The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-08-28
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
arcat Cost of Running q Large city-The
Stock Company Boom The BIZ
cycle Broke Browns Heart.
Especial Correspondencc.l


the board of aldermen reported to the
board at its last meeting the amount to
be added to tho city budget Of 1897 for
deficiencies and the board adopted a
resolution fixing the tax rate for the
year at 80. 10 on the 500 of assessed
valuation.
The amount added this year for de-
ficiencies is 100000. The estimate is
made up in the finance department. aud
transmitted to the financial committee
of the board of aldermen and by the lat
ter reported to the full board, with q
resolution fixing the tax rate for the
year.
The budget for the year is S44, 429,-
600. To this was added tho sum Of
5000, 900, the estimate for deficiencies,
making the total amount to be raised
by taxation this year $40, 331, $50. The
total assessed value of property this
year is 50, 1G9, $3.50, 500. To raise tho
amount Of the final budget it will be
necessary to fix the tax rate at So 10.
The increase in the assessed value of
property over 1896 is only 500, 15O,051.
These figures arc staggerers. When
the budget is made up for Greater New
York next year, they will be enough al
most to take ones breath away.
Return Of the Stock Company.
1t is tho opinion of Acton Davies, tho
we'll known critic, that there ought to
be lot Of clover actors developed this
winter. Nearly every largo city In tho
country has decided to have at least one
stock company of its own, and tho re-
suit is already shown by the fact that
almost every actor in New York who is
known to possess the least versatility
has been snapped up by ono or another
of these new organizations. Managers
were obliged to take refuge in the old
stock system again OH account of the
enormous demands now made by the
railroads for transporting theatrical
companies from place to place. Among
the smaller fry railroad expenses have
reached such an exorbitant figure that
after paying their railroad bills and the
local expenses III each town any chance
of profit was out of tho question.
For some of the young actors who
have been accustomed to appear in one
role from ono end of the season to tho
other tho stock company work will
prove rather surprise party. But it
Will demonstrate pretty thoroughly how
many of them are actors and how many
are merely tho impersonators of one
particular part.
Good For the Playwrights-
For the authors, too, i'll the opinion
Of Mr.. Davies, this revival of tho stock
system is going to prove great boom.
With 20 or 80 companies constantly on
the lookout for now material, all the
American authors Of any consequence
ought to be ablo to get chance In
this city tho only new stock company
will be the Murray Hill, with Mckee
Rankin and Nance O'Neill at it's head
III Brooklyn there will be stock COM
pany at the Park, with Henrietta Cross
man as leading woman.
With all these companies constantly
changing their bills it will be odd if ut
least ono or two valuable plays are not
discovered i'll tho course of tho season.
The Bicycle Broke His Heart
Here's another subject for sermon
for the bicycle haters, whose numbers
arc happily diminishing with startling
rapidly:
Another old time Brooklyn road
house, and one of the best known in its
DIZZY, passed out of existence recently
when the place Of Captain ". A. Brown
Ill the Ocean boulevard, near Parkville
was sold at auction, and the bicycle is
to blame, say Browns friends.
The place was the rendezvous for
many of the best known horsemen of
this city and Brooklyn. who were in
the habit of driving down the boulevard
years ago and until tho bicycle became
the fad of the day. Brown regarded the
bicycles and their riders as his enemies.
He thought the use Of the wheel would
soon be abandoned. He refused to cater
to bicyclists.
Then the horsemen began to frequent
the boulevard less MS the bicyclists in
creased in numbers. When Captain
Brown perceived this, he realized that
his fight was to be In vain. He became
morose and disheartened, and when he
died, about one year ago, his friends
declared that the bicycle had broken
his heart
There were several bidders for tho
buildings and lots, which were sold to
Otto Huber for $40, 900. He will re-
place the buildings with big hotel.
Tho furniture, paintings, etc., which
cost 100000 when new, brought less
than $1,000. Two horses which once
held trotting records and for which
Captain Brown paid $1,000 each some
years ago sold for $40 each. For some
time they have been driven to u vege-
table wagon.
Sothern's New Play.
In addition to Mr.. E. II. Sothern and
his regular company Daniel Frohman