The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-21
LIVE TOPICS ABoUr TOWN.

Sir squire Bancroft who Ia to come TO new
York In February, has long been one Of the best
known actors In England, although since his
retirement from the stage Ave years ago he has
been rarely seen in public, and then only as Q
reader for charity. He has devoted himself
chiefly to Dickcns's works, and when he comes
to the United States he will make his public ap-
pearance as a reader Of scenes from this author.
Whether or not he is to read for profit or pleas
ure has not been announced. 1t scarcely seems
probable that even with his reputation. Ameri-
can audiences would be very much attracted
by his work. The vogue Of the elocutionist has
ending from his W works, who is able to draw
faptRermoro only the heat authors who write books
liked by women that ever succeed In making
t bS1Io aP MsS Sns s1 ssSS y9F S.d prS SssS much o %ors
H. II % %stSai ss"a and a. ae SiiH@ssal rs %le Ss ! to i pia,
other hand, made q small fortune here, and An:
thony Hope is reading, the Dolly Dialo zues"
Of sood. sise and enthusiastic, but nearly entirely
feminine. Next year i. Zangwill. who Is not
. spectacular figure, whatever else he may be,
70 read from his Ghetto Stories. Sir Squire
R Bnniisp o and Sir tr,t Henry tTiIo Irving Ing are f,s the S SnIs
ciety to the extent that Beerbhom Tree. George
ties do today. His wife, who was for many
years a popular actress, will accompany him
Of Northumberland avenue and the Garden
Theatre, 10 not related. to the. English actor, In
spite Of the similarity in their names.
A young woman in a red dress and one of the
most popular Of the foreign musicians now in
New York were seated in a box at the Sunday
night concert at the Metropolitan, and they
were naturally enough the objects of consider
able attention from that part of the audience
that sweeps the theatre with its opera glasses.
This contingent 10 numerous even on Sunday
nights, and some Of the most experienced say
that the reward of its efforts at the last con-
cert was greater than the most hopeful ex-
pected. The young woman, who attends the
concerts frequently, enough to be known by
sight, is pretty. and the musician has been on
the Metropolitan's stage several times this win
ter. But was when they retired to the back (
opera glasses enjoyed the view most. The in
termission was. to them the liveliest part Of the
B~runnhilde with a kiss, nothing so intense has
been witnessed, in the theatre. It was only
to the back Of the the boz, that hal robbed OBJ the public
Of the entire theatre of the amusement which
this absorbed pair offered the 800 or 400 who
on Sunday night, received during the week q
very earnest letter from one of his admirers,
f EsSSrihe ni not a to 'r res mSsa t 10 enough 81 'e ene eonse to
drag, the programme out to its recent lengths.
The basso was about to respond to this request
single concert ut which M. Plancon has sung
Tor the past four years. wrote him that she had
him the ~favorite of the evening. He knows
those fans. which are sold at a downtown shop
for 81 a dozen: They can make more noise
raised an uproar. They are beaten violently
together, on the orchestra chairs or on any old
thing that happens to be handy. NJ. Plancon
STOOD between love and duty, lit gave one
encore. which looked like a compromise.
The victory won by the Chicago bootblacks
in getting the shoe dealers to stop giving free
shines isn't likely to furnish a precedent for New
York bootblacks, because the :average man in
this town values his time too much to waste IL
In making a trip to a certain shoe store that he
may save tho price of a shine. The picture
dealers in this town, though, think that they
shops than the bootblaoks. Several years ago
. big shoe shop placed a valuable oil painting
IN its wip Hbo to attract attention. t,nt ond The paint \.
later 1t had been sold. Another picture took
its place and before the window of this shoe
Other shoe dealers saw The advantage Of such an
exhibition, and the result has been that many
OF them nlos SelI pictures ctUres S Is VOL fo A. shoes th now. er ssH.
pie, and the artists. who are willing to expose
their work in this fashion have found that il
brings quick sales.
A man who recently spent Q day In Long Isl
and City says that it has the oldest lot of police
men to be found in any city in this country, moi
even excepting Boston. 'Ifound a dozenimen, he
said. who would have been retired for age year,
ago had they been on the New York force. some
Of the policemen are cripples;, One old man who
Tor many years tended a trolley switch in Long
Island City is now q policeman. Then there is 9
Of his Honor.the Mayor. He Joined the police
force, and at the end Of his first week he found
himself a roundsman. At the end of his SECOND
week he was a Sergeant, and before he had beer
ON the force a month he was a Captain. One o.
the present Police Commissioners isa cabman
The next time you go over to Long Island City
take a look at the policemen and see IL they arr
not an interesting crowd OF old men.