Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-11-10
AFTER Their MONEYS WORTH.
What Tlreo American Travellers Saw In J
Partisan Opera House.


What Three American Travellers Saw In \
Partisan Opera House,
American travellers abroad come upon
many sights and customs that are
strange to sheir American senses. Here
is an incident Of an opening night at
the Chatelet theater, Paris. that Will
not soon be forgotten by a certain patty
Of there New Workers who witnessed Z,
The presentation was Of Berlioz' j
"Taust, in accordance with popular
request. It had been given in the clos
ing spring nights, and in the fall was
put on again. with the same artists in
the various roles Certain numbers
notably Marche IIongroise' and Meph-
isto's song-had captivated Paris, and
an overwhelming crowd was at the
doors on the opening Eight to hear their
fayorites.
Now, there is peculiar custom in
vogue at the Chatelet for admitting and
seating the audience. They enter in
squads, and each squad must be seated
before another can get in. OF course
this Is admirable when time is no OBJ
ject, but on this particular night the
crowd was too great to be handled i'll
this slow way. And the curtain went
up, and the movement Of the OPERA I'M
der the direction Of NJ Cologne, pro-
ceeded when no more than two thirds
OF the audience had been seated.
In the first balcony sat three New
YorEers--a married couple, with a young
lady acquaintance. The opera proceeded
over the heads Of the moving, restless
audience for an hour, when an ominous
muunuring of voices began to make IL
self heard above the tones of the orches-
ira. It muttered, rolled, vibrated, grew
and conveyed feeling of danger from
some unknown peril. The young Amer:
lean matron, nervous as American wo-
men are, took fright,
Is la a FIRE, she whispered to her
husband. 1.-THE thoater is on fire. You
must take me ouf quick, or we shall
be crushed as well as burned.
Bat the husband was obdurate, and
as the noise Of voices increased in vol
ume and angriness be turned to reassure
N.Y. WIG aAu ler friend
DO easy. 1t isn't o fire. This is 60
ing to be one Of the sights of Paris, and
l wouldn't miss it for lot on Broad
way"
By this time the menacing attitude
Of TIE audience had forced itself upon
the attention Of NJ. Cologne. His must
CLANS ceased playing; he looked at them
imploringly, glared at the bowling au-
dience detiantly, rolled out command
cracking with RS, waved his baton and
went on.
Then the audience passed from fret
full repining to offensive action. With
q common impulse it swarmed forward,
overran the orchestra, and some 20 men
clalnbered upon tho stage itself. They
sileGced the musicians, shouted, danced
back and forth in an apparently uncon-
troliable rage. shook their fists under
the noses of every one in authority and
introduced sudden aud unwelcome ell
ement Of anarchy into the evenings
spectacle
"What is the matter? Can you make
out what they're saying?" the young
lady asked.
Why, yes, the escort replied.
They couldn't get into the theater in
season to hear the fayolite numbers,
and they feel cheated. This is the pop
ular Parisian expression CT outraged
feelings. .
But what are they going to Go about
it?' asked his wife. "Nill they tear
the house down? Do let us go away at
once.
"No, they'll hart no one but N. Co
legne, and not him if he does what they
are demanding -
"Mhatever Is thatf''
AS near as can make out, it is to
go back to the beginning and play the
entire score again. That means an ex-
ira hour, and no wonder he objects.''
But the objection proved futile. Aft
CT ten minutes of charges and counter
charges, of negative shakes of the head
ana affirmative shakes Of many fists,
Mr. Cologne turned back the pages Oh
his score and again raised his baton.
The excited audience was Gained in n
moment and became seated and atten-
tive. The movement proceeded smooth
", triumphantly, with appreeiative ap-
plause. Feelings of the most perfect
harmony existed. And the ChateIet
scored great success.
Now, in New York, said the Amer
lean as he took the two ladies to their
hotel, I'VE wouldn't have done it so. y
Il should think not said his wife
in earnest patriotism.
mo, " he went on, there we would
have talked about our hard lucl, be-
bween tie acts, and the next morning
would have fought the thing all over in
the newspapers. And we wouldn't have
seen the opera either. 1t seems to me.
my dear, that the French character has
a feature or two which the American
would do well to initiate -
VERY well, said madam. sI'm
glad saw the opera twice over in one
evening. I'm very much obliged to
those Frenchmen. But, all the same,
I'm quite content to be and remain
American. New York Times.