The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-04

had drawn crowds when nothing else
would. Her face was the most valuable
trademark In the business. Managers
fought over her. Tenors even consented
to set up family affairs on her account.
She floateo the worst opera that Solomon
wrote, and she did II with her beauty.
Season after season she turned the feet OF
strangers 10 the Casino. Her picture
hung beside that OF the Father OF His
Country as il she were the perpetual
mother OF gayety. During those seasons
In which the grand opera was bankrupt
ing everybody, comic operas with Lillian
Russell In IL was what the managers call
q bonanza. This was the state of affairs
Qneen Of BrjIliants" IN London. The
failure cf the firm of Abbey, Scheoffel *
Grau brought out the fact that in twenty
three weeks in New York, during which
time Lillian Russell appeared in "The
Tzigane, "Ibc Grand Duchess" "The
Goddess OF Truth, 1.-THE Little Duke"
and 'The Queen OF Brilliants,"- firm
realized o profit on only one week, sand
that was wien "lLe Grand Duchess"
was presented.
THE PAoTIcAL VIEW.
The commercial attaches no less than
the. business principles Of the playhouse
have mathematical way,of looking at
these things. When asked II Lillian Rus
sell was losing her popularity, they one
and all referred to the figures as an
answer. An obliging accountant turned
the pages OF ponderous account book as
IL Lillian Russell's magnetism were tab
ulated like meteorology. He pointed out
that three weeks In Boston she averaged
but $4,000 a week. In Pittsburg 1t was
$4300 week. In Washington 1t rose to
$500 and in Baltimore IL was $4,000. And
three years before she had played at
Ford's Theater to sl1, $40.
In the South and West her business
fell still lower. and at the termination of
the season the managers, by fulfilling all
their engagements with her, appear with
a deficit of nearly $4,000
From the firms own statement they
struck a snag in the charmer. They de.
clare that the people would not come to
see Lillian Russell with their old zeyt,
and they offer their books in evidence.
1t will not do to say that 1t was an ex-
ceptlonally hard season and all ventures
suffered, because the three foreign
ventures of the same hrm-gfand opera,
Mile. Bernhardt and Henry Irving made
for the hrm respectively $50, 900, 500, 900
and $50, 600 and no one of them was more
lavishiy equipped TO meet public expecta-
ion than the comic opera queen.
Probably the sad truth can be approxi-
mated more closely by saying that no
public pet has staying power. The rise
and fall OF public admiration when the
objective point is woman is curiously
uncertain, insanely unreasonable and gen.
erelly heartiess. The woman it worships
most absurdly il forgets the easiest
mainly, 1 suspect, because il holds its
admiration on their perishable qualities
There is a sermon here. But 1 don't
believe the Journal wants me to preach 1t.
There is also an interesting physiological
study-but Lillian Russell does not want
me to make IT.. Let us be gallant, at
least, and assure this still regnant beauty
the laws of her sex and OF ours stand
till; that there are no fresher charmers
coming up behind her, that, in brief, 1t
was Mr.. Abbey who failed. not Lillian
Russell.