Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-05
PATTI STILL QUEEN.
A Crush Unprecedented in Pittsburg's
Amusement Annals
TESTIFIEs TO HER POPULARITY
A Critical Review and q Timely Retrospect
Combined.
AN EVENT THAT WILL BE RENsNBERED

No better announcement of Madame
PATHS presence in town last night was
needed than the mingled stream OF people
and carriages filling the lower part of town.
Excepting that the electric light shone
upon it, and that it was more gayly attired,
the scene might have been busy midday
one Patti perhaps is the only person in
the world who can be oblivious of the
weather; for it is not likely that in Pitts
burg this morning there is one who can say
he was not at the Auditorium and cite the
rain for reason. 1t was just such an even
ing as shows Pittsburg at her best from q
dull, smoky point of view.
The people good naturedly ran against
carriages, and the carriages good naturedly
ran over the people for nearly an hour and
half, while the rain looked after bonnets
and hats, and the mud took equally excel
lent care of the dainty kid boots of the
ladies, and the shining patent leather COW
erings of the gentlemen.
Flowers and Happiness Everywhere.
The flower shops we're full of people,
every young woman discovering or every
young man discovering for her that to visit
Patti without wearing flowers, was only to
be half in the fashion This was another
part of the busy whole. Then the hotels
and club houses were filled
with little dinner parties, the ladies
meeting the men of their household for
petit soupcr before the concert Everybody
was bent on going early, and everybody
thought he was possessed of hugely origi-
nal thought But since the whole world
was early it was found that for all to be
early is but little improvement on state Of
things where all are late.
1t is not at this writing known who was
the exceedingly lucky person that first
entered the Auditorium. But after him
came the crowd. 1t filed the long, narrow
passage way from the entrance door to Penn
avenue. 1t overfowed to the sidewalk. 1t
And, finally, its fag end was found in shops
in the neighboring streets, to which i'm
promptu messengers carried the news Of the
condition of things sat the front"
A Pretty House Financially.
When the last man was supplied with his
proper standing room and the ushers were
enjoying the consciousness of duty nobly
performed the clock said 9:15 and three
However, the divine diva had not yet ap-
peared and people held their breaths and
economical their plaudits for that event.
AT this time managers would have called
the house 'pretty" one Every inch of
room was utilized, except the space grudg-
ingly reserved for aisles, which was very
small, indeed, and visibly diminished as
elbows were given more room. 1t was
notable Patti audience, for she, more than
any other woman, draws high and low and
rich and poor. Evening bonnets were there
and bare heads in abundance at the front of
the house. Then came the great mass of
the pleasure-]oving people. and finally
fringing the audience were those to whom
such an event as sight of Patti is divis-
ion of their lives into two parts-before
Patti and after Patti.
But one vacant seat was noted, and its
possessor had only deserted it for the better
of special seat in. the
wings, where there was another little
private audience composed of some of the
leading theatrical people in town this
week. s-'-~s -.'
The Crowd Excellent,y Handled.
That this immense crowd numbering 9 ex-
actly 2, ,452, could be so we'll handled was
due to police service such as Pittsburg
has not been accommodated with in years
1t was under the direction of Inspector
Dan Silvus, assisted by. the best
of his front office force. Several peo-
pie tainted, but then there are always
people in this world, who are afraid of
mice. A few others were panic-stricken,
but they wisely retired from the crowd and
let the more powerfully nerved ones have |
the crush to themselves, coming in after
everybody else was seated
Despite the hall, at which Madame Patti
had thrown up her hands in horror on
and Pittsburg people had been
night by a thorough Patti audience, and
Patti appreciated the fact, for she did a
little song and dance all to herself when
she caught glimpse of the audience and
he ard its nlaudits NJ q n