The sun., 1897-04-08
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

At the last matinee Of tho Damrosch season
at the Metro oolitan Opera House only ono Of
the stockholders sat in his box, and the singers
faced a dishearteningly empty tier OF boxes.
Nor was Il the appearance of the boxes alone
at this final matinee that showed how indif-
ferent the stockholders really were to these
German performances. The same feeling
seemed to show itself not simply in their keep
INK away from the Opera House but al In
away. The attitude OF the stookh"ideis show:
ed very plainly that they had either heard
opera enough for one year or were not interest
ed In \ wholly German series Fashion and the
Wagner operas have always been more or less
inconpatib!e. hut there was never more evil
Tristan aud Isolde and ''Serfried" during
audiences at the Metropolitan was ut all bril-
liant. Jean de Reszke happened TO be In be III
performances.
One Of the familiar figures uptown is Kate
Claxton. the actress, who passes most OF her
time now in New York, and occasionally plays
at one OF the cheap theatres. She is apparently
ready ut any time to put on the rags OF the
blind girl in The Two Orphans when there
happens to be a vacant week in some combine
ton theatre. and then retire for brief period
TO domestic life. Many persons who do not
know the actresses name hive become familiar
by sight with tho woman who has for years
worn exactly the same sort OF a hat and tho
same general style OF gown. For moro than
| a decade she has worn one sort OF poke bonnet.
| which, altho gh II appears in different colors
| and with different adornments, never loses
| the original outline. some sort OF loose
Jacket ia usually part OF Miss Ciax TON S aress:
shc affected the same invariable peculiarltles
OF dress, the two women came to be well known li
| by sight. Miss ClaXtOn, who is now IN deep
| mourning for daughter who recently diea In
Paris, has changed only the color OF her char
| acteristic garments. and the poke bonnet 10
| different only in this rep 'ct. Mise Ciaxtons
| husband combines business with the duties or
his profession In unique sc, iasGi9n. sm and M ia's
| representative OF champagne hrm but he has
| always been able TO step IN and play one OF
| his characters in the old melodrama. II is said
by people who know her that Mtss Claxton has
PLAYED Louise.so many times that her own
blind girl In the play, and she is said to speak
quite in the same fashion. She 10 one OF the
VINO S.rs ade of it has been lost in
cessful spcculatons.
New York has undoubtedly grown cosmo-
politan. On Tuesday night there wac n party
Mt Roster 81 Balls, and II was in charge of ole
of the uniformed guides who have lately tnken
to looking after strangers. The people seemed
to be French and under tho cha peronage of tho
guide they were Introduced 70 all The nttrsc-
lions OF the establtsh hnent. They were led up
the steps by him. he bought their tickets for
them, and he showed tLem through the Mid
way There were probably n good many
persons in the audi .nce that night who had
gone through similar experiences in Europe,
but the sight Is IA rare one in New York.
Miss EVELYN Nordhofr whose pouk bindings
were described yesterday In THE Sun, Is one OF
| several sisters. Her botanical etchings have
been highly praised, and most OF her "ork In
| this field ia used by one botanist. Miss Nord-
hoff Is IL blue-eyed, fair.haired girl with great
magnetism OF manner as well as a characteristic
| decision which seems to mako IL clear that she
| Will accomplish what she sets out 10 do. She
denies any sYmpnthy with womans rights,
| but IL Is evident that her views on the subject
| lean toward such independence for women as
| IL not very diterent from the doctrines lf firm
believers in those theories. ''But do believe
so much in socialism" :" she said recently, that
| / don't.like III do work that COSTS sO.much; IL
is II luxury TINT only the rie can afford. IL Is
In order do work that will be,within the reach
OF 1he poor that am going To organize wom-
ans class next year 70 practise In bindings tha;
will he of tho very best make, although cheap
enough for anS body.
Faiima, the hippopotamus OF the Central Park
menagere which went to Chicago yesterday,
gave farewell performance on Sunday after
noon that caused a small panic AS usual there
was q large crowd, composed principally of
women and children, in the lion house, where
Fatma and her offspring were confined, and the
moth and child absorbed good share OF uttcn-
tiOn. Fatima endured the scrutiny for 7Omc time
ie"Fth. % when % hall q dozca children VH and nurse
were gazing al her, rnd making uncoInplincnt,
ary remarks, she reared herself up on her hind
| legs, placed her fore legs on the rail OF
| the Enclosure. opened wide her CapaCIous
mouth, and emitted n series OF fearful roars.
! This MAS the signal Tor general pandemo.
mum. The lion roared. the liGcr threw one OF
! his usual hts. The leopard screamed and turned
! sonersaults, and the hyenps how!cd The nurse
| and the six children rushed screaming for tho
door, and the rest OF the crowd followed suit. In
! the doorway there was II jam Hats were
| knocked on, and dresses torn, Nobody
| knew what had happened. Some cried lion,
1 others tiger, others "rhinoceros," -" elephant"
| camel, and prairie dos according to the
| extent OF their knowledge OF natural history.
| AZ length u keeper forced his way into the
house, and, going up to the Offending hippopot,
mouth, THE poor things hungry" he said.
"ThAt b the way ahe cAlls Cor her dinner"