The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-27
m A vIoronIA music HAIL.
The Waiter was . Dandy. straixns
From the Bowery.

-
The waiter wss . Dandy. Straight
From the Bowery.
New York Sun
The traveller who must remain IN VIC
toria, British Columbia. OF an evening
while waiting to take the night boat Tor
Vancouver. which leaves soon after MIDI
night, viii find various ways Of amusing
himself. The town Is Qusint. English
architecture, English manners, English
dress prevail everywhere. and about the
only Yankee thing In evidence Is q res.
taurant called the Boston. in which even
English cooking serves to emphasize the
fact that the name OF the place is calcu-
lated more to catch the transient traveier
from the States than anything else. There
il q most interesting Chinatown IN the
place. and some splendid bargains are
to be found there. as well as the low life
that characterizeS the Chinatown or the
more ambitious city. San Francisco.
II the town theater in Victoria Is open
the wayfarer may count on an entertain
neut from some strolling company or
moderate excellence, and an audience
win be present that would do credit to
q theater In New York or London Vic
torta Is the capital Of British Columbia,
besides being a naval station. and the Of
fetal life may be described properly as
almost brilliant. The place has dozens Of
fine turnoutS that may be seen any day
ON the streets. and the horseback and
hunting parties are almost as common as
they are in any place OF moderate size
and pretensions In England. The town is
gay with color and life. and after 4
O'Clock In the afternoon no one thinks Of
working.
Should the theater be closed the trav-
eler will have to fan back on another in
stitution for entertainment after ne has
done Chinatown and the streets OF an
evening. He win have to depend on the
music halls for amusement. and IL he
goes to them in the right spirit he will
get amusement. But he must not be too
critical. The music halls OF Victoria are
cross between the London music hall
and New York Bowery concert saloon.
Indeed, there seems to be more of New
York about them than LundonA
The most ambitious music han in Vic
toria makes so great concession to
American ideas that It is called Defmoni-
co Music hall The name is all there is to
remind one Of the weli-lsnown New York
binary beer saloon. at the back OF which
Is a long room. exactly the Same width
as the saloon. at the further end Of which
Is a stage. Swinging doors cut off this
room from the saloon. and admittance be-
hind them costs IS cents. Tables and
benches fill up the place. and the hand
bills which serve as a programme an
nounce something like this:
Temperance at this magnificent tenn
pie OF amusement OF the beautiful and ac-
complished Miss Hattie Howard In a re-
fined and artistic specially of merit, an
artist In every sense OF the word"
The magnificent temple of amusement"
has gallery on three sides and boxes in
two tiers at the sides OF the stage The
upper boxes have lace curtains. and from
the sounds OF giggiing and laughter that
came from them the Sun man who was
present one evening early last fail judged
that 1t was a rendezvous for the perform
ers and their friends when the young wo-
men. and old ones. too. for that matter,
were not On the stage. The place was
bare. and where the orchestra was sup
posed to bo was piano. ON which Prof
Hicks. the leader OF the orchestra"
played. Prof. Hicks had the hard work
OF the evening. He had not only to play
all the accompaniment for the songs. but
between songs he had to render a piano
solo, which was constantly interrupted by
the voice OF a wreck OF waiter calling
out:
Beer and cigars. gents"
The audience consisted CT perhaps fifty
persons. among whom the jack tars Of the
ma Ea9r tie
hats. predominated. There were half a
dozen Chlnarnen also and perhaps dozen
tourists. The leery waiter furnished as
much amusement as the artists" who
numbered eight. One OF the artists was
unable 10 appear. and the waiter an
uounced the fact from the floor: and when
one of the strangers snlckered at the
bumptious way he performed his duty he
called out:
Gentlemen. what say Is true. Miss
Edmuads Is indlsposed and sent US a.
doctors certificate 10 prove IT, and
yous'n have TO git along without her.
You can believe 1t or nos. but ft Amt
nothin' 70 me. for sit a sarry. Beer and
cigars. gents"
So the evening began The manage
ment had thoughtfuiiy provided Professor
shape OF big flower pot that stood on
q stand a. his right and saved him the
necessity OF stopping to expectorate when
one OF his slambanging solos or q song
was being rendered The performers
were al women They wore gaudy dresses
that looked as n they bad done duty a.
some OF the grand functions o. the east
side IN New York The dresses and
women were eminentiy proper Each OF
the performers sang some solo about be-
Ing good to your mother. or tho little
wandering child, or thu value OF truth
IN life. ard az each finished the ieery
waiter would WIPE his eyes pa1hesscaiiy
and sing out In O hoarEe voice:
Beer and cigars. geEsis''
That Was invariably regarded by the
performer az an encore. and then some
alleged comic song would follow 70 tha