The San Francisco call., 1896-11-08
Della Fox IN

Arab chief. Ben Gand, who was in the gay
French capital at the same time as the
Gear, and who outstayed the great Rus
sian father.
Before returning to Beskra, Ben Gand
wished to venture behind the scenes OF
the Grand Opera-house while the ballet
was in progress, as he thought it would be
sort of dress rehearsal of the Paradise
of Mahomet. Ben Gand, on foot as on
horseback. is a fine figure of man, and
the dancers were not slow 10 let him see
that they thought SO. The beautiful
Mile. Sandrini surprised at his black
eyes, black hair and black beard, asked /:
"Are they all as dark as that in Africa p
And Ben Gand, with an air of perfect
modesty, replied, 'Oh. much darker than
that, mademoiselle. Over there they call
me an al binO."
Loie Fuller is going to carry ~ cleo
tricians to China with her, to manipulate
the lights used in her dances. She will
also carry away masses of voluminous
draperies, and among them pansy gown,
which like all others, is from her own de-
sign. In an Eastern theater not long ago
she spread the pansy gown over two
thirds OF her dressing-room and explained
its lntricacies TO half dozen women, who
pressed forward in admiring chorus.
~ ou are genius, an artist" volun-
teered an enthusiast.
Not an artist" corrected Miss Fuller.
II paid $500 for the pansies in that gown,
and my sister, who first did the dance
with me, painted her own.''
In his recently published "Musical
! "reminiscences Ardlti tells nun ber of
| good stories of musical celebrities, some of
them old, some published for the first
| time. OF Christine Nilsson, he saws that
| when she was studying with him she was
| so nervous that she frequently tore the
| lace on her dress. Arditi knew many ia
nous composers, among them Rossini,
vino when Nine. Arditi was introduced to
! him exclaimed gallantly: NOW / know
why Arditi composed The kiss Once
when Arditl conducted Her Majesty s
| Opera in St. Louis man walked twenty
miles 'to hear Queen Victoria sing in Her
Majesty's troupe.
The st. Louis papers are circulating the
statement that Lillian Russell is again
contemplating matrimony. Miss Russell
! den es the statement, and declares that
she is firmly welded to her art.
1t seems that Miss Russell renamed in
! st. Louis to take much-needed rest, and
there she happened TO meet Walter Jones
OF the Gay New York Company" who is
her declared admirer. The two were seen
a good deal together, and the report went
forth that they were engaged, but the par
ties most interested strenuously deny the
soft impeachment.
Miss Selma Herman, the clever youn g
actress who plays the character of ida,
the daughter of an exile. in Darkest
Russia, had thrilling experience with a
| trolley car while in Denver last week AS
she was crossing Sixteenth s.reer, on her
way to the theater she became confused
by the hustle and Changing OF gongs around
her and was struck by car. The prom pt
action of The motorman saved her. Atthe
risk of his life he leaned over the dash
board and caught her as she fell and
pulled her from under the wheels. The
Young woman luckily esca ped with only a
| torn and soiled gown. Miss Herman
showed her gratitude by liberal purse and
later presented the hero with o diamond
scarfpin.