Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-09

tention Of 0othamitss.
PREPARING FOR THE woRLD's pArR--Musrc n
new roRK-DR. BRIGGS IL FULL OF FIaHr-
PROSPECTS OF SHILLING THE METRopoLrs--
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NKw YoRK, May z, 1891.
PREPARATIONS FOR TEE WORLDS
\ fair are taking tangible shape in this vicin-
ity, owing to the arrival here Of Alexander D.
Anderson, with whom you are more or less
familiar in Washington. He 10 the special
commissioner having in charge the eastern
headquarters, with Mr.. Delmore Elwell as Sec
Rotary. Rooms have just been opened in the
stewart building, and at this point the work
for the exhibition viii center for the next two
years. Mr.. Anderson is already meeting
stream Of visitors making all sorts of inquiries
and undoubtedly he will be very busy man
and will require all the capital stock of good
health and good nature with which he seems to
be plegteously provided. Next week he will
meet by invitation, the dry goods trade, TO ex-
plain to them what it is proposed to do at the
exposition. and subsequently he will put him.
self in communication with other important
business. elements. Referring to the cabled
accounts OF Italys unwillingness to be repre-
sented at Chicago he tells me that he in conf
dent that Italy will be very we'll represented at
the exposition. He has assurance to that effect
from many of the leading italian manufactur-
ers and merchants, and whatever the govern
ment does or neglects to do Italy will have q
brilliant showing at Chicago.
THE MUSICAL OPENINGS.
Ihls has been . music week in New York.
Beginning on Tuesday, we have had a notable
series OF musical entertainments in the Carne-
gle Music Hall. The dedicatory services of
tuesday night were Of the most impressive
order. Bishop Potter made an excellent adj
dress, and the music rendered on that occasion
argued well for the future usefulness of the en-
tei prise. Wednesday night oratorio was given
ON grand scale, and the rest Of the week has
been devoted to a series Of entertainments of
the finest character. Tschaikowsky has made
a most Iavoraole impression as composer and
leader and Mr.. Damrosch has also covered
himself with glory by his able conducting
Evidently the new music hall is to find a place
for itself In the multitudlnous attractions OF
the metropolis. Then as an incident of the
week we had a most charming concert by SAINT
ley who strayed into this city Unexpectedly
after an absence Of nearly twenty years, reylv-
ing memories OF the great past by singing a few
ballads with his own inimitable grace before
he took the steamer home. His sudden appa-
rltlon among US and sudden vanishing had
something almost ghostly about it. and filed
the air with memories Of that famous combi-
nation which twenty years ago amazed the
country. What galaxy it was! Carl Formes,
Santley, Wachtel, Parepa Rosa and Adelaide
Phillips. It will be long before New York. even
with all her modern musical improvements, is
favored by such conjunct ton Of stars of the
first magnitude.
ONE OF THE GOOD Rich MEN.
Charles Pratt, who died Monday, was the
type Of millionaire that would not offend Bel
lamy or anybody else vino took tolerabiy wise
view of the use of money. Although he was
one Of the oil kings his ruling object in life was
to help men to fight the battle of life. and the
institute with which his name is linked is doing
a noble work ON grand scale. The Pratt insti,
tute is the product Of wise thought directed in
the line OF practical usefulness. and il We eonld
only have few more such institutions scat
tered over the country we should 60 far toward
solving some OF the most troublesome social
questions Of the age. The foundation of the in
stitute called for over a million and half Of
dollars, and this is merely the beginning. For
| tunately his son sympathizes entirely with the
motives and plans OF his father and will carry
on the work in the spirit in which it was under
taken.
THE APOSTLE OF THE HIGHER CRITICISM.
Early next week DR.. Briggs will publish his
inaugural address which made such stir in the
religious world. adding to it copious notes
called out by the discussion which the address
has occasioned. The book would have an
peared earlier but for the fact that Dr. Brigga
has been very i'll for the past four weeks with
the grip and Is even now very much debilitateo.
The book is certain to be the cente- Of
! religious controversy and will probably more
| than equal as a literary event the famous
pamphlet, WHITTIER" which Dr. Briggs pub
lisheo last year and which had an extra
ordinary sale. Although still an invalid from
the grip DIR. Brigg is in fighting mood. and as
he is delegate to the general assembly from
the New York Presbytery he will be very
| decidedly on hand in case his orthodoxy is
called in question by that body. The New York
Presbytery meets early next week and this will
also be a most important event, az u report will
| then be submitted from a committee selected
last month by the presbytery to consider DR..
Briggs case. Probably, however, no action
will be taken of kind to forestall the action of
| the general assembly which will meet at
Detroit in about a fortnight
OUR AERIAL TOLL BRIDGE.
So the Brooklyn bridge Is now free to pedes-
trians This marks a new epoch in the life of
this great public highway in the air. Little by
little the charge for pedestrians has been re-
duced until one could buy package OF twenty
five tickets for ire cents. After the list of july
however. the gates will be open and ANYBODY
can walk across that cares to do SO. The charge
for vehicles and for the railroad is still re-
tanned.
THE PROSPECT FOR snELLING NEW YORK.
AAo ASfSAs VI WAC W." ShASal5 SEhlu jury
has revived interest in the Italian incident but
few believe that Italy will do anything beyond
what Senator Plumb terscly calls letter writin :"
/ can say, however, aprOpos of this little I'M
pleasantness, that the city is not 80 much at
the mercy of tue first ironclad that comes
along as some think. get it on very good
authority that in quiet way the government
has control OF torpedo boats so complete in
their ability to swim under water as to make
them very formidable. This is being kept very
quiet, but is said to be fact. OF course the
problem OF a submarine boat is an old one and
several nations have accomplished good results
in this field OF invention. But I am told
that our government has practically
solved the problem, and that we have a
boat which can attack at will any shin.
| attach torpedo under its keel and steam
away with perfect safety to itself. all of which
is respectfully submitted to the indignant Ru-
iiri was also talking with Capt Kirkland.
who has the dredging Of the harbor in charge
and he said that within forty-eight hours the
approaches to New York, both by way of tho
Narrows and Hell Gate, could be so obstructed
that no ship could pass, and that outside Of
these distractions there could be- no effective
Smelling Of the city. He said the trouble was
to keep the channels open, not to shut them up
But, as have said, nobody dreams of hostiii-
ties between this country and Italy.
METROPOLITAN NOTES.
Mr.. Blaine has been having very good time
here this week and should have stored I'D
some ozone against diplomatic hard work on