The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-25
LrrE ror1cs ABour rowx.

dressed and q little dandifed. He awaited his
turn holding all the time Mt his side some OBJ
ject which could not be seen. Here. you next.
sir" brought him TO his feet. But he did not
sit down. It was not his shoes that were to be
blauked. He held up n pair Of small. French
heeled walking boots which must have be-
longed either to n very small woman or to one
with very small feet. The contrast between
the boots and the appearance OF the man, which
did not in the least sugEest that he was tho
sort, OF person to be seen on upper BROADWAY
In the morning with a pair OF woman's boots
IN his possession. was too much Tor the rest OF
tend sS q that he did not not s %s their siIeS smiles as he sat
down to wait for the. boots, When they were
handed back to him he took the precaution OF
having them wrapped up.
A correspondent OF THE SUN writes to know
why the London system OF recovering articles
lost in cabs is not followed here, and gives
some experiences OF his own as we'll as OF his
friends to show the success Of the plan. He
writes that articles OF considerable Na'ue lost
from time to time In London were tl' recov-
cred entirely through the efficiency OF the sys-
tenn practiced there. The cabmon who ind
articles left by passengers take them to Scot
land Yard. where they are left In charge OF q
bureau especially organized to look after such
articles. They are delivered to the person
who lost them only on the PAYNE t OF 2 ger.
goes to the eabman and q small share OF 1t is
retained by the police. The system has proved
is enough to make L worth the cabman's while
to act with honesty, while 1t is not enough to
be a hardship 70 the loser, The use 81 Sab, cabs
number Is much smaller. two facts which
make the Iondon system. excellent as y ma,
the Objects left behind in cabs are probably
not Of enough value to make 1t worth the
losers' while to 10 to any great trouble in re-
onyprinn thnm. hut thew are uauAlly worth the
visit to Police aeadquarters, 4 i were eertsin
rooms devoted by the street railways to the ar
ticles found in cars are rarely, visited and the
public Indifference thus manifested to the re-
covery OF its small losses Is sometimes aston
ishing.
1t is rather late in the proceedings to an
nounce that Giaoomo Puccini 10 writing his
next opera for Mme. Melba. This work is to
be founded on Sardou's L Tosca." and the
composer has already been employed on It for
at least a year. 1t is indeed SO far advanced
that some OF tho music has been played to
Victorien Sardou. who was at first somewhat
opposed to the use OF his play rs a libretto. but
was delighted with what he heard OF Puccini's
score. In June. when he went to Paris, the
composer played to Sardou a prelude which
the playwright regretted was not In existence
when his play was acted first. that It might
have been given along with the play. This
part OF the score was supposed to represent
| chimes is 80 managed as TO reproduce the best
known bells in home. Nine. Melba may sing
In La Tosca" when It is completed. but 1t was
in prospect before she stabbed L .Boheme"
with the composer. and may be said to have been
n wsist tSot i@ aIu hss S Soaid p be des snf sSm as q ee com-
position designed especially Tor her. The com-
poser who succeeds in finding so famous a
is a lucky thing for Puccini that Nine. Melba
is to be heardi in La Boneme." and few compos;
Under such favorable circumstances. Nine.
Melba may be heard in J. Tosca." for she Is
said to believe that strong dramatic roles are
the kind to which she should devote herself in
about as much as ."Lohengrin. was written
Carmen" for Mile. CaIve. and "The Barber
Of Seville" for Mme. Sembrich.
Popular actors often have humble beginnings.
That fact is never likely to damage their fame.
which usually makes the public quite indiffer-
ent to what they may have been before they
began to act. or. for that matter. what they
are of the stage. Even in the case Of those
who become what are called matinee favorites.
the absence OF interest In their beginnings is
noticeable. One Of the young actors now on
the stage in New York. and just at this time a
| great ~favorite with women as we'll As with all
here several years ago as a supernumerary.
and rose to local renown more romptl than
most actors, even Wnen InelT nONlllNlb ID Drl0I.
This particular actor was a plumber origi;
naIly. and In the nrst days, OF his professional
career stuck to his vocation in the daytim,e.
useful. training that he received along with a
dozen or moro actors who represented the
firm in a downtown street. Now he Is one Of
the rising figures In theatrical life. and nobody
TSme loo Ser upon OF cf him t as a her, now n sU Would pPobl
ably never have noticed his good looks oply a
few years ago, Blu as he never showed the
| -raak tn1anf In hia nraf nrnfnaainnf that hn did
later. his former obs;urity casts no reflection
on the discernment OF the public.
There are half a dozen women in this town.
said q Headquarters detective. each Of whom
became notorious in some tragedy-which was
the talk OF the town. and each Of whom can be
counted on to bring herself before the public Mt
| regular intervals by reason Of actions which
seem to court publicity. One Of these women
was the cause OF a murder for which her com
mon law husband was sent to Sing Sing. An
other was indicted for murder. and after q SEN
implicated in the tragic death OF a weii-known
Wall street man. Previous to that event this
ker was killed by jumping, from her window
when he thought that her husband was com
ing. There was no Sriminel charge agajnst
where and lived without causing police inter
~feronce. her connection with this tragedy OF
notice, however. that she. was engaged In one
of her usual quarrels last week. She has
! changed her name. and she IL now the head Of
a boarding house. About twice a year either
she or some OF her boarders summon the po-
lice to settle a dispute. We keen track OF these
W omen and O closer record Of them than they
imagine"
The artist in hard luck is a sympathetic fig
urs that appeals to many persons who would
not bestow charity promptly on a paperhanger
that might appeal to them. 1t is a knowledge
OF this that has enabled one enterprlsinR fakir
to get the best OF a good many unsuspectinR
citizens. He has presented himself at several
places with a water color painting which Is so
bad that IL looks as II 1t might possess wonder
full merits Of some weird and UNDESIRABLE
kind. On the picture Is usually stamped the
name OF some art or decorative society. and
that the picture has been shown there. Us
ually a letter OF introduction is brought along
with the picture. One OF these was presented
to a musical publisher the other day, The
and wanted work. but In the meantime he
wanted some money to help him through. For
this he was perfectly willing TO leave the, pic
ture as a deposit. In one place the proprietor
let him have 81. which was the extent Of his re-
quest, and then gave him an order to de- sign
aona aouu oOyara v'ha man navar On m a hack