Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-15
NEW YORK BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
A Feminine Army of shoppers Captures
Streets and stores.

Streets and Stores.
THE MALE POPULATION STEALING TO BUSINESS
THRouGH BYwAYs-YOUSa MRS. BLArSE's Ap-
VENT uPoS The srAeE-MrsTcAL DIscoRps-
NEW YORK AND TIE INAUGURATION.
Correspondents Of TEE EvExrxe star
NEW YORK, Dec. a.
The shopping district Of New York lust now
has capitulatsd to a feminine army or perhaps
IL would be more accurate to say a feminine
mob. The big shops are within and without a
seething. surging. jostling. ill-tempered mass
of femIninity. Within the ladies fight TO get
near the bargain counters" without thew
fight to get sight at the show-windows. The
exhibit IN one shOw-window is so attractive
that the stairway of the Elevated railway sta
tion close by. was blocked all day long by wo-
men, who thus sought to look over the heads
OF the women on the pavement until the EIe-
waited road people were compelled to build a
canvass screen the whole length of the stairway
to shut of the view. The business men whose
Offices are in the shopping district remain
pretty well shut mp in their rooms from early
morning until late evening. and If they are
bold enough to venture out In the after
noon they try 70 steal their way bv blind
alleys and side streets to a region where the
feminine invasion j. not so large and so deter
mined. The conductors on the ladies' lines of
horse cars. as they are called bear their in
creased burdens with wonderful patience and
meekneSs. and climb over bundles and boxes
To collect the i've pennies woman invariably
keeps for hOrse-csr purposes The avenues be-
tween 18th and 2sth streets are sluggish rivers
of life to look down upon. which from an upper
building gives one the impression of chang
ing Kaleidoscope of many-hued bonnets All
Is confusion. pushing, pulling, bad temper. and
garments torn and awry. And the funniest
thing about it all is that the women seem to
like II.
1t is hard to get anybody to talk about any
thing except the holidays now. and it takes con-
siderable of an affair to turn the general atten-
ton from the question of the day and the
hour. Therefore the announcement that Mrs.
James G.. Blaine, jr.. was to go ON the profess
sional stage was sprung upon the public at the
wrong time. When limited in these columns
some weeks ago that the talented young lady's
contretemps with the Blaine family was only
the preliminary step to a stage career some
very good people wrote me that / was not only
stupid but cruel to surmise that young Mrs.
Blaine had been partially actuated by a desire
for advertisement in her much discussed affair
with her parents-in-law. / don't suppose that
these good people will now deny that. however
cruel my allegation may have been, il GER
tainly was not stupid. as the public announce
am quite certain that the interesting Young
lady will instead of joining some company for
an extended season. bloom forth as a star even
before she has had an opportunity to bud in
more modest roles
This city will send larger delegation to the
coming presidential Inauguration at Washing
ton than ever before in its history. The rumor
is current that Gov. Hill will designate the
n, III.
first regiments to attend as New Yorks mill
tary contribution to the parade These are
democratic regiments. The seventh. the
twelfth and the twenty-second regiments are
republican. and If. as seems likely, they are
not designated to take part. they will 90 on
their own responsibility and at their own ex-
pense. The seventh has already engaged
quarters in Washington for the event and the
twenty-second has made preparations to go no
matter what happens. There will be large at
tendance too by members of the New York and
Brooklyn Young Men srepublicanleagues.w which
are permanent organizations several thousand
strong Kept in active service the year around
They are expected to attend in a BODY and
leagues from all over the country are invited
to JOIN them at Washington on March A. 1883.
The arrangement made with Theodore
Thomas, by which that distinguished leader is
enabled to keep his orchestra intact in New
York for this season and possibly for many |
years to come. is welcomed by all New York
music lovers. and many people who do rot care /
particularly for good music have expressed q /
Geslre TO support the movement out of pure |
local spirit II is a ranking thorn in the aver
age New Workers. flesh to feel that Boston ia |
exceilng MS native city IN anything. The New
Yorker has always wanted to see some Gotham
Hercules arise IN his might and srnite Boston's
John l. Sullivan hip and thigh, and the New
Yorker Is similarly vexed that Bostons Herr
Gericke leads the only high-class symphonic
orchestra IN existence in America. So the New
Yorker Is just as willing to spend money to see
Thomas knock out Gericke musically as he
would be to help some New Yorker knock out
Sullivan physically.
There Is a squabble among the Metropolitan
Opera House people that has not vet found its
way into print. First of ali it is said to have
arisen from the desire of certain of the direc-
tors TO get behind the scenes and bring some
OF their friends during performance. This
desire was promptly and peremptorily crushed
by Manager Stanton. Then some of the direc-
tors who belonged to committees on scenery
on singers, on finances and on construction
plead their duties as such to secure the covet-
ed admission on the stage. Again they were
crushed and told that they could be admitted
when there was no performance on. OF course
this didn't suit the directors, and they kicked
very vigorously. Their first move in revenge
was 20 object 10 Manager Stanton having any
enterprise outside Of the Metropolitan Opera
house to occupy his time. Their objection was
80 determined and so vigorously pushed that
Mr. stanton gave up his control of the affairs
OF Rosen,hai. the pianist. and Kreisler the
Nlolinist- Then the directors waged war upon
Conductor Seidl. They declared il was unjust
10 compel people to pay three dollars to see
him conduct and hear his orchestra at the Met
rOpohtan opera house in the winter, while
Tom. Dick and Harry could enjoy the same
privilege at COney Island in the summer for
twenty-t cents. They objected. too to she'll
Ing out 10 make up deficiency at the Metro
polltan at the end of each season. while Herr
Seidi was all the winter engaging in concerts
with their orchestra. The kick at Herr Seldl
was SO bitter soon after the opening of the sea-
son that at the first presentation Of Wagnerian
opera. the production Of '.Lohengrin." on No
vember 30. young Walter Damrosch was the
conductor instead Of the great apostle Of Wag-
Ierlsm. Anton Seidl- The relations between
Herr Seidl and Manager Stanton on the one
hand and the directors upon the other have
been strained for some time about TO the limit
OF stretch: and II is highly probable that the
Metropolitan opera house will be devoted to
something beside grand opera. or at any rate
herman opera, IN the winter Of 1893
III. III. SoULE.
Times Changes.
Written for TIE EVENING SraR