The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-17
KANSAS SINGING IN CHICAGO.

The Chicago Herald roasts the Kansas
chorus at the worlds fair, aud illustrated
their concert with notes hung on barbed
wire fence and grasshopper with baton,
standing on his hind legs and bowling, as
a leader. with the Kansas prima donnas,
baritones ana basses singing to eight
thousand empty benches. There We're
just eighty-fve people besides the singers
present. The other papers show a little
more charity in their reference to the
country choirs," as they designate them.
The Herald, among other things, says:
'.The Kansas concert took in s2l. p. The
eighty-four singers had eighty fiye people
in Festival hall yesterday noon at % cents
a head, and the melody from the combined
lungs of the choirs from Topeka. Abilene
Wichita and Sailna and the rest of the
towns had d nacn more rousing recep-
ton.
Or course, the singers themselves are
out of pocket, since s2l % will not go Very
TAR, divided among eighty-four people,
even with no janitor bin or rent to pay.
The Kansas people come to the expo
sItlOn TO impress upon the world that the
sunf1ower state has more than grasshop-
pers ami cy clones i'll its makeup. Far
and near has gone the reputation OF Its
Affections and Mrs. Lease and Jerry Simp-
son have remained at large Calamity
seems TO follow Calamity until man who
bad no luck and who Was drawn to the
last extremity was the surest chap to
TO move to Kansas. aud when it didn't bail
it showed out of season, and when
the wind was not blowing the grass
our by the roots the rain forgot to
fall. These things are unfortunate and
distressing, and the unhind faith which
lashes the darkest interior became finally
The black pail which lowered from one
boundary to the other The exposition
commission wanted to teach the world the
commonwealth had better things than
big corn aud giant wheat and so asked the
singing societies aud bands to CONS TO
town aud entertain the exposition Wis
itors
They answered thu call, and when the
census was taken yesterday there reported
eight chors aud three wind organza
tons. Tee singers came from Topeka,
Empcria, Abilene. Ssliua, Newton, Leav-
enworth. Lyons and Sterling.
1t was arranged TO have the combined
talent, led by Conductor Tomlins. appear
in one great chorus. However, the first
appearance was 20 be one III which each
tub, fguratively speaking, should stand
on It's own bottom.
Great bills were plastered about the bull
letin boards and the performers really ex-
pected packed house. Ii was, therefore.
dlscOuragng when Conductor Wilder rap
ped his stick and told the Topeka crowd
to stand up. They stood up and from
where they waited the word to open their
mouths III joyful sound they looked down
on 5000 empty benches. 1t was damper
on their enthusiasm aud as the organist
pulled wide open the stops of the giant in
strument the choir simply ceased trying
to vie with the tremendous flood which
poured from the pipes. The theme was
''Luliaby of Life" by Leslie. When it
was done the other choirs and the fraction
of the audience from Topeka gave ring
ing round of applause.
This was the first set piece, and before it
started the accOmpanist took around with
the organ. He switched on an electric
power, yanSed out the pegs and opened
with rush. Gradually he got more and
more excited, and then pounded out terrific
bass with his feet and played all four key
boards mt once. The effect was little
less than tremendous, and at times it
sounded as if he was initiating the sweep
of tornado. Finally the cloud burst.
and from the side door came the next
performer, comely woman who played
by the list of members.
When this piano solo was over and the
mild applause was doue the regular bust
ness commenced.
Governor Lewelling and his staff lent
their presence and dignity to the occasion.