The record-union., 1891-01-27
ADJUSTMENTS.

ADJUSTMENTS
The Steen q Wood Mystery and Nov
city Company opened at the Metropolitan
| Theater last evening for a weeks en-
gagement. Mr.. Wood is clever sleight-
of-hand performer and worker of modern
| magic. His tricks are not new, but he
executes them quite well, the best per-
haps being the pouring of flowers from
rude cornucopla made at the foot
! lights.
| In the third part Wood gives ventrilo-
quail exhibition. 1t is not so good as we
| have been accustomed to here, where the
1eats OF Kennedy have been SO often per-
formed. What Mr.. Wood does in the
management of automatons is superior,
better than similar work by any of his
predecessors. His ventriloquism is gen.
ulne metal, but he lacks in resonance and
quality of tone.
The feat of Edna" the woman who
walks in mid-air," and Floats in space"
is good one, one of the best mechanical
stage deceits we can recall. The tall and
graceful young woman does not walk
upon the walls or ceiling of the stage or
auditorium, nor float over or near the
1ootlights, but against dark back
ground on the stage. She moves up and
| down, and across, and turns over and
over, and about as if she were indeed
floating and walking in space without
support. Finally, to make the illusion
complete, she jumps hoop in mid-air to
convince the spectator that there are
about her, above or below her, no sup
ports. 1t is a clever mechanical trick
and well worked.
But the chief merit of the entertain
ment is in the exhibition by Mr.. and
Mrs. Steen. Their numbers on the pro-
gramme are marvels. In mind-reading
and apparent clairvoyance, Mrs Steen is
the cleverest and jo1liest performer we
have seen. She is as quick as Bishop,
and without his nervousness, and in
what she did last night she is as good.
Blind-folded, sitting on the extreme front
of the stage, and watched by a committee
consisting of Messrs. Wilson, Cooper,
Zeimer, Wickwire, Sellinger and Wal
lace, she added broad and long columns
of figures that Mr.. Sellinger wrote upon
a blackboard placed far back of her, and
at the same time read names Mr.. Zeimer
inscribed upon another black board, and
located them relatively to each other.
| She named numbers on the board as rap
| idly as they could be touched, told the
committeeman the year, week, day and
| hour of their births; the numbers, make
and jeweling of their watches; described
their jewelry, badges, and watch-chain
charms, the names and numbers they
| thought of, named cards faster than drawn
error in adding one of six columns of
| figures, did she make mistake, or for an
| instant hesitate. She corrected purposeful
errors the committeeman made, and de-
feated their efforts to puzzle her in nam
ing or touching numbers. Mr.. Steen
claimed that all the feats are tricks and
deceits; that there is no clairvoyance
about it; that there is no undertaking or
second sight in the business, He chal-
lenged any spiritual medium to do on the
stage, or in private, anything in the way
OF naturalization slate writing, slip read
ing, cabinet work, etc., that he and his
wife could not do as we'll in broad light
and explain on natural grounds. If they
failed, they would forfeit 81 200 to any city
charity, and put the money up, in adj
vance.
The Steen performance was certainly
wonderfully clever, and SO mystifying
that no one in the audience undertook to
explain it. Tonight the Stems promise
change of feats, and each night will in
troduce new second-sight and mind-read-
ing, and thought transference feats. A
vigorous and skillful performer upon the
| piano furnishes the music essential to the
stage performance.
The large audience that attended the
Hild-Park Company's concert last even
ing at the Congregational Church served
| to show how popular the entertainments
are that are given under the auspices of
the Sacramento Lecture Association.
Every pew in the church was filled, all
of the chairs placed in the aisles were
taken possession of, and the gallery was
literally packed with people. The con-
cert given certainly deserved the COM
| pliment it received in the exceedingly
large number of people who attended
and the hearty applause bestowed. 1t
| was treat in every respect, and I'M
doubtedly the most enjoyable affair
| that has yet been given to
the public by the association. Herr
Carl Hid is violinist ranking
| among the prominent virtnosos ofthe day.
His renditions delighted the auditors and
| they enthusiastically demanded an en-
| core after each number. Miss Annie
Park, the cornetist, captivated the assem-
blage by her finished performance, and
certainly merited the appreciation
showed by the auditors. Miss Ella
Jocelyn has strong and well trained
contralto voice, and Mr.. Gillette's bass is
| full, clear and resonant. The follow
ing programme was rendered: Ensem-
| Bile, selections from Carmen" (Bizet),
The Hild-Park Company; contralto,
20 mic Fernando" from Favorita,'
Miss Ella Jocelyn; cornet, "The Favor
baritone, ''Il Balen, I" from III Trovatore,'
| Mr.. Frederick Gillette; violin, Souvenir
de Haydn" Q4eonardj, Herr Carl Hid
vocal duet, selected, Miss Jocelyn and
/ Mr.. Gillette; violin, Variations di
Bravura" (Paganini), Herr Carl Hid;
| contralto, Fleeing Days" Bailey,
| Miss Ella Joeelyn; cornet, ''Polka de
Concert" tArbuckle), Miss Annie Park
baritone solo, Bedouin Love Song''
Pinsuti), Mr.. Frederick Gillette; violin,
| (dl "Slumber Song" III. Bauer, (bl
"Zepadetiado (Sarasate), Herr Carl
Hid; ensemble, :. Serenade Espanole,
| 20. Metral, Hild-Park Concert Company:
Mrs. Hid, accompanist.
For the cure of cough or sore throat,