The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-18
qHEATERS OF PARIS.
Invariably Unclean, Uncomfort-
able and Ill-Ventilated.
OLD HAes IN THE CORRIDORS.
Ne Seats Narrow, and with Scant spsce
Between Eows-Lopg Waits Be-
tween the Acts.
FIRST PAPER.

PARIS. Sept. 5.-lSpecsai Correspond
euce. when the Parisians are not occu-
{ pfed in changing the form of government,
oysrthrowing the ministry, firing into the
streets, or raising barricades, they are
very easy to rule. They obey all orders,
submit to ail annoyance and caprice, and
ere Of docility unexampled elsewhere.
The French. it has been said, are with
out competitors in the dramatic line.
They are born actors. 1t Is an essential
ingredient in their composition. You
zee il everywhere-rin the open
: street, in the chamber Of deputies, in
the smallest boy, in the oldest gray
beard-from the gamip to the premier.
Life in Paris is anything but the jog
trot business of life in New York. The
American goes from the cradle to the
grave without troubling his head much
about anybody's business, save his own,
neither counting observation nor striving
after effect Partisan life is q romantic
representation of existence, gratuitously
offered for the edification or amusement of
Z the world. and the stage occupies the first
place IN the topics of the day.
How comes it. then, that the French.
where the vaudeville and the drama enjoy
degree Of importance which they are far
: from possessing in any other country,
lave such mean theaters and put up with
ysxations which are to be found nowhere
slsef The theaters--I am not speaking of
he acting-are invariably uncIean and 10
mspentilated that when it is warm the
Spoo1nsotis almost stided. The seats are
nsE5ow. - close together, without a GEN.
tn ats1e skhe most part, and generally
ill.conssssd !. they afford 90 little space
for the spectators limbs that painful
cramps are the consequences Of the con-
strained position that 10 n1Dpssarily as
sumed.
The corridors are pervaded br hideous
old hays, called Ourremscs or box-openers,
and these ancient harridans almost tear
the ctoaks off the backs of ladies in order
to obtain fee for keeping them. Their
idea OF restoring them is to hurl them at
j the owners while the last act Is proceed
ing. The petit bnnc nuisance Is even still
worse. The hays thrust little wooden
stools under the feet OF ladies', whether
. they want them or not, and then before
the play Is over, come around to demand
payment for them. Why, therefore, ask,
should this theater-going nation be per-
petually running amuck at its rulers and
mos rise up againstothe tyranny OF its the
strical managers?
The space between the row OF seats in
Paris theaters is, as l say, ridiculously
small. In fact. the average distance be-
tween the upper part of the body of .
human being seated in an orchestra chair
and the back of the seat in front of such
human being is rarely more than two feet.
Through this narrow space procession of
men with stomachs two feet six inches In
diameter makes its way the moment the
curtain drops at the end of each and every
! oct The result can easily be imagined. The
sitting victims are crushed below the backs
Of their chairs and the front of the Of
binding stomachs. Cries of distress from
omen and murmurs of rage from men
tcompany this painful process. The
buttons OF the vandal stomachs become
entangled with bonnets and front hair,
and in manv cases completely wreck
elaborate and costly female head dresses.
The watch chains. dangling in the faces of
unhappy men. scrape their noses, tear
away their eye glasses, and sometimes be-
come caught SO firmly on their collar but
tons - to drag the victims fairly out of
their seats. But the owners of the stom-
achs seem utterly needless of the injuries
they infiict. They pass on their way,
smiling blandly and affecting not to hear
the maledictions which follow them or the
cries of anguish which they extort.
Then, again, the long waits between the
acts are intolerabie, amounting sometimes
70 full hall an hour, and never being
shorter than fifteen minutes: nor will the
stranger be reconciled to those delays
when il is exuiained to him that il Is to
4 give an opportunity to each spectator to
visit neighboring cafe. The manage
ment for taking care Of coats. canes, UNI
brellas, ETC., is of the most primitive and
disagreeable nature. No cloak room is
provided. the articles on deposit being
heaped on the chairs of the lobby in piles,
or else hung from hooks against walls,
ana there, in that contracted space, the
uniucky lover of the drama must wait.
pushed and knocked about by the outgo-
ing crowd. till his wraps are picked out