The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-22
LIvE TOPICS ABour rowN.

The situation always produces the man,
and this II rs true OF the farewell perform
ances ut the Metropolitan as II Is OF the moro
serious events. There Is always ono person
who leads in tho frenzicd applause that con-
tinues long after the lights have been turned
down. Last year this particular individual
happened 70 he a blac bearded maniac, who
stood in q grand tier box and beloved until
he was put out Of tie building. On Tuesday
night IL was IN open question for q while MS
TO which of two men would win tine leadership
of the hysteri:al group that GATHERED near tho
left-hand corner Of the stage. The more prom
Using candidate was n young fellow In the uni
form of q military school who had done good
work at the Saturday matinee. He was able
fort the most ear.splitting yelis, like the
whoop of an Apache Indian. He punctuated
the, applause ami shouting with this iendlsh
racke' until after n while everybody else sub.
good work on. tuesday after the close OF the
performance, bit the final Donors rested with
a tall, blond FrenchmRn. who got a place near
the stage ard. shrieked with a penetration In
,hS would would have %S cleared E8lps I'll" the =" bu Hdlq%he Of "a any y
crowd less fanatically enthusiastic. He led
the shouting for Jean de Reszke. Calvt, Seidl.
else that happened to be In sight wien the
door leading to the stage was opened. 1t made
out so long as there was some excuse for re-
manning behind to shout. That, was all the
group needed, and /. looked at the neRinnips
enthuslasm enough to repeat the old time part
ing scenes. But the farewell did come finally.
although compared, 70 some of the farewells
In other seasons tho enthusiasm was not so
general nor quite SO spontaneous az 1t has
been.
I'm about two weeks said an Englishman
living here. the social season In New York
will come to an end. and beyond driving. and
the theatres there will he very little for per-
sons in society to do. Those that remain in
town Will not entertain. and the date is not
far distant when the covering of furniture
and the draping Of pictures will begin. This
means that New York. during tSo Of the most
delightful months Of the year. is without
social activity. May and part Of June are
ners. and It seems II pity that 1t should have
become the custom not to entertain during
the winter season very late, and persons return
to the city every winter a little later. The
result is that the season is growing shorter.
ened by adding the. two spring months to
the regular period and enjoying in the city this
town, or at all events shutting up the houses
at the first approach OF spring. Asp-inG sea-
Of s9n a ' IFeat a m snSs d Eight aG1 forms s1 Of ents er@las
ment. and am certain that 4 it were once in
trodueed. New 1orkers would give up he
comes"
The block of little houses that has stood at
the corner of Thirty-seventh street and Fifth
avenue is finally to be removed to make way for
o new hotel. and SO another Of the inexplicable
structures along Fifth avenue will disappear.
This property. with its one-story. diminutive
shops. was profitable to q certain extent In
spite of its very modest appearance. and . sim
liar block of small shops is now to be built on a
conspicuous corner uptown. There are still
hntidfDv on THAT puzzle the DPODla who acc them.
and two Of these arc very Eear. to each other
on upper Fifth avenue. One is the group msde
on one of the most valuable corners OF the
street. and another is a collection Of three or
posi,e this stands a florist shop in a low red
brick building. All OF these small structures
are built on land tremendously valuable. and
hey must furnish practically nothing OF the in
come that would come from the use of the
ground FOR structures appropriate to the nei. h
borhood. There is some degree of profit In rent
ing the small establishmel ats. but 1t is nothing
in comparison to what the property might
S osenT Of i prepers sfs below sG% ?" Thirty iHash fourth sti tass
on. Fifth avenue. and q few years will prob
aers co nnn sns Mausv win er the value OF o. the iand'
The basement Of the old st. AIMS Church.
which stood in West Eighteenth street. was
the nursery OF considerable dramatic talent
which was no less earnest because 1t happened
to be amateur. and doubtless there. were
pangs of regret In several professional hearts
when the old church was torn down. There
Mrs James Brown Potter. an enthusiastic II
somewhat awkward amateur. began her career,
and Robert TRber was another of those ANA
teurs who. beginning in a basement rs an ANA
teur. ultimately succeeded In getting very
much higher in tho profession he chose. Ed
ward Fales Coward was one OF those who re-
manned an amateur In name. ut least. and theirs
were others who have since discontinued act
ing In any form and put to no use the train.
ing and traditions of this curiously situated
cradle of dramatic art.
HEP GoODS Oy THE SYD A