The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-21
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The decision or one OF the large music halls 20
"buspend 4" the free list in q fashion somewhat
moro serious than the presence of those words on
q sign in the lobby of a theatre usually implies
ought not TO DO surprising to many Of the per
sons familiar with tho extent to which froo
admittance is allowed in some Of these halls. In
at least two OF them there were twenty members
of q certain club who wore allowed at any time
to get q box simply BY presenting their names at
the box Office. II II happened that two or three
members among the twenty came on the came
men vaguely described as about town."
who are constantly to DO seen In these
g ESS ssm SFs nSS' ana Sr al @c SgG OF t & pay are SnS & 1Sss
the sort that would pay admission, 1t has nevor
s sPssS,sS f %SIto, S SlS sai,. ius a., why 5Sr they gs shSSlS 81 b
bio that many Of them. viii continue TO enjoy
halls has been regarded as tie reason Tor this iiS:
erality on the part Of the managers, end thor will
h hnEe ks & th ist Pse sInpty N Is tsf t Ross1nF 70 rsi Gsne sR Ssa
It's share In bringing about the great increase In
tho number of regular deadhcads.
Nobody who has read the English reports OF
Nine. Melba's fine condition can fail to feel o
sense of satisfaction that she is likely to return
here with her voice as good at 1t ever was. Tho
unanimity OF the London newspapers on that
point seems to mako It certain that she has quite
recovered her health. Tho record Of her appear
ances In opera will give even moro convincing
proof Of her condition. Mime. Melba's re-
engagement ut Coyent Garden after the an.
nouncements that she would not be heard there
this year seems to show that the managers cen.
not afford to be so inSependsnt In the
times thinks. The syndicate conducting affairs
Mt Covent Garden this year is making an
certain amount Of debt being regarded as In
So the salaries are not so large as they have
been, and none Of them was Increased; The syn,
a q Ssrso rs sSla 70 ana hSTs tS Uner nmo Mmei sh me very ais Dis,
deinfully refused. She wanted at least q .O0o.
T T.,t syn nnS1i ~, would aiag not Pay 20 y much s%an, and sv Mime;
after a while that she was needed. nd the man.
myers Of the opera In London had 10 pay the
81 900.
The bargains in straw hats this season are not
confined 80 much az they formerly were to the
peddlers' wagons In the streets. There was an
outbreak Of straw hat shops oil over the city
about a month ago. and these have become the
scenes OF the bargains. Tho buildings occupied
by these shops appear to be to let and their pos
session by tho hat sellers to be merely tempo
rary. The shops arc scattered about every part
OF the town and evidently the promoters Of this
new departure believe that bargains are as much
appreciated In one part Of the town as the other,
One of the respects in which the English makers
taste is very noticeable this year. Until straw
hats became rood style ~ for town oU Meaf In Eng,
which Of all available materials, seemed, the
least to the purpose. But the English makers
polished ieatherha band has become an institu'
The opening OF the season as usual brought out
a number OF lurid hat bands. but they are prob.
Which in %Hts. a man Sni fee 10 as i Il he e Wants snt thu mosi
completely summerlike outfit that he can get
when the first warm weather comes. The
bon pervade the town. and from the frequency
of their appearance we would suppose that body
really does. In some neiRhborhoods the troop
ribbons arc particularly conspicuous and fouI
one night last Week were plainly distinguish
able even In a group OF heads covered with
towering feathers and luxnriant flowers.
New York appears to be moro economical
about one kind of entertainment than Is Lon
don. Few OF the social functions Of the same
kind here arc as elaborate as the musicales giver
In London. The most expensive artists are en-
gagged. and not only one but u number are EN-
pioyed In a single afternoon. At one house
las, week Cslys, Esmes: plapGons Van DySk
pad ssysrsf houses asss airi Thsy s Ss% '3 Sos sFp's @SsiesI,
formers would DO regarded. as very dine
Such groups are never heard together
s &s;roS o,iisaae Jean Ga Dc a Rssi0s'n h%s suns ~ in sew .n'
orai places. but II was as u guest and not as 6
frequently neaI ai1st sung at at Lady Iui Dc Gray's. Il was IS sait
IL one 81 IA sae b London SS ,,I nsnw w{,T iSN that nun lean .S d,
failed to appear at the opera. but continued Il
sing In private. and that charge brought out NJ
emphatic letter from, the tenor denying that h,
had been in u condition to sing anywhere. There
upon the newspaper apo!ogized.
II the American Bible Society can obtain
- - III - A..
headquarters for nearly half u century it d
willing to sell 1t and move into new quarters
The purchasers OF this building would undoubt
eddy tear it down and build u modern structure
on the site. When the building WAS begun, II
1852. the plans called for nh up.to-daIe building
and. although 1t was much larger than the 10
ciety needed for itself, tenants were easily foun'
to hire all the superhuous room. The architec
OF this building was more lavish with his spac
than are architects now, and the most conspicu
ous feature of tho old building Is its big halls
They are wide and long. and they occupy spac
that in a new building would be so utilized
tho site OF the Bible House was uptown and LIANT
in it's neigh horhood WAS comparatively cheap
cost co L only sI,u $4,000 ioot 5oe and Hi0 the b%ildin's itseif co.'s
about 5000 900. The society now thinks tina
the building and ground are worth $l,b0o. 900
two years. and It has been the home OF man;
well known charitable organizations. In Recon
years some OF the offices have been turned int
stndios and rented 2 f h,s TIM The bs best 4 k sn0Gi
theatrical people II frequently happene'
that there were curious combinations hrOuRh
about by chance in the hall on which his studi
was situated. Most OF the men seon In the hail
of the old Bible House are. clerical In their AZ
pesrance, and occasionally half a dozen oil then
would be seen coming out in company with
group Of chorus girls or comic opera singer
who had been inspectIng the costume plates 70
usually looked askance ut the highly colore
women, who returned their glances With cur
osity. The Bible House has grown dingy wit
age, and IN recent years tho society has found
difficult to rent all Its rooms.
There was a lot OF grumbling on the part
the spectators who went up to see the Yal
Princeton game on Saturday because OF the e.
trayagant prices charged for everything sold o