The San Francisco call., 1898-04-24

@iiS performance brought the structure, the piano, and Signor Lambelet all to- gether into the pit beneath. If signor had come under the piano he might have been killed; as it was he merely fell into and crashed through the big | drum, from whose ruins he soon emerged harmless, except for the mo- mentary effects of the shock which he
 The new piece is called "The Transit of Venus" From what I can hear of it 1t differs from the musical comedy (which we have been accustomed to for some time pasD in that it's structure resembles that of comic opera more nearly than it does that type of play which has come to be associated with musical comedy, that is to say, The | Transit of Venus" has consistent plot and the music is constructed with some regard to unity" latter day mu- sical plays being generally compounds of poor tunes, poorer choruses and still poorer dialogue strung together indis- criminately and resembling a variety entertainment
 The music is said to be very bright and beautiful, and some who have heard 1t during the last few days say that 1t is really good comic opera. The composer. notwithstanding his French name is a Greek whose productions have won him great praise in his own land. and only quite recently Signor Lambelet was awarded a special decor ation by the Khedive of Egypt for music which he wrote for some na- tional celebration in that country. He is, I may add, a young man of very handsome appearance, his features having the beauty of the Greek and the vivacity or brightness Of the French. He is to conduct the first per formance tonight The "book," or libretto, is by MT. Tanner, the author of several of the most amusing and successful burlesques and comedies seen on the English stage for some time, "The Circus Girl" for instance, The Ballet Girl" Tn Town" and ether pieces, all of which were pro duced first in London, and the first of which has now been running in Lon don for more than a year The scene is laid in the Austrian Tyrol and the time is the present day. Of course, the choice of the Austrian Tyrol gives an opportunity for making the cos tunes a once picturesque and true to the reality, and this opportunity has not been neglected. The play, as it is the fashion now, consists of two acts, but the second act is divided into two scenes. and the whole is said to go well. It is fully expected that a big success will be achieved, and if it were for nothing else than to reward the enter prise of the owners of the new theater, it is to be hoped that that expectation will be fully realized.
 I understand that the holidays are bringing an unusually large number of visitors to Ireland for Easter Even many fashionable folk are this year coming to Ireland from England in stead of going to the Continent. This. no doubt, is the result of the efforts made in the course of the last couple of years to popularize Ireland as tourist resort. Truth to tell, though the natural attractions of several parts of the country are almost if not quite unsurpassed in Europe, there used not to be much inducement offered to the tourist in the shape of comfortable means of travel and good hotel accom- modation.
 But this can be said no longer with truth. Some of the most picturesque parts of the western highlands, which were inaccessible except to hardy and enthusiastic lovers of natural beauty, are now traversed by railways by means of which it is possible to reach ones destination in almost any direc- tion from Dublin in the course of sin gle day or in even less time. The Shannon is now navigated by commo- diouS steamers throughout the greater part or us IldJeSllc course. tlTSl-cldSS modern hotels, supplied with all the newest conveniences of civilization, have sprung up in all directions, par ticularly in the region of the Kerry Lakes, and wherever those luxurious halting places do not adjoin a railway station car and coach services of an efficient kind afford an easy means of communication with the outer world. Under these circumstances it is na- turally hoped that, when the facts are made known in America and England, Ireland will at last begin to share in the Pactolus stream of tourist traffic which has hitherto set almost entirely in the direction of France, Italy and Switzerland; and certainly it will not be amiss if 1t should so happen.
 Apropos of touring in Ireland, it may be interesting to mention that the Giants Causeway--a spot which must be known to most students of geog raphy, whether they arc Irish or not is now railed off from the general puD- lie and that admission to 1t can be ob tained only by the payment of an en- trance fee of siXpence a head-reduccd on Sundays to half that amount. This is a new departure brought about by the action of syndicate which some time ago purchased the Causeway and tEereupon determined to close it to the public except on the terms of an ad- mission fee being paid by every visitor.
 In my last letter 1 think 1 said a good deal about the late Sir John Arnott of Cork. The latest news about him is that he died even a more wealthy man than was generally supposed. He left behind him at least a million pounds sterling in personality, in addition to real property of considerable amount His will shows that he entertained to the end genuine sympathy with those who assisted him to realize this fine fortune. One of his principal sources of income was his newspaper, the Irish Times To the manager of that pa per he left very considerable legacy. and he has done a similar good turn by the chief men in the management of his other business concerns. On the whole, he ''cut up we'll" as the some what brutal phrase goes, and it is only a pity that he did not live longer to