New-York tribune., 1888-04-13
WHY TIE BEST MUSIC MEYER PAYS HERE.
SOME LIVELY AND CHARACTERISTIC OBSERVATIONS
TO WHICH MR. JEROME HOPKINS ATTACHES CON-
/ rNpoRrAScr

SIDERABLE IMPORTANCE.
To the Edftor Of The Tribune
Sir; Polished civilization, in this ever-delishtful
city of New-York, presents rare subjects for
social philosophers to chew the cud upon, subjects
material educational, moral, religious and artistic
In an age Of Improvements, conveniences and time
ana laborsaving inventions, new-broom, land CON
sequently cleansweepng Mayors, with the cacoethes
scrioendlu etc, ETC., right here in New-York you
can scarce find house In the nabob districts, so
numbered as that you tell which 1t Is, without run
ming up the steps to find out The new flats COM
monty have the tenants names near the bell-puls,
put In such dark corners that they cannot be read,
especially at night. Fth-ave stages E the new and
the gorgeous'l have drivers bells inside Instead Of
outside of the root that the drivers can't possibly
hear them, and tho poor passenger stands for ever
bent DOUBLE and humping his polished stove pipe
hat ringing and ringing and waiting for his change
until-wel, until he blesses the exquisite ingenuity
OF the inventor OF such delightful Purgatory a D
cents per capita hat included; besseS I'll Yes,
indeed; with q vengeance
We have DlstrctAttorneys, and policemen and
detectives to find out criminals, and churches and
clergymen to mako Christians, but as II to rebubs
the Incompetence Of such cvlllzng and purifying
agents, We have amateur organizations for the better
cognzance Of certain pet sins Mr.. Gerry's for the
frivolous diversion Of beating children, and Christian
associations e. Christian par excellence) to make up
for the supposed deficiencies of the church asso-
Citations, which inferentiay not Christian at all
uncomplimeqtary, but historical
Then We have Mr.. Comstocks society to insure
the closing Of eyes "lest they should behold (un
draped) vanty' at unreasonable hours and DR.
Crosbys to instruct on what days Of the week We
must get thirsty. q understand that new society IS
to be organized called tho Mouchor Trust, and
that VIII issue rules and regulations for tho blowing
OF noses)
Since Messrs. Gerry Comstock. Crosby and
the "stand-off for-we are HolIerthan-Thou assOc
atlon keenly watch the courts policemen and clergy
It would II the only remaining deslderatum were
new set Of functonarles to watch Gerry
Comstook Co. We should at once begin to pray
for them. I'll begin to-day.
Now, during the existence of these and kindred IN
consistent entities, all Of which compcate the premises
and postuates OF social science, under a system Of
government where all are declared to be free and
eQud' and since there Is law to prevent men
and even corporations from making fools Of them
selves, It is surprising to find equal absurdte
reign triumphant in the realms of art, and IS to
some OF these that your readers attention Is directed
New-Yorks grand Beethoven Centennial in 1870
fzzlcd out In two days.
Her Academy OF Music" no academy at all
during thirtythree years, and never filed any one Of
the first four provlsos OF its charter granted April TO-
1852
Her big festival of 1882 lost about 80 OOo and the
These figures come from officers.
We all know the fates OF the Mapleson, Maretzek,
strakosch, Aibltes and Angelo Opera Companies not
enough Of whose shin-bones remain to play shlnny'
with.
The late SACRED Harmonic "Mendessohn,'
"Thomas' n. Y. Chorus Euterpe' " Church Music"
and other vocal societies too numerous TO mention,
have passed to the happy fields where It IS hoped
cat-gut Is cheap and deputy sherifs are unknown
but those societies all paid "bg gate-money' when
they had any to pay, which was seldom
The late American Opera lost $500, 900, and its
lineal and frisky descendant, Mr.. LOckes "Natonal
Opera Company, has also just turned up its tOes' at
about 800 a toe.
Tho great and grand, nevcr-suGlclently- -to-be ad-
mred toneyn "swell' German Opera at the Metro
polltan Opera House has lost 1924. 600 (by printed
reporu this season, being Just $4,000 more than
last season, while the losses on the Thomas Con-
certs thls season have been heavy as IL well known.
The other side OF the ledger however is encourage ng
IN that the noble and exquisite German street bands
whose ducet strains so charmlngly soOthe our faded
prandla sttempts AT ationai brlance by fellow
diners. have ali made money enough to enable them
to indulge in dre lager per diem
So you see the situation not quite utterly hopenss
yet and New York. In spite OF few discourag ng
symptoms. may perhaps nevertheless eventually de-
velop into a musical city.
But Joking aside, this city NAV be said TO nave no
musical foundation Is It not little strange that mp 70
within short time there not place here where
in Vocal technics free rom sectarian inNuencesi
has been said that our public schools afford u ar % an
year But do they afford Il II any reader OF this
is musician let him or her go into our schools
and parsing any simple phrase OF four measures at
first sight have not found such child In twenty,
such chd-en's voices separately within that time
let blame attach 10 the teachers for this shameful
tenn: system so absurd and unphlosophlcal It IS
enough TO make horse laugh. Think OF i, Inrty
presumably making money or they would not rum
end only one opera house and the one invariably
Why IS this thusl Is there not a causei answer
most assnredly yes, and that cause is the criminal
municipal s ana 5Ss n
tsess OF the rising snd snd! We're not nd lf
enemiesi beisv, that this terrible city q noise
making "hustlersu would soon have no music at all
Amid the wtthering dlsconragements Of u. the ca, "a
ucatlonh musical enthusiast. II ls pleasant 70 point 70
the fact that the Chlldren's AID Society through IT'S
Intelligent and liberal suIerntendent MT: Mr;
TO FREQ singing classes for talented children with
GOOD voices and Z seems to me that there Is more
than ordinary significance IN this new departn,.e
rot printed about the need Of great Conservatory
exactly eT!S What W. ". don't noed conservatory for
artists and Heaven knows that we have now Crg
audiences and any musician will allow that mnsica
audience OF even hundred persons In this city Is
about as common as congregation OF a hnndreu
angels, but for casting musical pearls before pluto.
cratic swine NewYork certainly can take the % cake
avery time DO not let rs forget that there were
more copies OF that ldiotc drivel "shoo Fly SOLO ID
America than any other song put upon the mar
ket, and this furnishes key to the musical intellect
OF this wr0le country.
First educate the rising generation in singing and
all other kinds OF music Will follow. We now nrSt
try to cram pianos down their throats. INC p'S,WUs
choke them and OF course they can't sing men We
seem 10 forget that had voices before pianos. WY
cannot we 10 as reasonable In this particular az III
other European toadyismsl " r.,..
Among his many manly utterances John hushLn
never gave better than when he asser,eu tnst ~
would not have peasants taught paint
ing nor tho science Of music, but he would nave Ine
taught to sing. Shall NewYOrk children oe nrmea
the privilege granted 10 European peasants, anu Do
only taught 90 baw scream and vel hNeH W.
Gerry must reply Perish the th0nghdtD d ours
obedlently. JEROME HoPA4NS'
Glover Hill, Hermitage, April :. 1855.
LEAP YEAR WHIST
To the EdftOr Of The Trtb"M
Sir: The fascinating game Of leap year Whs' II