The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-09

BLAINE USEO III LIVE.
polite way where the lady desires to be
seated, and he will frequently receive
a sharp and petulant answer. The
men, too, make many similar blunders
in dealing with the ticket seller, but the
man behind the window keeps his tenn
per.
Actors and actresses of ability and
standing have splendid audiences here.
Mr.. Joseph Jefferson gave u perform.
ance of "Trip Van Wrinkle" last year
and the audience was one of the finest
that could have been assembled in the
world. You probably have heard thar
the great actor and President Cleve-
land are very warm persona friends,
and Of course President and Mrs. Cleve.
land attended that performance. Mi.
Jefferson always has large audiences
wherever he goes, but the fact that
the president was to attend naturally
induced many prominent people to wit
ness the performance who might not
otherwise have gone on that particular
occasion. In a box adjoining the stage
sat the president with his wife and sew
eral of her intimate lady friends. The
ether boxes were occupied by members
of the cabinet and their families. The
secretary of state, the secretary of the
treasury and the secretary of the in
terror, with their families, occupied the
lower tier of boxes. In the audience
there were all of the diplomats from
foreign Countries, majority Of
senator's misrepresentation, the
justiee and associate Justices
supreme court, and others q
reputation and ~distinctieg& a.,
dom that any actor ha
ence.
The veteran perfcrm&
Rip Van Wrinkle for full N I
never did he appear to bey
than upon the occasion al
ease, grace, n~aturalness
power of the celebrated al
the vagabond Rip brought !.
after round of applause. In
nificent scene where the old
for recognition and finally CO.
his daughter to remember her long
lost father, the actor brought tears ia
all eyes, and Grover Cleveland was
obliged to rub his handkerchief over
his eyes, just like the rest of us. With
equal facility the actor caused the audi.
ence to be conyulsed with laughter in
the humorous parts of the play, partic-
ularly when he tells his wife Gretchen
to turn away the villain of the play.
give him a cold potato and let him go.'
Mr.. Jefferson viii probably never again
give a rendition Of his celebrated
play; certainly never again to such an
audience.
Although this city is what the theat.
rical people call "a good theater town.
that is, a city which literally patron.
ICES the plays, there has never been a
frst-class building in Washington un.
til within the last year. OF course, the
opera houses and theaters have not
been common. but there has been none
TO compare with the places of amuse-
ment in the great cities.
We now have a very handsome the.
alter and it is built upon the site of the
late residence Of James G. Blaine. n
is a historic place. For many years
the old Washington club was there. and
in front Of it occurred the celebrated
tragedy Of 1889, Awhen Daniel r. S;cl.la.
killed Phil Barton Fey. It was in tbs
same building hat william H. seward
resided as secretary of state when ~
assassin entered and almos. kiued h;n
on the night when President T.,naol-
was killed. While Blaine was &c.,
tary Of state he resided there. ana 4
that house he died.
There was almost universal nro....
against the transfer Of the nroner4ns
new propriftors for the pnrpos
building a theater, but Mrs. BIaIns M
sued her cvn course, as sbo bas -
all her life regardless OF the viii ars
wishes Of others. Consequently onr
amusemeFt-loving people ana tbs;s
h~andsomest and best theater I, shae
site. sNrTH Z r
The statue Of Jupiter Olympus b,
Phidias was of gold and ivory and wss
ss feet high. It was finished il ne ve-r
A4A LA-M