The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-18
EISTEDDFODIC HUMOR.
There Is Plenty of 1t in Almost Any Welsh
Gathering il You Know Where 10 Look
for 1.-THE Recent Allentown Song Fes.
tival and Some of Its Amusing Incidents.

for 1.-THE Recent Allentown Song Fes.
tival and Some Of Its Amusing Incidents.
| From the Pttston Gazette.
With a capable conductor in charge,
there is, perhaps, no public gathering
so productive of amusing incidents as
the eisteddfod. In fact, bright with
cisms and brilliant repartee are two
of the peculiar features of the Welsh
musical festival-not only among the
hills and dales of Wales, where many,
many years ago it found birth, but also
in those sections of our own land to
which the eisteddfod has been trans
planted. Oftentimes do eisteddfodic
scenes even reach the dramatic, as at
Allentown the other day. 1t was dur
ing the afternoon session. DR.. II. c. Ed
wards, of Kingston, one of the bright
est and best conductors in the country
was in charge. The contest for the
soprano solo prize was on. Two had
sung. The third was singing. Sud
denly cracking noise was heard at
the top of the vast market house, and a
circle Of plastering fell, filling the air
! with dust and forcibly reminding some
of the people of the sudden drop The
| audience of 5000 people trembled. A
| glance upward showed a huge hole in
the ceiling. Protruding from the aper-
ture was "a hoof, attached to which
was human leg, "as one witness mu-
morously put it. The great audience
knew not what to expect and the panic
fever was in the atmosphere. Then
it was that the GOODNESS and quickness
| of the conductor came into play. Dr.
| Edwards was on his feet In an instant,
| and through the large hall resounded
the clear announcement, calculated to
restore quietness and save the els
teddfod that lit is all right; the venti-
| lation for which we asked has come"
| The absurdty Of the situation, with a
human leg protruding from hole in
the ceiling dawned upon the confused
throng, and, instead of a panic there
was round after round of applause at
the sharpness of DR.. Edwards wit. An
! investigation revealed that the ubi-
| quitous small boy, with a pardonable
| love for music, had by some uneX-
]
the garret Of the hall, with a view to
the enjoyment of the eisteddfOd
through eye holes, of which there were
several in the ceiling. Missing his foot
ing on the rafters, he stepped through
the lightly constructed ceiling of lath
and plastering, with the amusing re-
suits above stated, But for the readi-
] Nc hn To-, t,1l
ing what serious effects might have
| followed the sudden break in the pro-
ceedings. Less causes than a human
leg seen through a hole in the ceiling
have resulted in disastrous panlcs in
public places, and those who attended
the Allentown esteddfod say that the
audience were getting into that un-
easy state of mind that precedes confu-
sion when the conductor came forward
with his solution of the mystery.
An Old Country Episode,
Even more dramatic than this was the
scene at the national eisteddfod in
Wales two years ago, of which Dr. Ed
wards tells. In the little Welsh princi.
palty on the other side of the Atlantic
the national eisteddfod brings together
lovers of the festival from all parts OF
bhe continent. Far away America
even, is usually represented. At this
particular time $1,000 had gathered un
der an immense canvass, with grea
tarpaulin for center-plece. 1t was al
enthusiastic throng. All entered into
the spirit Of the occasion, and every
succeeding competition but heightened
the enthusiasm. Suddenly, during Tho
progress Of the afternoon session, {
furious wind and rain storm came on
Before the people were fully aware o.
what was coming, the storm was upo'
them. The wind, in a frenzy of fury
tore from its fastenings the heavy tar
paulin, stripping it into ribbons, an(
scattering the fragments Throughout
the neighborhood, as if to evidence it
superior power, while the poles, uplifteC
from their fastenings, swung madl!
hither and thither among the pani,
stricken throng. Briefly, one woman
was fatally injured, and many suffered
more or less serious injuries. The rail-
continuing in all its fury, the frightened
people huddled together on platform
and under remaining canvas, and tn
wounded having been cared for, the els
teddfod work proceeded Terror, how
ever, had taken hold of the people an
failure stared the eisteddfod in the face
Then Conductor Edwards put his wit
to work. He secured the attention o
the great throng, and putting his wei
known elOquence and pathos into splen
did use, he recited to the throng tn
story of victim of the panic who wa
still in their midst. 1t was a highl.
colored recital. The Doctor eXpende,
his vocabulary in securing words suf
fciently vivid to describe the wretchet
condition of this abandoned one-naked
llfeless, bleeding, with broken ribs ant
distorted body. Tears, warm and fast
flowed ere the Doctor had complete
his pathetic tale. The result can bette
be imagined than described when TIL
conductor brought forth from its hidini
place under the table drapcry the sub
ject of his pathetic address, in tn
shape of the sorrlest-looking umbrell;
that the eyes of the people had ever be
held. Once a respectableloo re
treat from storm, the umbrella hat
passed through the panic, retiring fron
the conflict without a stitch of cover
with ribs broken and bent out of shape
and not even the handle intact. Flour
ishirg the remnants of the umbrell;
before the throng the Doctor command
ed their sympathies in its behalf, AM
was met by what was probably tn
most wonderful demonstration Of en-
thusiasm ever met with in eisteddfodi
circles. The dilapidated umbrella, Il
the hands OF brilliant conductor
saved the life CT great national els
teddfod, and it proved very successful
despite the accident of the day.
BYRON'S EXAMPLE INITIATED
The Third Anniversary Of Dogs Dealt
to BE Celebrated with pomp.