Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-25
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Street Car DAN age Suits In q Great City,
The Grand Opera outlook-Ths
Rainy Day Clubs Fad.
Especial Correspondence


modations are not exactly what they
might be are addicted TO the habit OF
finding fault. That is all right. They
have reason and justice OH their side.
But they do not usually stop there. 1t
is their habit to explain how little il
costs TO operate the road. Then a learned
dissertation as TO the details and ex-
pense of management usually follows.
But there is one item, and most inn
portant enc, which these persons always
neglect 10 include. | refer TO the dam
ages which the company is obliged to
pay as "A result Of the carelessness of its
employees A lady is about 10 step from
q car, for instance, when the conductor.
who fails TO see her, strikes the bell for
the gripman or driver TO 20 ahead. The
passenger is thrown out and sustains
more or less serious injuries. A suit is
threatened. and in most eases the com
panies of this city have preferred to set
tie at fair figure rather than TO let the
matter be aired III court for the double
reason that the expense would III most
cases be greater, and the airing Of these
matters il is generally conceded, tends
10 stimulate litigation of this nature.
Settled Out of Court.
A gentleman who is III position TO
speak with some authority has told me
that the money paid ont as damages by
one of the prominent street railway cor
porations of this city each year would
suffice to pay the wages of small army
of employees Most of these too, he de
clares, are settled out of court and
many of them, in his opinion, are about
as near blackmail us one may get
A great many persons, it is alleged,
knowing of the aversion of the railroad
companies to litigation of this kind and
their willingness TO settle privately, have
presented claims which were pure swim
dies This has had the effect of making
the corporations rs much too careful as
they were previously too careless, with
the result that there are now an unusu
ally large number of cases on the docket
which will be fought TO the bitter end.
In addition TO the other troubles of the
street railways it is said that the largest
two of the corporations i'll this city,
while their main lines are phenomenally
prosperous. would be more than willing
TO get rid of the majority of the branches,
which are heavy drag upon the money
making routes.
The Grand Opera Outlook.
A good deal has been said as TO the
dark outlook for grand opera in this city
next season, but ii Is all moonshine.
The prospects were really never brighter.
According TO one who evidently speaks
with authority, the season of 1878
will be conducted on the same lines as
those which pr, vail this year and under
the same directicn-Abbey, Schoeffel &
Grau, limited Opera will be given in
the style that obtains at present and
with artists of the same class In other
words the season of this year will be
duplicated in all respects and will be
continued by the present management.
All rumors of the abandonment of the
enterprise by the opera house directors
OF by the Abbey, Schoeffel q Grau COM
pany are moonshine, There has been an
informal meeting az the house Of one of
the directors. when the next season was
discussed and, though renewal of the
lease has not yet been formally executed,
II Will be drawn up and signed shortly.
The directors of the Metropolitan, on
the one hand, and the managing COM
pany, on the other are satisfied with
the results obtained, and their relations
are to continue on the present basis.
Calves Return improbable.
In regard to the artists, MN. Jean
and Edouard de Reszke return next sea
son, us does Mime. Eames. These mat
tiers are definitely agreed upon and set
tied. NJ. Jean de Reszke was not at one
| time sure whether or not he would re-
new his contract for 1918, as he
thought of remaining in Europe for the
season Many Of the directors, as well
as the management, urged him to return
here, and the arrangement for his reap
pearance with the company has been
completed. Mime. Eames' contract was
renewable on or before Feb. /, and the
renewal has been formally made. Mime.
Calves return is improbable, as she has
promised to appear in Massenet's
'Sapho" in Paris, and unless it is de
ferred she cannot come TO New York
until season after next.
NINE. Melpd CONTRACT was cut snort
by her illness, and its renewal is still in
allegiance She may and she may not
come back. 1t will be settled upon after
her return TO America, toward the close
of the supplemental season of this
spring. NJ Plancon also returns. his
contract having year yet to run. II
Nine. Calve and Nine. Melba do not re
turn, two other prominent singers will
fill their places. But it is more than
probable. almost sure, that Nine Melba
will be here
The Rainy Day Clubs Fad.
A lady who was present declares that
any one who attended the recent meet
Ing of the Rainy Day club expecting to
see rainy day clothes was disappointed.
Rainy day clothes were there all right
enough, but they were of the conven-
tional, trailing, bedraggled sort long
familiar to femininity The curtailed
skirt and high boots were to be seen
upon not more than dozen out Of the
80 or 80 women OF course the club is
as yet in its infancy. The members
haven't yet had time TO become convert
ed, much less to reform their wardrobes
a l. a lN..... l. H..