The record-union., 1896-01-03

given to the ladies and gentlemen, and
the misses and masters. and the little
children who took part. For ]. must
have commanded great deal of their
time, long and wearying rehearsals,
and nc small personal cost in many
cases. The trouble was ~ the man
agement. 1t lacked scenic dressing, in
telligence in the devising of the scheme
and novelty and crispness in carrying
it out Meaning was not put into the
marches. posings, drills or dances,
save only in the case of the individual
dances, for these by the little Misses
Farley, Butler, Contuner and Master
Butler, with the athletic exercise by
Miss Pearl Baldwin were excellent, and
really proved the salvation of the fete.
But the skill Of these actors is not due
to the fete nor was it unknown to the
people 1t was wise utilization of home
talent. The most meaning and thought
full effects were the pretty act of
Cinderella and the Prince, the singing
of the national songs, and the military
tableaux. There were some pretty
tableaux, but they might have had far
better stage setting at nc greater cost.
In the matter of singing Horace
D.
satisfaction, the former in the armorer's
song at the anvil and with blazing
forge at his side Mrs. T. B. Hall posed
handsomely as the Queen of something
or other, not explained by the act or
programme and Miss Jennie Govan as
Night was statuesque, but what Night
has to do in a Columbian fete passes
comprehension. The intelligent and
(1111
bia, gracefully personated by Mrs. Moy
nihan. In another tableau was repre-
sentative of Columbus and Isabella,
but a blazing arch of incandescent
electric lights above them seemed, to
the dull fancy at least, an incongruous
mingling of the old and the new; while
as side supports typifying Music and
Literature Misses Gregory and Willis
were handsome figures, the effect sug-
gested no reason for the omission of
Art, Commerce and Industry.
There were chorus dances in great
number, but they We're mainly like most
of the marches, monotonous. 1t is sub
mitted that no group dance that for ten
solid minutes worries the stage with a
single step, can do else than invite to
repGse until kindly elbow notifies one
about. The marches of the children
were numerous, and testified to much
devotion on the part of the little folks,
but they mostly lacked meaning, or had
very little more than the tableau that
exposed base burner stove red with
heat in dense forest and minus pipe.
Those who cater to the public intelli-
gepce in entertainment must learn that
u, to- Il -l,k 60
and to provoke laughter only, every
part of 1t must have meaning that will
command attention; when this is lack
ing the audience invariably resents the
omission.
With the kindliest disposition toward
the ladies of the church who gave their
support to the entertainment we must
say that any one of half dozen of them
we might name could have managed
far better in utilizing local talent in
home spectacle for a worthy purpose.
Indeed, it has been done in this city re-
peatedly, difficult as the task is granted
to be. The Record Union is disposed,
without vanity, to say that the nom
understandable drill or march by
group of young ladies who bore harps,
likewise shields. the latter being en-
blazoned with the name of this journal,
made quite the most effective spectacu-
lar marching group of the evening,
while the lads who posed as newsboys
for our evening contemporary, were
quite the most realistic of the persona
tions attempted. The other business
establishments represented were Sulli-
van-Kelly Company, Welch Bros, A A.
Van VOORHEES,, D. Johnston & Co., H. E.
Yardley, D. o. Mills, Emil Steinman,
Baker & Hamilton, A. S. Hopkins Com
pany, Schaw Ingram, hatcher & Co.,
Geiser & Kaufman, A. K. Varney and
Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson. The en-
tertainment closed with very effective
repetition of the old tableau "Tenting
on the Old Camp Ground by detach-
ment from Company G of the local COM
mand of the National Guard with some
superior singing by the Glee Club of
that company.