The Irish standard., 1895-01-05

) The town OF Excelsior, on Lake Mime
tonka, is partly in ashes. Early Monday
morning its inhabitants were aroused K
high pitch of excitment by an alarm Of
/ fire, and at clock So 1000 worth of prop
erty had gone up in smoke. Eleven
buildings in the business portion OF the
\ place were destroyed. and at one time il
] looked as though the entire business
portion would GO. From Second street
to Third, about the entire west side OF
Water street is in ruins, and it was only
with great exertlon that the buildings on
the opposite side of the street were
saved. Fire protection in Excelsi)r is of
of the prim sort, the town boasting
one volunteer hook and ladder company
and haphazard bucket brigade.
There isn't pump in town available
for use in case of fire and but few els.
terms. The popular belief is that it is the
work OF incendiaries
"The Span Of Life" and English melo
drama that has created considerable COM
ment wherever presented, comes to the
Bijou next week.. The story of the play
is laid in England and Africa, but begins
on the coast of Devonshire and briefly,
is that OF the prosecution OF g young
woman and her lover by the woman 8
cousin, who desires to become possessed
! of her fortune and to obtain which he
stoops to all sorts Of villainy. The play
is handsomely staged. The Span Of Life
scene is the GROWING one, but excellent
in It's way is also the one outside the
Lighthouse, where Blunt with one arm
useless, climbs up the side to ring the
fog bell just as the big steamer looms
up through the mist and boat comes
| with help from the sh ore to light the
hitherto unlighted lamps. The scenes
are from the brush of Frank F. after and
are highly artistic examples Of fine stage
pictures.
The Kimball Opera Comlque Organi-
cation and Corinne will appear in this
| city at an early date ia "Hendrick Hud.
| son, or the Discovery of Colum bus. "
The superb production of this operate
extravaganza is elaborate, magnificent,
brisk, bright, witty and melodious, up to
| date and International in the delights it
offers. Every stitch of scenery and
! every thread of costume was designed
| aud made expressly for the production.
The scenic pictures are extraordln arily
elaborate and beautiful, and the cos
tunes are the richest imaginable. Sixty
people are in the company, which is
headed by this always charming Oorinne,
wno was never so attractive or as &C.
complished as now. The favorite little
artistic has new songs, new dances and
new grRces innumerable, and the charac-
ter of this jaunty adventurer and heart
breaker, for such the librettlst has made
Of the redoubtable Hudson, suits her
perfectly. ~e
City Comptroller Nye makes the sug-
| gestion that the courthouse and city
hall commissioners quit building when
they exhaust their present funds, and
turn the building over to the city and
! county authorities for Immediate occu-
pancy. His scheme is this: Locate the
fire department headquarters in the
new building at once, desirable location
| being in the corner facing Fourth street
and Third avenue S. Here could be
accommodated the chief of Police, the
! telephone and fire alarm headquarters
aad the water tower. The city could
then sell it's lot on Fourth street N. and
also the chemical house on Third street s.
The proceeds of these sales could then
be devoted to work on the new building.
When this was exhausted, a direct levy
of one mill or more would furnish $2,000,-
600. It is proposed to remove several de-
dartments at an early date The munich
pal court lease has been given up at it's
expiration, which will save $1,000 per
year rent Then the park board is pay
log 5000 year in the Window block,
and the school board $l,000a year in
the Guaranty Loan building. The
armory might also be located in the
new building.
It has been said that limitation is the
sincerest fattery." II it is true the
elder Dumas m ust have felt highly graf
flied On noting the number of aspiring
authors who attempted English adapta-
tons of his remarkable play, the "Crust
of Society,"" Our theatre goers have
had "Fringes," "Frotbe,' and Edges"
and "Crusts'' of society ad lib, but they
have yet to witness performance of
the original version by the original
Boston and New York company. This
opportunity will arrive next Monday
night at the Grand Opera house, when
Carrie Turner and her superb company
of players will begin three-night en-
gagement. Miss Turner needs no in
- ar. tbootAn ~1hfio