The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-02-19
IN TIE METROPOLIS.
ON THE BOWEEy-ATLAN
GARDEN-A PERFORMANCE.
Vaudeville and Why 1t Prospers--
The living Song SAee5-Fires in
New York and Firemen.


Especial Correspondence of Record Union.)
NEW YORK, Feb. 12-There is a
large and very popular concert hall Oo
use the term in its ordinary accept
ance) on the Bowery that. little known
TO the prouder residents of English
speaking New York is as little known,
! except by reputation to the average
/ Boweryite, and this reputation is too
slow. 1t is, however, a favorite spot
for most Of the German population,
whether of high or love degree, and there
are very few Of these who are not we'll
acquainted with its inexpensive forms
of amusement.
In outward appearance it is hardly
attractive, and the fact that it is re-
sort of the Bowery and that it's patrons,
to gain an entrance, have either to pass
] through a saloon or what is apparently
the family entrance" attachment to the
same, does not make it any more allur-
ing to one of nice tastes. But for that
matter such one viii hardly be found
on this avenue till it assumes another
name.
Without any undue moralizing your
NOi pOiIoCAt Will dtlFiliPl " QCSCl IpC
what he saw at the above place, which,
by the way, is known as the Atlantic
| Garden, not many evenings ago.
/ Passing through the saloon one enters
a very spacious, pillared and rough
raftered apartment capable of seating
about a thousand persons. 1t is now
filled with humanity, chairs, tables and
tobacco smoke; the latter element pre-
vailing to an uncomfortable degree.
! One can either remain on the floor,
for which privilege nothing is charged,
excepting the cost Of the beverages con-
sumed, or he may choose to pay 10 cents
to an individual of Indifferent mien who
sits in a box at the foot of a short flight
of uncarpeted and triffic-worn steps and
/ ascend to a balcony that extends half
way around the room.
The balcony has its quota of chairs
and tables also, and it was some time
before l could secure a seat. Being in
AN elevated position one has good view
of the place, deducting some pronounced
difficulties in the way of tobacco smoke.
The stage is very rough affair, look
ing like q large inverted box more than
anything else, and unenhanced by the
presence of scenery, though what is
lacked in this respect is balanced by the
orchestra This is made up of seven
pieces, five of which are operated by
women, and as professional orchestra
composed Of women is not very COM
mon occurrence I will for the curious of
/ femininity, describe this one. There
was pianiste, a trombone and clario-
net player and two violinists. They
were uniformed in evening costume of
pink and white and While in one or two
instances the features were pretty, all
were of the unristakable German type,
and like most male performers on wind
instruments, neither the fair clarionetist
! or the tromboniste We're at all zephyry
as to appearance. All came up to a
musical standard Of fair degree, how
ever.
/ The various numbers on the gaudy lit
! tie programme were not of a kind to
cause brain fever because of the obscur-
! ity Of the point. One was a trapeze
/ duet" with the usual clown appendage,
whose horse play the audience were
much more interested in than in the art
of mid-air action.
There were the usual indispensable
adjuncts in the way of comedy artists
''travesty sketch artists" etc, whose eff
forts to amuse the audience were en-
tirely confined to marring each others
/ features and banging one another about
the platform generally. Were they sue
cessful? Well, the applause that greeted
such histrionic gems as bringing plank
down upon an unsuspecting victims
head Wuld have refreshed the spirits
/ Of an Irving, Mansfield or a Crane.
There was no sad attempt at aged wit
| ticsms such as one hears in refined
vaudeville" up town; instead the talent
were very evidently playing to the Teu-
| tonic character in the audience. and
when Herr Wilhelm and his frau depart
/ to find enjoyment at the Atlantic Gar
den the foaming glass with suspicion
Of music are the main essentials and
nothing very complicated is wanted in
the way Of mental pyrotechnics on the
stage.
The names on the programme would
i hardly be recognized by a habitue of
Keith's or Roster & Biars, rather they
seemed to be of that class which wan
der over the country as performers in
the minor country circus, or barn
storming variety" There was one
number" however, who deserves special
mention because she seemed to be rather
| out Of place personally, If not profess
sionally. She was on the programme as
an operate vocalist" and appeared
rugged out in all the snowy attire af-
fected by her ilk and in what was meant
| to be charming facial expression, but
instead sadly artificial.
| Shortly after her turn" l saw the
young woman emerge from the little
cubby hole under the stage and pick
/ her way through the crowded tables to
! the exit She was dressed in plain
/ black now, carried a bundle under her
arm, and her countenance was pale
and sad. The few who noticed her as
she passed could not have done so with
out feeling some momentary compass
sion.
The large corps of walters, who We're
mostly too German to know any Eng
/ fish, were kept cons family rushing
about, supplying very heavy demand.
| / looked about among the crowd for
/ somebody who was not German and
| succeeded in discovering two Chinese
with an American companion, a solita-
/ ry soldier, and another. This last was
smooth-shaven and in clerical garb, and
| / judged he was there as an incident to
IA summing tour. An untouched glass
/ of sarsapariIa was at his elbow and
/ he was regarding the performance in
tently If he was searching for any
| thing questionable, and he evidently
was. he would have found 1t a hum
dred times more readily in a home of
refined vaudeville" uptown.
| The ''Cinematograph, that uptown
| has outsrown, was here as the star at
/ traction. Among the scenes shown was