The San Francisco call., 1898-01-02

woman-an actress of talent-and fol-
 lowed by a retinue of assistants and
 wagons of boys, she visited at the mid
 night hour the dreary tenements of the
 East Side, where there were misery and hopelessness, and where the dawn of the great festival was dreaded. Her
 visits were unheralded. The sur prise was absolute. Empty cupboards
 were filled with food, ragged stockings
 were filled with toys. Parents wept
 with joy, and miserable little people awoke and stared as they saw a Santa Claus such as they had never heard of
 dispensing candies and toys such as
 they had wistfully longed for. Miss
 Otis was overcome with the realiza-
 tion of the good she had done. She
 is a very clever actress, who blythe
 by, says that she will never forget the
 hospitality of California. She visited
 the coast some years ago with the members of the New York Press Club.
 Howard Gould gave a sumptuous
 Christmas dinner to small coterie of friends. Katherine Clemmons, the actress, who is Californian, acted as
 hostess, and the live journals have
 amused themselves with a revival of
 the old yarn that the young million aire and the beautiful Thespian are
 secretly married. Wise men of the
 world know better and wonder at the
 tale.
 A curious story is published this morning - case of "cherchez la femme" The Khedive of Egypt has a
 brother-Mahomet Ali-who is the
 heir apparent. There have been re-
 ports recently that Mahomet Ali had
 practically abdicated his rights. by
 some mysterious action. It is now
 stated that the deed in question. is his
 betrothal to an American heiress-ATlss
 Lillie Wanamaker, daughter of John,
 the great merchant of Philadelphia.
 The story is told circumstantiafly. It
 IS probably untrue, but makes good
 reading nevertheless. Talking of John
 Wahamaker, commercial circles in this city cannot get over their surprise
 that he has succeeded so well with his
 New York venture. He. bought out the
 old A. T. Stewart concern, which had gone to the dogs in a way, and in less
 than two years rebuilt it, so that to-
 day, if rumor speaks truthfully, he does more.business than either Macy's
 or Siegel-Cooper. .'. -
 It is amusing to note how readily
 New York follows the Old World in
 fads. A. clever Frenchman was irlge-
 nious enough. some. years ago to color a peppermint extract with. a pretty
 shade of green. and to call it a. cream.
 London liked the concection and New. York followed suit. The Johnnies
 started in: a couple of seasons ago to drink Scotch whisky, and every: New Y ork man about town now makes @Glenlivet his tipple.. Importations of the. Scotch liquor are: becoming enor-
 nous and such brands as. the .Wii-
 liarns' are booming. In. champagne New York is slayish in it's: tastes. Whatever the Prince of Wales drinks goes here. Every one of the big brands
 have their day. Moet and: Chandon
 has ruled the. roost for. several sea-
 sons Echoes from London: last sum-
 mer told of. the :chappies giving prefer. E ence :to Roederer,- and now. on the menus of swell dinners. here that. brand is generally noticed, - - :, One of the first; things Californians. do when they get here is to look at the
 amusement calendars in. the papers. They are all theater- mad. Is it be-
 cause theatricals: have become; dull. with you?' Ruins are not. .internfnable. at the BroadwaY theaters;. so that there i are often disappointment for those who: have. set their hearts upon seeing d particular artist or play. But the I knowing ones have learned that. the | termination of a plays run on Broad I way: does not mean that it has dis | appeared from the: gaze. of New: York l CTS :: Successful productions inyaria- bly, stay irl the 'enXfrons for a While in |. Brooklyn. = Williamsburg or. Harlem. AS it is only a matter of minutes: to get kto any .of-these; outlying theaters New Workers who have niissetsll show at it's original place have got ,4nto the. habit | of. journeyfng to these burgs: = l- At the Harlem Qpera-house on West 1. One Hundred and Twenty fifth street; there is always-1a contingent of these strangers in. fhe audience. : The bulk i. of those present are from the neigh l, borhoed and: there is a: curious provfn- | cfaL appearance to these audiences. The ! people are all acquainted: there is bow Fling, and modelling and visiting during | the: entr' acts, just as one: sees at the l German Theater on Irving Place. Cal i. ifornianS- :who have learned the trick I are often seen at this -theater. A few, nights: ago Mrs J. :DcWney Harvey was
 there: The: night was stormy: and l slushy, but she had made the trip to. i. gratify: her desire to See. Julia Arthur | in her tfiumphant :ifnpersonation of | Clorinda Wildairs in: "A Lady of Qual-- l ity.'" A day; later; Miss. Geraldine 1 Bonner. was noticed. enjoying. the per .formance with the. :zest of sympathetic appreciation fortified by critical. dis
 continuation. . Miss Bonner has been
 very successful in her plans. to become
 a resident ifttera teilr and has found: a field for her. gifted pen. :. .'. Willie. Babcock was. met on the. Ave- I:nue a day or. two. ago.. He. was en- joying the crisp winter air. He Is on his way to Europe. .:Shafter'. Howard, who is now. a
 thorough. New Yorker; is a constant at
 tendant at concerts. He is a thorough I musician and is enjoying himself huge ly with eopious dTaughts of chamber music dispensed% by such writers as i EJoseffy,: Scharwenka and the Kneisel quartet -, :-::>. .