The morning times., 1896-07-05

"And have we come to this pass?''
This query is propounded iu the play of
which we shall presently speak, by the Pad
ued Prophet to Prince Henry. g;
"Yes, sire, this is the celebrated Pass of
Thermopychicagolae," returned Henry in
the dark-brown, tremulo voice which the
newspaper mep knew SO well in those days
when the Prince was the Middleman be.
tween the rabble and the Great Prophet.
The few lines In quotation marks are
borrowed from tragedy which has made
q great hit in Chicago, aud is now running
there day and night. The play goes under
the name of the Battle of Porkville,'' aud
is presented with q superb cast. The author
is at present anonymous, but his name will
doubtless come outin the first disagreement
as to the royalties.
1t bears all the landmarks, earmarks and
bookmarks of originality, at least in treat
ment. 1t will be observed, from the an
tiQue armor in the middle foreground that
the central idea is the battle of Thermo-
pylae, at which 800 delegates died nobly in
the breach, rather than surrender to lis
sapheines, Antirochus Epiphanes and AIT
geld, who at that time commanded the Per
sian army.
This brilliant, but most lamentable trag-
edy, was played in Porkvile four years ago,
but in that battle Leonidas commanded the
Persians and David B. and Horace B. COM
manded the we'll greaved and also we'll
creased Greeks.
CHANGE IN THE CAST.
The revised version places Leonidas Whit
ney defending the mountain pass and his
whilom allies, fighting furiousy to get
through the gap. Ages and ages Will have
passed away before the celebrated reply of
Leonidas at Chicago to Altgeld at Chicago
in the pass shall have grown cold in the
chronicles of war.
Lay down your arms, brave Greeks!"
shouted Altgeld, in his tin hom high above
the din of battle and the wreck of beer
wagons, of which the barricades We're con-
Tructed, across the hole in the country.
How many are YEP" went back the de-
nant message of Leondas.
I'VE are 16 of US to l of you"
Tell the bloody satEp of Illinois that
5hen We prefer free and unlimited death"
"And again. hurled back the intrepid
David B. OF Halicarnassus, If ye want our
Delegates, come and take them.''
This phrase of D. B. Of II. at once was
copied In the daily morning Sunrise Of
Marathon, and was bracketed with that
other famous speech he made B. c., 1892:
''I am Democrates."
The fiery threat of the Persians and the
bold reply of David B. and Leonidas closed
the conference report, and in aboutan hour
the furious sounds of conflict were heard
approaching On foot and on horseback.
Prince Henry, who had been faithful even
unto death, litter the increase of his stipend,
remained close to the Padded Prophet, and,
indeed, the devoted band which was fight
ing with only one standard and a few bor-
rowed dark horses stuck to each other with
the desperation of a forlorn hope, which
thereafter went under the name of Spartan
heroism.
Tue heaviest blow to the three hurfdred
pledged Spartans came when it was an
nounced that the only man who knew the
way through the mountains into the Per
sian camp was dead.
PADDED PROPHETS QUICK WIT.
1t was at this juncture that the Padded
Prophet bethought him of the Pro Consul
Of Wisconsin. Demetrius Bragg, who had
under his command 1, 900 singers and arch
ers. This Demetrius was the orator who
In tue assembly on the Areopag gus had pro-
claimed to the Greek traders in coin that
for the enemies he had made.
1t was reflecting on this grave senti-
ment almost sepulchral in its gravity,