The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-23
WHERE WASHING
TON LAUGHED.
Old "reminiscences of Lit
tie John Street Theatre.
DREssMAKER on POCKETS.

II ON WYNN AD'
Notes on the Prevailing FASHIONS
New Points About Jersey Wo-
men.
The newspapers of the day in 177S
contained an advertisement announc-
ing the opening of the season of the
Little John Street Theatre on Park
Row. This had been known the pre-
vious year as the Theatre Royal. The
prices were not very different from
those of today. The box-there was
only one-cost eight shillings; seats in
the pit, six shillings, and those in the
gallery, four shillings apiece. The
hours, however, were much earlier, as
the doors were opened at five o'clock
and the performance began at half
past six.
No money was taken in at the door,
the seats were all sold in advance at
Mr.. Rivington's coffee houses, at Mr.
Marshall's tavern and at the printers.
The first performance of that season
was on Tuesday evening. January G..
The entertainment seems to have been
of an amateur nature on that occasion,
as the characters were taken by gem
tlemen of the army and navy. The
performance began with the tragedy
of Douglas a we'll written prologue
preceding it. 1t was followed by the
Apprentice There was a very
crowded house on that evening and
universal applause. 1t was advertised
that no one would be admitted behind
the scenes.
Washington dearly loved to attend
this theatre, and probably the actors
were equally well pleased to see his
conspicuous military figure entering
the box which he always engaged, as
he was one of those who applauded
vigorously. One of the points in a
play that was written by William
Dunlap called "Darby's Return, "
which had a long run at the theatre
in 1889. was a hit at Washington him
self. This he would laugh at in the
heartiest manner.
Many middle-aged people can re-
member some one who would tell
them about events that happened a
hundred years ago, yet almost every
trace of the theatre, and the actors of
that day is obliterated. The first
actor of American birth was John
Martin. There is only n engraving
known to be a likeness of him eXtant;
in this he is represented in the charac-
ter of Charley in the Highland Reel"
There are only two known copies of
the first American comedy, 1.-THE Con-
trast,n in existence. One is in the
Philadelphia Library; the other one,
which belongs to Mr.. T. j. Mckee,
contains a pint drawn by Dunlap
showing Wignell in the costume of the
of minutes, reports were submitted
original Jonathan, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Morris, Henry and Hallam in their
respective roles.
A miniature of the first American
dramatist, Royal Tyler, having been
preserved by the Tyler family, Mr..
Mckee borrowed it, and had a spirited
engraving executed from it at his own
expense.
William Dunlap wrote a novel called
Memoirs of a Water rinker, some
copies of which are still to be found,
which gives a clear account of the
personal and internal economy of the
theatre on Park Row. Unless it has
been removed within a short time a
portrait of the first American manager
is encased behind the S~ecretary's desk
at the Academy of Design.
The Only Possible Place.
A Sun reporter went to a stylish
modiste to find out, if he could, what
was the mystery about women's
pockets.
"Oh, they're altogether too ridicu-
lous,n said the peachy checked dump
ling of a girl, who received customers
at the Fifth venue temple OF fashion
at which a call was made. 1t was
evident that the reporter had struck a
congenial topic; the girls big, bright
eyes fairly sparkled.
F"In our business" she said, 1--WE find
that the only possible place for a
pocket is behind, under the back
drapery of the skirt. You see, when a
lady wears a dress it is pulled back
against her person so that there is no
Don for a pocket there. The only
vacancy, or room, or space fora pocket
is behind her. where the dress falls
sheer and free from the hips. But
even there it is bad, not merely be-
cause a lady has to almost u~njoint
herself to get into it, but because even
behind there whatever she puts into
it will swell out her dress and break
the artistic lines of it. We are put
ting no pockets in most of our dresses
unless they are specially ordered by
customers who will have them re-
CARELESS of fashion. The others, who
care for style, will have to carry re-
ceptacles of various forms, which you
see them use, to take the places of
those barbarous old-fashioned catch
alls that have been worn so long and
which have so long prevented the
highest art in dress.
Stovewood and Kisses.
From, the american Agricilturist:
There is much written about being
lovelike to your wife, and the idea is a
good one. But more than one wife
would IEn tn tradn kiSSnS for gtCVa-