Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-11-16
SCENE FROM "A MILK WHITE FLAG"

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SCENE FROM "A MILK WHITE FLAG"
ord of "A Trip to Chinatown" in New
York, for it Is a. much better than that
skits as chalk is than cheese. 1t is more
funny too. Even the cast causes one to
laugh. 1t is SO suggestive Of funeral
the main theme of the play--that it Is
worth reprinting. It Is as follows:
The Colonel, Christian Berriel; the Ma
jor, Paul Barring; the Judge Advocate,
Rowland Hooper; tho Surgeon, Mark
Tombs; the Bandmaster, Steele Ayres;
the Private, Willing Singer; the Dancing
Master, Gideon Foote; the Lieutenant,
Phil Graves the Standard Bearer, Carrie
Flagg; the General, Hurley Burleigh; tho
Dear Departed, Piggott Luce; the Orphan,
Pony Luce the Particular Friend of the
Bereaved Wife, "Lize" Dugro; the Be-
reaved, Aurora Luce.
"A Milk White Flag" satirizes a ma.
tional weakness which may we'll be ridi.
culed. 1t Is the tendency to put on a uni
form whenever there is the least possible
excuse for 1t and strut around like tur-
key gobbler. Mr.. Hoyt's shafts of wit,
while aimed directly at the national guard,
will be accepted in much broader sense
perhaps than even the author intended.
The story is quite simple, most of the fun
being made by the dialogue, which spar
kles and effervesces continuously. The
first act passes in the armory of the Ran
x some guards, where General Bnrleigh of
the regular army is the guest of honor.
The colonel was elected to his office sim
ply because he closely resembles the great
Napoleon. A rival military organization
has just had military funeral, and the
Ransomes, exceedingly Jealous resolve
not to be outdone.
In net promoter who has arranged
with an undertaken to feign death in Or
der to collect an insurance Of $780, 900 is
brought home and announced to be dead.
He is packed on ice, catches cold, has
the pleasure of seeing the Ransone off,
GERS making love to his wife and finally
hears his spouse sell him for 500. 80 to en-
able the guards to have a military funeral.
In the third act the corpse announces
that he is not dead when proposition Is
made to Guido the rival organization, who
simply buried their man, by cremating
him.
The farce Is huge success, and there
is not, q dull or coarse moment in 1t
anywhere. 1t is made somewhat spec
tacular by the introduction Of some f.
male messenger "boys," vivandieres, etc.
The original music, which was composed
by that skillful constructor of whistleable
melodies, Percy Gaunt, is catchy and will
undoubtedly become popular and thus
work it's way into the barrel organs
A person who has just returned from
Europe, and who Is great friend of the
peerless Adelina Patti, tells me that it is
not improbable that the diva will pay
America another professional visit next
year. While Patti had not stated specific
ally that she would do SO, the impression
made upon her friend was that tho only
stumbling blocks would be competent
manager and a guarantee that her salary
would be paid. Patti has reached the age
when long railroad Journeys are exceed
dhgly distasteful as we'll as wearying to
her, and she declares with emphasis that
she would not undertake tour like her
last one for all the wealth of the Indies
She complains, too of the lack of arrange
ments for keeping drafts from her in the
theaters at which she sang.
A great many persons imagine that Pat
tt Is unduly fussy and that her demands
are frequently and, in fact usually un-
reasonable, but when it is considered that
the condition of few vocal chords means
a large fortune each year it will be admit
ted that she Is justified in being as careful
AS possible, of her health. During the
present season Patti Is making more mon
ley than ever before In her career. She has
in all Of the European capt.
tails and in most Of the important cities
Besides these she has been obliged to re-
fuse offers which would have startled
either Of those two song birds OF the north
Jenny Lind and Christine nilsson.
Most critics declare that her voice Is as
good as ever, and few extremists, who
allow their admiration for the singer to
run away with their Judgment, foolishly
Insist that Patti can sing better than ever.
The absurdity Of the latter assertion Is
manifest, but the fact remains that the
present European season of the cantatrdce
partakes very much Of the nature OF
triumphal tour. @
\, BY the way, 1t Is inconceivable that
dramatic editors will believe the awful
rot that enemies Of Nine. Patti circulate
to her detriment. Last season just prior
ITO the close OF her tour some Of the New
York newspapers printed the most cruel
stories about her. They started with
Rague innuendo which developed after the
binger's departure for Europe into bold
assertion. One Of these connections was
"a the effect that Patti and her husband,
Nicolini, quarreled perpetually, and II
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