The times., 1898-05-15

dozen park resorts will be running garden
parties and lawn festivals may be expect
ed to continue and, all In all, the summer
manager had best think twice before act
ing. He must also consider the fact that
1t costs very nearly as much to run a
theater in one time of the year as in an
other. that salaries to a stock company
eat big hole in the sum usually given
road attractions and that at best prices
must be cut considerably during the
warm weather
When all of these have been counted
upon, the margin between profit and loss
becomes smaller than the nature of a
mean man, and the average hacker loses /
enthusiasm with race-track speed There
is no reason why one good stock COM
pany, such as the Columbia will have
should not pay, but attention is called
to the fact that, of the five organi2a-
tions that began life last June, only one
remained a month, and that particular
one was not the single exception that
made money. "A hint to the wise is suf-
ficient.''
The possibilities of patriotism were
amply exemplified last week at the La
fayette Square Opera House, when
Sousas grand military spectacle, THE
| Trooping of the Colors, was given.
Never before in the history of a local
theater has popular enthusiasm been
worked up to the point that the music
and brillianee of the entertainment there
brought out. Love of country was at
SO on the ice cooler long before the
program was over, and during its inter
pretation many exciting incidents oc-
Cured.
Climax rose upon climax until the en-
trance of the American soldiers and sail
ors had been so carefully builded to that
! the ovation they received was startling.
English. French. German, Scotch. Irish.
| Swiss. and other flags had been carried to
! the front to the airs of the countries they
represented, when from the extreme dis
| tanee a band was heard playing Dixie"
| The vast audience was silent until II rec
| ognized the music, and then ID broke into
! cheers and acclamatons that were re-
| doubled when, with the roar of brasses
! and the crash of drums, the famous
| Southern hymn merged into Marching
| Through Georgia" The music seemed 10
| take tangible form and to strike every
man with the earnestness and glory and
| power of it ali-and above everything with
! the wonderful knowledge that ne was an
| American. From all over the house indi-
vidual exclamations came, cheer followed
! cheer gloYed hands and hardened ones
| joined In the applause, and within the
/ space of a minute men and women alike
| had forgotten everything but their eoun-
/ trN. It's GLORIOUS past anu lis HODle luluTSs
! There was no one in the audience just
/ then who would not have willingly died
\ for the Stars and Stripes that hung from
| every crevice in the balconies and waved
! from every staff on the stage. Then all
| in a moment, the chorus rose. every men,
! ber waving a tiny silken flag and long
i line of American soldiers marched I'm. fol-
| lowed By one OF sailors. both dressed in
! distinctive uniforms. Three standard
! bearers and drum corps took their
! places in front of the stage and a single
/ vcice was lifted in singing The Stars and
| Stripes Forever" For a moment all was
/ silence and then came a wonderful
| change. The soloist stopped the men
! stepped forward. guns and cutIasses
! came 10 a present., a hundred flags
! were raised, the band came forward, far
! back the ragged Continentals We're seen
/ Ike the past of great nation, Sousa
! lifted his baton and the march turned into
! The Star SpangIed Banner" a hun
! dred voices sang the anthem, a hundred
! arms raised in salute. the strains of the
/ band were heard and the audience became
| hysterical.
Wild cheers followed each other and
/ echoed around the house; flags and hand
! kerchiefs were waved, people all over the
| theater Joined the chorus and several
wept with enthusiasm. The Uproar lasted
/ full ten minutes. and at its close the
| audience was still in a humor for more
/ Whatever the merit of Sousa's spectacle.
I the effect was certainly wonderful and
! no one who was present at any of the
/ three performances viii ever forget the
powerful voice of a nation heard there
I calling for the glory of its right and free
dom and justice.
The Dramatic Mirror last week pub
lished a decided novelty, in the form OF
patriotic poetry. and one that, outside
| of its timely interest is full of real
merit. Anyone who understands good
verse and especially stage verse, cannot
fail 10 appreciate its quaint humor and
spirit. The lines, which are by Randolph
Hartley, and are entitled THE Song of
the Supers," follow:
We've been the Roman army and we've been the
Paris mob
We've marched with Dave Belaseo's boys in
blue,
We've fought in Shenandoah, and we've often had
OF assisting in The Tanning of the shrew.'
We're battle-battered veterans OF every blessed
age
But we've made last appearance, and we're
going 70 engage
For a season the road with Uncle Sam.
We've rushed across from R. to L. pursuing
| emnty arr
We've done some noble slaughter in the wings.
We've fired a thousand Voiieys on a foe that
wasn't there.
And it seems to me were fit for better things.
We want TO feel the fever of a realistic fight.
| And we want TO STERN a fort that amt sham;
| We're sick Of being soldiers at half plunk per
night,
So we're going on the road with Uncle Sam.
And it isn't for the glory, and it isn't for the
pay
For none Of us expect TO be a star
But it's just the human longing for the mad
ness Of the fray,
| It's the wanting to be really what are
| So we've quit the Roman army, and we've laid
| the props aside.
| And the stage-doo shuts behind US with slam.
And we ain'r afraid OF dying-for we've very
| often died
And we'll gladly die again for Uncle Sam.