Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-01


meats and cakes. Thcatergoing IS ser'-
Gus business, and means an all-day out
Ing. 20 preparations are made TOT
lengthy stay, and. as the audience. WINE
unceaaingly talking laughing. eating. anu
drinking. shows IT. intense interest IN 'ne
play. an interesting picture o; 'alahese
life and manners ~ put before our eyes
The children during the waits are occu-
pied In eating and playing on toe mana
mchi. running up and down shou'iis'
laughing. and even clamberins on 'he
stage 10 peep under the curtain shh De-
hind the scenes. The many vendors OF
oranges and sweotme1's with trays ii'ed
high on appraised hands. the continual
smoking. drinking Of sake and tea. ana
the clatter OF tongues mingllng with the
hall. Iarbar.ic music Of the native bdn1.
formed a strange and varied, yet strik-
iuely picturesque scene full OF life ana
notion. Yet the minute far-ON gong
or bell struck all was silent. the children
scam cred to their places, the reiresh-
mont vendors disappeared. an eyes Wefe
ben: on the stage. and an absorbed INTO
rest was al once displayed while ne cur
tain slowly parted amidst the most p'"-
found stiffness. Parted and revealed
scene that transported us In minute
20 a bloody battlefield OF Corca. In the
dim. uncertain distance. crouching be
hind. and within grove OF stately pines.
giimmered the white clothes or banh OF
CorcGns; presently there appeared q col
urnn Of pig-tailed Cinnamon. armed with
rnuskets and huge swords. moving with
the steaithy. ca.-llke trend peculiar To
that race when suspicious OF danger. sud
denly they are SURPRISED and attacked by
q rapid onslaught OF japanese soldiers,
who charge IN two lines. from the rear
along the f'oser walks. thus truly giving
the effect Of surprise Then all at once
we were in the midst OF fierce battle;
lines Of soldiers in the brilliant blue md
yellow uniform Of the japanese, were
knaeilng along the flower walks. firing
rnuskets over the heads Of the enthrallod
audience: blood. or what looked IKE
blood was flowing freely, and ever ana
anon came the flash Of n sword through
the clouds Of musket smoke as " de-
scendei over some Of the hnpless emma
men. who were mostly conspicuous. as
perhans thev have been in the true war
by the rapid manner in which they fed
from the scene Of the conflict. Remark
able were the valiant japanese from the
case with witch one or two Of their mum
Der could Kill or put 10 fight dozens 81
the heqthen Chinee. whose shrieks ana
cries rising above the general din and tu-
multi were heart-rerdinr.
THE DTSOLATF BATTLEFIELD.
Finally the stage grew dark. and at last
only the fiful glare Of the rude footlShts
lit UP the desolatc battlefield. throwing
patches Of light and shade on the bodies
OF the dead Cinnamon. and bringing out
with startling reality. the quivering forms
and white blood-stained faces Of couple
of wounded japanese, for whom presently
a search party, consisting Of surgeon
and "A couple Of soldiers, bearing
stretcher, came stealing back over the
deserted Hama Michi taking every pre-
caution against surprise And no regu-
larry trained military surgeon could have
more quickly or more skllfully dressed
and bOunf up the shattered leg ana
broken and swOrd-cut arm. ana nave
more tenderly laid the unconscious bodies
on the stretcher TO bear them swiftly
and cautiously off the stage amid the
shrieks and Wild acclamations of tho
crowd. 1t was all intensely real ana
natural, and a great surprise 10 me. after
having read much of the conventional
STYLE OF acting of the japanese. TO see
that western ideas had reached the stage
as well as elsewhere. and that on an
occasion ike this they could actually
dress and play as they would do in real
life. IL was surprising 20 see what
good Cinnamon the japanese made. ana
I'm one scene In which two japanese pris-
oners were ri d before the great Ii Hung
Chang. the actor impersonaung III was
such an exact counterpart Of that august
parsonage that the excitement OF the
audience rose to the widest pitch. either
through scOrn OF a japanese who would
willing become so like It despised China
man. or perhaps in belief that IL must be
a real Chinaman before them; insults ana
Kisses. and even such real things as clogs
were hurled at the unfortunate player
whose fault was that he was imper-
sunating his part only too well. IL was
capitally done. so. also, was "A scene b.
tween "A couple Of japanese reporters and
Z Chinese telegraph operator.
After seeing that one no longer won
dercd at the truly marvellous ana contra
dictory reports of the war, but only won
dered that We got any at all. inis was
followed by the sinking Of the hatile-ship
Kowshng. amid cannon-shots. flames
tossing OF waves, and shreking OF
drowning Cinnamon, who were tossed
headlong over the bow into the water in
most ruthless fashion. This brought the
general excitement 10 the highest pitch,
so that when at the end of the scene "A
b0na-fdc newsboy rushed into the thea
tire. ninsins right and left the latest eX-
presses Of "A recent victory. Just print
ed. and hardly yet dry from 'he press,
the audience burst all bounds of self
control. and the burning OF Peking was
accomplished amidst a general stampede.
the shouting Of "Banzai. Banzai" "a cry
equivalent TO long live the Emperor
rising above the Changing music of the
band. which were struggling with the ma
tional anthem.
As we obowed our way through the
crowd looking back into the smoke-nllei
theatrt we saw Picking disappearing
amid blaze Of flames. flashing of swords.
iiring Of cannon. and general exodus of
Cinnamon over the falling walls. their
pig-tails waving wildly behind them ana
we felt that II the same patriotism. en-
thusiasm. and determination existed OF
the stage as on there would be- little doubt
that the Japanese would reach the real
Picking Of their ambition.
-(W-