debut on the
National Theater stage. in Washington. at an
Eiks' benefit performance, in which he did
some very clever limitations of distinguished
actors. He showed such appreciation of nice
points in character that predicted success for
him as q comedian in certain lines. Two wears
later he came to New York with the determine
ton to adopt the stage as profession. He
found II struggle even to get start, as so
many other actors have found it, but he was
prepared to struggle as so many other would-be
actors are not He wasn't the sort OF chap that
thinks he is cut out to play Hamlet or Bob Acres
at jump. Tim was sure he couldn't but he
meant to be able 10 do the most famous comedy
roles some day, and meantime he took the first
chance that came along. which happened to be
a small job at the Comedy Theater NOV Dock
staders) with a variety troupe, giving imita-
tions OF Mccullough, Raymond John Mackay
and others. Tim kept his eyes and ears wide
Open didn't lose point in the show business
and just worked right along from one thing to
another, doing the best he knew how. He was
always ready 70 go on and do a turn at a benefit
which helped him with the public and widened
his acquaintance with actors and managers At
length he became known and talked about and
now he is holding responsible position in a
responsible company, and is one of the very
cleverest OF the clever people in the troupe
Tim is still on the lookout for something better
however, as he hasn't by any means reached
the point his ambition is aiming for. At present
he divides the comedy honors with Charles
Reed, an old favOrite in negro minstrelsy, i'm
Hoyt's successful Brass Monkey" at the Biiou
Tbeater.
Some day Washington is going to be very
proud of MIR. Tim Murphy, comedian.
Mr.. John W. Albaugh, who is well known in
your town. has his spectacular Midsummer
Nights Dream" at the Star Theater in New
York this week, and Judging from the packed
houses there Monday and Tuesday nights. the
two evenings on which took it in piecemeal.
he will go away next week a big winner He
has solved for me the mystery Of Wilton Lac
kaye's double, to which / alluded some weeks
ago. Mr.. Lackaye played Den.et,'ius in Mr..
Aibaugh's company until the Chicago engage
ment, when he left to join Rose Coghlan. His
name had already been printed on all the COM
pany's paper" SO the newspapers have been
praising him ever since for work that is now
done by Mr.. Chas. H. Sutton.
*.*
There il no one more keenly alive to the
value of no:oriety than the society amateur
the stage az o means to achieve |
fame and fortune. There was Mrs. Langtry.
who went into the business on the notoriety of |
her beauty and the story that she had been suf- |
fciently chummy with the Prince of Wales TO put |
ice-cream down his back. OF late the drawing |
feature Of her repertoire has been Freddie |
Gebhart
And there was Mrs. Potter-first notoriety,
"'Ostler Joe," second, Prince of Wales; third, |
Kyrle Bellew and rumors of divorce; fourth, |
Wales again and Sarah Bernhardts patronage; |