The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-29
Fen AADAEIRD IN 4 CITY.
Ftentatious 0bsequies Of an Alder
man Departed from the Scenes
Of Earth.
be Late Gen. Clinton B. Fisk
a. Chairman Of q Public
Meeting.
Eofundity Of the Wagnerian Emotion
Now yelling in the Soulful Bosom
of Gothamites.

Now yelling in the Soulful Bosom
of Gothamites.
pecial Correspondence OF THE INDEPENDENT
NEw YORK, July 2.-Talking OF past
lebrities, came unawares upon scene
e other day that was evidently as mo-
entous an affair within it's limits az any |
and national celebration. It was no less
AN the funeral of an alderman of the
npire city of the world. Strolling pur-
bselessly through the purlieus Of Paies-
he in Gotham ! emerged about the lower
i'd of First and Second avenues. and got
mex in a huge crowd that blocked up First
rect. Grand distinction to be denizen
the first street of the first city in the
omiscu, IA universe. We were threaded
bid hemned in by four hundred and ninety
sir-horse coaches, less or more, for they
owed around too quickly to be counted
Directly. All the aristocracy Of DOODLE
pm and saloondom were present in the
esh. averaging. apparently, some two
nndred and fifty pounds for each spirited
ourner. BE it borne in mind that
10 defurct city father was mem
er of the bar by profession. His
Lansion in the First street of Gotham was
horned with noble swing sign, all gold
pom the front and the backsides thereof,
d which were emblazoned the heraldic in
gnia showing that the lamented proprie-
pr purveyed excellent beverages. and that
he name of his mansion was Beer Creek.
lorious it was to behold the great men OF
or great city gather beneath the gllded
pat of arms to do honor to good man
II, MI <Nf ha
rowd by a carriage rudely driven, and then
murmur of admiration as we Saluted the
Celebrated magnate who honors our city by
eing it's mayor. A whole hour of this.
linding, dazzling array of distinguished
rivals, and just as nature began to give
,ay under the stress of SO much delight, l
oined tho lowlier string who invaded a
leighboring hostelry and revived my flag
ing energies with a draught of Lutheran
ager. But too close contact with the great
Pnes of earth is always depressing.
General Clinton b. Fisk was the second
best chairman of public meetings in New
York. The best is Bishop Potter. Iheard
lial, telling speeches only month ago.
It was probably his last, and on his favorite
Subject, temperance. He had a fine gift OF
lumor, quiet, rich, keen, and always strict
to the point. His fun bubbled up uncon-
Bciously, and therefore much more effective
+iudu tudG Ol Tue IuSSy Iudu WIZ hAScIblSep
n advance that he is going to tell you
Funny thing that will make you laugh your
head off Gen. Fisk looked good for
twenty years more of activity. Allowing
for whatever of crankery there was in his
craze fol- prohibition, he was man of sin
uularly well-balanced mind, always calm,
apparently calculating as he spoke, and he
never manifested any passionate feeling for
|or against anything. Judging by his plat
form appearances the prohibition party
have lost their most interesting speaker,
and it will be interesting to see on whose
shoulders will fall the mantle of one so
rarely endowed with insight and foresight,
land wise temperance in leading his cru
|sade.
If you have never attended the Seidl So
|ciety's concerts, at which the Wagnerites
land classicists of the high German school
|of opera fairly revel in their own peculiar
fad. you cannot be expected to know how
strong hold that sort of thing really
has upon susceptible Gotham. 10 help it
|along, the Seidl's have invited Frau Wag-
|ner to come over here and be the guest of
tine society for several months this summer.
lit is expected that if the frau can overcome
|her natural repugnance to the sea. she may
ARRIVE about August, but no date has yet
been fixed. OF course, her presence will be
Ian advent in musical circles worth discuss
ling. The lady isn't intensely musical by
|any means; but for that matter neither are
la good many of the most enthusiastic wor-
shippers of the Master of Bayreuth.
I heard a story IN point yesterday, that
illustrates the profundity of the Wagnerian
|emotion working in American bosoms. A
family of wealth and the highest culture
|gave musicale, and almost the first part
|of the programme was sonata, or soma
such movement bv Wagner, rendered by
professor whose long hair. jungle-like whis-
kers and gloomy, cavernous eyes pro-
nj min po7 n
He started in at great rate. Said the host
to me afterwards:
when about ten minutes had passed,
saw people pulling out their watches and
|slyly peeping at them. At fifteen they
couldn't suppress yawn or two. Twenty,
|glances at Herr Teufeltomper's music
sheets, which were apparently undimin-
ished. I tried by. every means to
stop, but be was absorbed in the
composition. He sat there all twisted up,
lis shoulders bumped: his eyes glowering
digital fienda across the keys. After the
half hour, watches began to be pulled quite
openly, one or two made well-bred excuses
and left, and I commenced to lay plans for
secretly assassinating the player and hav-
ing some friend supersede him at the piano
the deed to be done while everybody was
ydWuluk VI AOOAAuS uV AAS WotoHs VI
course the ladies being hidden behind their
fans, would see nothing. I prayed and
swore by turns; hoped the piano would
break down or that Teufeltomper would be
stricken with apoplexy or something. Per-
spiration started from every pore in my
body; and still the nightmare sat there,
like the old man on Sinbad's shoulders.
oh, why had l ever hired him!
cat last. the bohy fingers relaxed some
what. The end. / thought, has surely
come. But no; he was only gathering fuel
for fresh outburst of Wapnerian passion.
It came with crescendo and fortissimo
that startled the house. The piano frame
ratified and shook, and the gas jets danced
with the vibration. Then. peal that
sounded like the noise of house falling
into the cellar while half a dozen Dutch
bands squeaked outside, and the gyeat work
of the master was over. 1t had Just lasted
forty-five minutes.
mo more Wagner for me. am satisfied
hereafter to stand all the oid-fashioned
tunes and even to endure what some call
popular music; but we draw the line at
Wagner in our house after that little exper-
ience.''
Copyright.
The Doctors are Visiting Butte City.
DR.. Stoddart, manager of the western
division of the Liebig World Dispensary. OF
San Francisco. a graduate of the Royal