The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-30

After four hours we reached Ober-
| 2mmergau, quietly nestled under the
| cr0ss-crowned peak OF an overtower-
| ing mountain, and apparently taking
It's MONDAY nap 10 the music of the
purling, clear Ammer river that flows
through the center Of the town. The
rattle Of a few pieces of coin quick
ered gastnaus proprietor to provide
| a very palatable meal latter the usual
much waiting Of this country, and, let
it be said. at very moderate price.
We were glad to eat out on the side
walk, that We might avoid the fumes
OF poor tobacco and beer that filled
he dining-room.
Dinner being over. we eagerly
sought the place of the Passion Play.
What was our disappointment to see
that the grassy plat where the pi0us
country people formerly came and
watched this religious festival in rev
e-ent wonder was all dug out, and over
| the same large steel framework was
| being erected, reminding one Of gi-
gantic camp meeting tabernacle or the
alter. The old stage is all that remains
of the former place. This may be used
again, and it may not. i he talk Of the
| town is, how many foreigners, l. G,
| how many dollars, will be brought 10
| the place next year. That their antlc-
| ipations are great is evident from the
| extensive preparations which are be-
| ing made to accommodate the guests.
The names Of those who will take the
different parts in the play-eXcept the
chorus-will not be known till Octo-
Der. We found of course, feyerish in
terest among some Of the asplrantS. A
committee, consisting of the burgo-
master and eighteen others, has the
selecting. That there should be some
unholy wire-pulling for position. as
there was among the first disciples Of
Jesus, would not be surprising.
Our time was SO Limited that we
could not interview many of the for
mer actors. Joseph Meyer, the former
Christus, was so busy furnishing or
ders of his own wood carving for ad-
miring English patrons that he could
not be seen. He is we'll and vigorous,
and the only argument used against
his taking the same part for the third
time is that he is getting gray. A lit
tie hair dye may fix that difficulty.
Peter Rendel, the son-in- law of Meyer,
who played the part Of John, Will, so
report says, have the same part again.
A talk with him, wherein he manifest
ed a modest, sweet character, in spite
of the lionizing he received from Viii
liam T. Stead in London, shows him
to be a man eminently fitted to act the
character of John. We regarded our
selves fortunate in being able TO pur-
chase from him one of his own wood
carvings of Christus at very moder-
ate price. Meyers son, also a very
modest man, will again have charge
of the chorus of 800 voices. The angel
in the Garden of Eden and Gethsemane
scenes we found very much under the
influence of the bad spirit of strong
drink. He hopes to take the same part
again. It is fortunate for him that the
same temperance views do not prevail
here as in America. The entire win
ter will be given to rehearsals, AMI the
play will be first given to the public
on the 23d Of May next.
We returned to the railroad station
by bus at one-sixth the price charged
us in the morning. Is it strange that
as we left this beautiful little town we
wondered, ''Will this great religious
festival of centuries degenerate into
twentieth century theater, as the old
time camp meeting has into a lecture
and recreation grOund?"