The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-05
I'VE TOPICS ABOUT roWN.

Nine. Brazil, who has been engaged to sing
at the Metropolitan with the Damrosch-Elis
company, is an American c%ontralto who has Tor
several seasons been singing with success In
Europe. Her real name is Pratt and the Italian
form Of the name which she has devised fortu-
nately gives no intimation OF the place OF hcr
nativity, which is somewhere in the West, Last
year when 1t was thought that q regular season
at the Metropolitan would be given under the
customary auspices she was engaged by MAUI
rice Grau. All the European reports of her
talents have been highly favorable, and they
have come largely from London, where for sew
eral years she was heard at Covent Garden.
Maurice Grau has recently engaged for his
Wagner performances a German singer who
has won renown in that theatre as well as In
Hamburg and Bayreuth. This is Frau schu.
mann-Heink. and as she has been commended
by American critics as well, there is not the
customary uncertainty as to her talents: Inc
popular singers Of the company at the Metro
rope this winter. Indeed, Mile. Calve, who is ap,,
pearing in Paris. just now Is. tho only one OF
peDsation which is said to be less than one
tenth of the amount paid for her services IN this
%s tSs Seyc,0 ga oi T sn,sry RGid !.s tE her IS io said sin g bs
800 u night, and as the weekly average Is not
more than tbroe performances 1t can readily DC
for the merely pecuniary reward of her efforts.
Nine. Eamcs will not be heard until next spring
the a"s c owe aV GSrde H's seasons aiioa to Il" tho St Study Of some
of the Wagnerian roles. NJ. Maurel, the dc
ResZkes, along with Nine. Litvinne Will go TO
st. Petersburg and sing there at the Theatre
Marie, viii III is the royal theatre OF the Rus,
sian capital. They will sing the trilogy and
which they are TO be heard there all acting and
singing in the Russian language Is forbidden.
This is the season of fasting and only perform.
ances in foreign languages are allowed during
the four weeks preceding Easter.
Tho permanent circus has had a trial here
and its protector announces that the experiment
was q failure. Now that the trial has been
made the permanent circus idea will probably
be allowed to drop for a while and tho vari-
GUS daring imprcsarios who have been con-
templating such a scheme on paper may confine
their attention to the roof gardens and Turkish
baths which have been an invaluable feature OF
the great establishments contemplated by them
on paper. New York docs not need a perma-
nent circus, probably because its circus interest
is intensive and not extensive and exhausts
itself completely every spring. with the six
weeks spectacle at the Madison Square Garden.
The foreign cities which support circuses have
no such attendance at any time during the year,
and the average circus performance in Paris,
Berlin or Vienna would arouse only the profound
contempt Of the average american yoMnss.eri
mcagre entertainments that contain nothing In
common with the rampant, overwhelming ma
ture of a New York performance OF the same
character. That they cannot, be supported on
another scale was shown plainly enough several
yse eaFs nsG I Seeau see !, r Sad not apfR FOR several Years ar
paid the expenses, or its maintenance. But
there is u prospect that something as dangerous
attention Of enterprising New York managers.
The American ":Moulin Rouge" which, so far rs
and dancing for the SPECTATORS, is the latest sub
stitute that has appeared. Already II swims
ers' ors sne eses and u, ire renters. Maybe it viii sur "
vive as a healthy substitute for the permanent
circus
A young man who either was or was not q
naval oficer-the REALTORS of the story do not
agree on this point-became so elated by the
punch served at the navy yard ball on New
Years eve that.hc beguiled a pretty Brooklyn
girl under a very small sprig of mistletoe and
attempted by force to make her pay the penalty.
1t is officially stated that the punch was ordi-
nary claret punch, almost as harmless as
lemonade, but different in color. 1t is possible
that tho explanation of the young mans pre-
sumption may be found in a trick which
marines. have been occasionally credited with
playing late in the evening which is Off
ciaily known as "spiking the punch This Is
sometimes done when tho punch runs low and
rum or other strong liquor in large quantities,
and the result has been quick. Such liberties
with the puntll are uSuullS CEtulLeu 10 lnc
marines. who are believed in the service TO have
no troubles OF theiI own. a man who has en-
joyed a navy yard punch said yesteIdayt that it
was very mild. and as compared with the
famous regents punch Of the Fort Orange
Club in Albany it was as water. This latter
punch has no connection with the State Board
Of Regents though the'victims of it admit that
II Is educational. According TO popular report
it is prepared after a formula known only in the
club and allowed TO stand for at least six
months before i; is served. The last record on
this punch wa made by, a wine agent who
= I.-=..E. ~ II aud e. lao n~n
glass of il will make an. ordinary man think
that he owns the Capitol building, and another
glass usually sends him of to Try to put his
pocket. In comparison with this punch that
served at the navy yard Is merely pink tea.
A iani,or Of an uptown apartment house re.
ceiycd a request from an old tenant last week
which staggered him.. This woman has a
daughter whose engagement has just been an
nounced and whose marriage will occur in Feb
ruury. In accordance with the regulations laid
down by the owner of the house the steam Is
turned off every night at IL 80 and the janitor
says that no protest has ever been made. Mrs.
Hank, after remembering him very handsomely
on Christmas, came down TO his quarters one
day last week and said;
] want to ask you not to shut Off the steam in
our apartment during the next week until 1880
In the morning.
Tho janitor has been hesitating between his
duty to the owner of the house and his desire to
please Mrs. Blank and Mrs. Blanks prospective
son-in.law. but he says that the latter must be
something OF a novice.
Anthony Hope went to a dinner in Mott
street given in his honor on New Years Day,
and ate preserves. birds nests. sour fish. fried
rice bird. sweet fish. fried pigeon. and unidenti.
lied things. drank rice wine. and presumably
thanked his hosts and kept his private opinion
of the feast TO himself. The tea served at this
particular restaurant is good, and there arc a
few OF It's Chinese. dishes which are not un.
pleasant, but aside from the novelty Of II a Chi
nese dinner has little to recommend 1t to Euro.
peans. Within the past four or i've years the
proprietors OF these places have discovered that
II paid to cater 70 the foreign devils. and they
have been 30 anxious to serve dinners to them
that they have attempted to Americanize their
cooking. One OF these restaurants bought a
large quantity OF blue and white teapots from
a department store and the proprietor disposes
devils who come to eat his dinner and carry
away O souvenir. Perhaps Mr.. Hope got one
of them.
Most OF the applicants for the directorshir
NJ the Op6ra Comique in Paris are moro or less