Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-10

10, 1890.
The view of the grand auditorium while
the Strauss concert is going on is an en-
chanting one. Right in the middle Of the
hail, upon circular platform, is seated
the orchestra, with Strauss himself bend
ing about like willow, as he marks out
with his fiddle bow waltz pictures in the
air, dances infinitesimal waltz steps under
the intoxication of his own music, his face
all the while expressing the intensest In
terest and the most thorough enjoyment
Upon the floor are couple of thousand
people, for the most part sitting In chairs
about the little round tables in family
groups, little parties OF friends, or, as il
may be. chance circles, in which no two
persons know each other. The back
ground for this floor scene is the balconies
with their grand concourse of people.
Now, the critics may have decided that
Strauss is not Thomas nor Nikisch, and
may have automatically settled that his
brass is too exuberant, and that there is
something wrong with his wood and like.
wise with his stringed instruments, and
possibly he is not the contrapuntist of all
contrapuntists, as some others are, but nc
one needs to question what the people
think who hear his waltzes and his polkas,
after once viewing the scene in the Garden
while the music is playing. If there is
not an all-pervading wish running
throughout the entire audience that the
chairs and tables might suddenly vacate
the floor and opportunity be given for
waltzing, then the wlstful eyes, the nod.
ding heads, the tapping toes and the un.
dulating bodies have still to be accounted
for.-NeW York Times.
ARTEMUs WARDS LAST JEST.
Joseph Jefferson relates what was prob
ably the last jest of Artemus Ward.
When the famous wit lay dying in
Southampton he was tended by his de-
voted friend tom" Robertson, the English
playwright, who was also friend of Jeffer.
son.
"Just before Wards DEATH" writes Mr.
Jefferson, Robertson poured out some
medicine in glass and offered it to his
friend.
"Ward said, MY dear Tom, 1 can't take
that dreadful stuff
"Come, come said Robertson, urging
him to swallow the nauseous drug; there's
dear fellow. Do now, for my sake; you
know / would do anything for YOU
Would you? said Ward, feebly
stretching out his hand to grasp his friends
perhaps for the last time.
Il would, indeed, said Robertson.
"Then you take it, said Ward. The
humorist passed away but afew hours alter
| ward"
STAGE NOTES.
Miss Alice Harrison has been engaged
/, for "The Fakir" Company.
The historical Drury Lane Theater il
London is to be pulled down.
The sale of seats, for the Palmer Com
pany commences on August 18th.
Mckee Rankin's "Canuck" is the mos
perfect character bit ever seen in New
York.
| "OId Jed Prouty" begins his season a
the Hollis-street Theater, Boston, Septem
ber LIST.
w. H. Nelson, with "Zig-Zag" last sea
son, has signed with the "U. S. Mail' a
musical director.
"The Crystal Slipper" in spite of warn
weather, is drawing immense audiences tC
the Chicago Opera House.
Arthur Chase, for many years manager
of Lawrence Barrett, will next season man
age Miss Margaret Mather.
E. E. Zimmerman has signed contract
whereby he becomes Joseph Haworth':
manager for term of years.
Howard P Taylor has completed the
dramatization of Mark Twain's work, "a
Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur.
Court"
| Lewis Morrison has arranged with AL
Hayman to play a tour of the Pacific
coast next summer with his great produc
tion of "Faust."
Rehearsals of "Bluebeard, Jr.," which
will be sent on the road next season il
very elaborate style, will begin at Chicago
the first week in September.
| Lawrence Barrett's friends are rejoiceC
at his rapid recovery from the distressing
affection which threatened to end his pro
fessional career and eventually his life.
Herr Otto Ratbjens, the famous German
baritone, who has been engaged for three
years for the Emma Juch Grand English
Opera Company, has arrived in New
York.
Postmaster General Wanamaker is sale
to be contemplating injunction proceed
ings against the "U. S. Maip for carica
turing him in the part of John Money
maker.
| Russel's comedians, in "The City Di
rectory," have been crowding the Califor
MIA Theater, San Francisco, to the walls
ever since the opening of the four weeks
J engagement.
George Backus, who played the part OF
the lively reporter in "Held by the Enc
N.Y. so cleverly, has been engaged by h
S. Taylor for the part of Caleb Cornish in
"Aunt Jack
Mrs. Peters gained the first prize of the
Royal Botanical Society, of London, for
the floral decoration of her carriage. One
of the first to congratulate her was Mrs.
Frank Leslie
Annie Pixley will sail from England
for this country on August 18th. Miss
Pixley will open her season in Phifadel-
phia on September 18th, in new play by
j. Connor Roach, entitled 'Kate."
DonnelIy and Girard have begun to re-
hearse their "Natural Cas-" which has
been so much altered as hardly to be rec
ognized. The "Gas," however, will be Of
better quality than it has ever been.
Miss Lillian Billings, who made such a
favorable impression as Hazel Kirke, with
Mr.. Couldock, and May Blossom with the
late Mr.. Mckinley, is one of the most
promising of our leading Juvenile actresses
The A. M. Palmer Company will open
at the Metropolitan Theater in this city
on August 10Th in captain Swift" The
play is a powerful one, and has drawn
large houses wherever it has been pre-
sented.
NJ. B. Leavitt has contracted through
Messrs. Randall and Dickson to take HUI.
bert Wilke on a special tour of the Pacific
coast for sixteen weeks in "Petti, the Vag-
abond." He opens at the Bush-street
Thea:er August 25th.
Gustav Hinrich's new grand opera
'fOnti Ora,D was introduced to the public
Monday evening, July 2Sth, at the Grand
Opera House, Philadelphia. "Onti Ora
is the Indian name for the Catskill mount
aims, in which the scene is laid.
Miss Ollie Archmere, the charming