davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
American Steel in England.

American steel is now being sent into
Birmingham, England, in very large
quantities, where it is mainly used for
bicycle work. For bicycle purposes, for
bolts and nuts or for anything that
can be made in large quantities by
means of automatic machinery the
American steel Is preferred. not merely
by the manufacturer, who finds it lower
in price, but generally by the workman
as it's uniform temper enables him to
work it smoothly and with consider
ably less wear on the tools. Not only
the products, but the American ma
chimes also are rapidly being introduced
into England, and it is impossible for
anyone who is in the habit of visiting
the large industrial establishments of
England to avoid seeing how rapidly
American labor-saving machines are
being utilized. Specific instances of this
are constantly to be seen-instancers
where British manufacturers, who have
been fighting all their lives against
American machines, have latterly,
through failure to get what they want
ed in England, been compelled to adopt
foreign made lathes and other special
machines, and now say they would not
be without them. The business of sup
plying these inventions is only just be-
ginning. 1t is not to the interest of
British manufacturers to admit this
much. but they are gradually being
forced to the conclusion that there is
no denying the advance of the Ameri-
can, both in his methods of production
his application of these methods in the
use of the machinery by which they
are applied and the superiority of the
men by whom they are made.
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
EVOLUTION OF THE COMIC OPERA
John Gays "Beggar Opera Was but an
Adaptation of an Idea Employed by
the Greeks and Romans.

Comic opera, like the immortal
Topsy. just "growed." 1t was not in
vented like a bicycle or thrashing
machine. 1t is sort of musical frog.
having grown out of something else.
1t is commonly stated that Gays
Beggar's opera, of which it was said
that it made Rich, the manager, gay;
and Gay. the poet. RICH" was the first
comic opera. opera comique, opera
bouffe, or ballad farce. or whatever
name you may choose to designate
comedy studded with lyrics, with must
cal accompaniment. Yet all the ingred-
tents which are found in the Beggar's
able in earlier works.
John Gay, with fine cunning, simply
adapted an old idea which was en-
ployed by the Greeks and Romans. In
the ancient tragedy the actor was ac-
companied by certain, musical instru-
ments which regulated the tones Of his
voice; and the stage was occupied by
chorus There were comic songs, and
as in all of Shakespeare tragedies
save one, the comedy man. Hence, it
will be seen that the Italian and mod
ern opera Spfang from the ancient
tragedy and comedy. in which the same
scheme of action, minus the scenery,
was employed. Songs, choruses and
dances were introduced into these rude
exhibitions. The union of dialogue and
action with music, dancing and pagean-
try, produced that species of entertain
ment known by the name of masaue,
which enjoyed great favor in the six
teenth century. Then followed the
mystery, the oratorio and then the
opera.
1t is a singular fact that the very
first private musical entertainment
known to musical history employed a
comedian in the singing of comic bal
lads. This entertainment was given in
1880, by Bergontio Botta, nobeman of
Lomhardy, when he was visited by the
duke of Milan and his new1y-married
spouse, Isabelle of Arragon, grand
daughter of Ferdinand king of Naples.
In this singular performance, all the
rudiments of the modern opera may be
plainly discerned. AS for example, ST.
lenus, the comedy character, enters
half drunk, and riding on an ass sings
humorous verses. Here we have the
elephant of Wang" and the camel of
the Little Corporal j. Cheever Good
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

regarding it. This is the mere So se-
cause 1t was compromise BILL 1t
favors most Of all the debtors, the orig
inal bills (the knute Nelson and lie
Torrey) having been drawn at the in
stance of the small debtors of the West
and South. but before it was finally
passed the creditor interests located
very largely in the East had some pro-
visions of their own inserted, such as
the involuntary bankruptcy" feature,
this again in the debate having to be
shorn of much of its value for the cred
itors before it could be pushed through
The many new and novel provisions,
the unique features, make This act an
uncertain affair, and even among tie
great merchants of the chief cities, such
as New York, Chicago and Boston.
there Is much diversity of opinion as to
whether the bill in actual practice will
| prove good thing.
| The writer has made somewhat
complete series of investiga tons as to
how the law is regarded. He has talked
with leading merchants and such prom
inent commercial attorneys as Alexan-
| der Blumenstill and Gen. Stilman F.
kneeland, the former of whom is the
author of "Blumenstill on Bankruptcy"
while the latter has already figured in
some of the leading cases just argued
Mr.. Blumenstill was. besides. one of the
| most nota Bile lawyers IN the bankruptcy
proceedings under the old act of 1867
Before the views of these merchants
are given there should be told scnie
interesting details of the new Law 1t
aboliShes preferences, in the first place
bankrupt can now prefer no one.
The last creditor to file claim comes
off as we'll as the first. All share and
share alike. The lawyers say that ways
of getting around this will undouht-
a HiSHnNnraH
some of the largest creditors, warned
ahead, will manage to come in" Then
again the new law is far less expensive
for the man who is failing. There was
appointed, under the law of 1867 a reg
lister whose fee was $50. To-day the cor
responding official is called a referee,
who receives SO and q commission
upon the dividends paid
In favor of the creditors there is the
provision of a trustee appointed by
them to settle up the affairs of the
bankrupt instead of an assignee named
by him.
But the most interesting feature of
the law is the ease with which a man
can get out of bankruptcy for a fresh
start in the world. Under the old law
he could not get release from his
obligations without obtaining the con-
sent of one-quarter of his creditors,
whose claims eaualed third of the
value of the total proved claims. Unless
he was able to pay off 80 per cent of
the claims, when he could be released
without the consent of anybody.
The honest man, that is, the man
against whom no fraud has been prov
ed, can get a discharge under the new
law without paying any part of the
claims against him.
Among the merchants of the East
there is none more widely known than
John Clafiin. present head of the firm
of H. B. Claflin & Co. Mr. Clanin'e
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

win and Harry B. Smith are here re-
vealed as bold plagiarists! In comic
opera or anything else under the sun,
there is nothing new
In public entertainments the first use
of the comedian and comic songs was
made between the acts of tragedies.
AS an old writer said, they may be
used at pleasure. in interludes between
the acts, to afford some relief to the
mind, fatigued by the attention be-
slowed upon the fable" At last these
fntermezzi, which We're entirely indie
pendent of the pieces to which they
were originally Joined, We're performed
by themselves, and received the name
of opera; though operas of light and
comic character continued long after
wards to go by the name of intermezzi.
1t may be of interest to some to know
that "Erudise" was the first opera per-
formed in public. 1t was given in Flor
ence in the year 1900
AS to productions we hear a good
deal of the splendid spectacular pre-
sensations of modern opera. Yet, when
we come to look into the matter, we
find that the ancients surpassed us. At
Padua, in $780, Freschi's opera, "Bere-
NICE was produced, unexampled in
style of splendor, which reduces to in
significance the utmost achievements
of scenic display, even in the present
age of spectacle. In this opera there
were choruses of hundred virgins and
hundred soldiers, a hundred horse
men in steel armor, a hundred per-
formers on trumpets, comets. sackbuts.
drums, flutes and other instruments, on
horseback and on foot; two lions led
by two Turks. and two elephants by
. two others; Berenice's triumphal car
drawn by four horses. and six other
cars with spoils and prisoners, drawn
by IL horses. Among the scenes in the
mrs. act was vast plain with two tri-
. umphal arches: another with pavilions
and tents; square. prepared for the
entrance of the triumphal procession,
and forest for the chase. In the sec
ond act there were the royal apart
. ments of Berenice's temple of VEN
geance: spacious court, with a view
, of the prison and a covered way, along
which passed train of carriages. In
the third act there We're royal dressing
rooms magnificently furnished: stables
! containing a hundred horses; portico
adorned with tapestry, and a superb
palace scene in perspective In the
chorus of the piece there were represen-
tations of hunting the boar, the stag
and the bear. Even the Barnum cir
Gus. not to mention grand or comic
operas of modern times, is here ecipsed
and thrown into the shade.
The first English operas presented in
England were introduced by Sir Will
liam Davenant in 1856 In these enter
tainments there was not great deal
that was comic. 1t was In these pieces
that female performers first appeared
on the stage, and scenery first intro
duced. The innovation proved i'm
mensely successful. The public grew SO
fond of this species of entertainment
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

men who belong to the churches and
Christian associations. There is to be
nothing religious about the place,
which will be q resort for the vast
number of respectable workingmen who
now hang OUT at the saloons. "Es-
tablshed institutions Of this sort. che
church clubs and guilds and the Y. NJ.
C. A." says Robert Graham, the man.
ager of the Squirrel Inn plan, ARE for
the good boys, but we want to reach
the bad ones"
What is the difference between your
enterprise and the Mills house?' he
was asked.
Ours will be the Mills house-a good
lodging house-plus the qualities and
attractions of the saloon
Mr. Graham has had wide expert
ence with this practical temperance in
Great Britain, where the idea has been
tried with remarkable results. Twenty
five years ago the British Workman
Public House company was formed in
Liverpool to build for the dock laborers
temperance taverns to take the place
of saloons. This undertaking has de-
Veloped into SIS coffee houses similar to
what the Squirrel Inn will be. and eight
restaurants, a bakery and aerated wa
ter manufactory. Last year the con-
Germ paid per cent dividend and did
a business Oh S3Su.I3U. 1t forced the Ea-
looms out OF many localities in the city.
There seems to be no reason why this
record should not be made by practical
temperance societies in a score of
American cities.
In Birmingham. England. the town
authorities tore down a block full of
rookeries and erected the now flourish
ing Golden temperance hotel, Besides
this there are II coffee houses and two
temperance hotels in that city that are
supported entirely by workingmen. The
Hen and Chickens, a picture of which
is here given, has recently been put up
The dock laborers use 1t just as they
would a saloon, and there are better
accommodations than any English sa-
loon offers. In other English cities. and
the cities of ireland and Scotland as
we'll, the temperance saloons are thriv-
ing The Irish Temperance league and
similar Irish organizations have estab-
lishments in Belfast and Dublin whose
success proves that the Irishman con-
siders good, hot coffee an acceptable
substitute for "potheen."
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
SENSIBLE TEMPERANCE
Substitutes for Saloons as
Lounging Places to Be
.." Tried.

The first society in America for
/ operation in New York city Its object
| is to supply substitutes for saloons and
| intoxcants
1t is organized on the reasoning that
! the most sensible way to get a man to
| give up spending his evenings in a bar
! room is to give him some lounging
place that he will like better. So with
| drinks; at present we all find that it
is convenient, cheap and comfortable
| though it may also be inpbriating-to
| get drink of whiskey and the church
! temperance society has undertaken to
see that 1T will be- just as convenient
and cheap--if not quite 50 comforting
| to get a drink ofEcofiee. So far the
! plan has worked well. The first step
| Was taken some years aga when a lunch
/ wagon was put in commission. 1t cost
! $1,000 and Accommodate a dozen people
| at once Excellent coffea and good food
| Of all kinds hot and cold, is supplied
( at reasonable rates. So we'll did it ac-
| eomplish its purpose of tempting people
/ away from saloons that it proved to be
a profitable enterprise, and now there
are sig in. successful operation in New
I Dfk- BiSn0p PQCCGf recently made the
statement that the failure of two sa-
looms could be traced to these wagons
in which a good meal may be had for
10 cents. The profits from the wagons
| have paid for nine free ice water foun-
tains that are now in operation. In hot
weather at each of these fountains
there is always a long line of thirsty
men, who it is reasonable to suppose
were formerly wont to line up before
bar. Two hundred and twenty-five dol
lars will construct one of these foun-
tains and supply it with a years ice.
Another step in practical temperance
is the coffee van that The church So
ciety has just purchased. 1t is in
tended as one of squad to bring coffee
and sandwiches to street laborers and
men employed on buildings and even to
factory employees. 1t is proving a great
boon to coachmen who have to wait out
in the streets for hours. New York So
cety people have began to employ it.
The other night w. X. Vanderbilt or
dered it fer his big ball There were
800 carria ges and every coachman was
| supplied with sandwiches at total
cost to Mr. Vanderbilt of $50.
These vans and coffee wagons will
doubtless prevent the consumption of a
vast amount of liquor. but they are not
the ideal substitute for the saloon. The
church society thinks that it has found
this. Announcement has just been
made that a coffee house is to be es-
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

before it, for that season. 1t was acted
| in London for ''63 days without inter-
HISTORIAN extraordinary run at that
time. 1t was renewed year after year,
even into the present century 1t was
presented in every town, with great
applause, in England and Ireland The
| music of this celebrated piece consists
of ballad airs, common at the time, to
which Gay adapted the words of his
songs. 1t has been generally said that
the Beggar's opera was intended to rid
icule the italian opera: an evident mis-
take, for there is not the slightest at
tempt to burlesque or parody the Ital-
ian drama or music, to which it has not
the faintest resemblance, either in sub
ject, style or form.
The construction OF this first comic
opera of the modern type grew out of
suggestion made to John Gay by Dean
| Swift that a 'Newgate pastoral would
make an odd pretty sort of thing" The
songs in the Beggar's opera were not
all written by Gay. The first song. THE
Modes of the Court" was from the pen
of Lord Chesterfield: Virgins Are Like
the Fair Flower in Its Lustre," by Sir
Charles Williams; Where You Censure
the Age" by Swift, and "Gamesters
| and Lawyers and All Jugglers Alike
by a Mr.. Fortesque. The success of this
opera caused the production of other
pieces III sliIiidI anu gave rise 10
the comic opera Of to-day,
As / am not a seventh son of a
| seventh son. nor even Sunday child, /
cannot begin to conjure up in my
| minds eye what the future Of comic
opera is to be. Light opera has so long
| maintained it's firm hold on the affec-
tions of the theater-going public: it has
SO long been one of its chief delights.
that l cannot imagine any species of
theatric amusement that could take its
place in the future. and cause it, like
an aged apple tree which had long
borne good ripe fruit, to fall into disuse
and decay.
However, it might be said with abso-
lutely certainty that the future of COM
ic opera depends upon the public itself.
If 1t goes on supporting what is artis-
tically good and decently delightful,
then works of a high order will con-
tfnue to appear, AS long as there is a
market for clever works. ingenious
librettists and composers with the
heaven born gift of inventing melody,
will still ply their trade.
The charm of music, that can even
''soothe the savage breast" Is some
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

tablished which will offer the non alco-
holic attractions of saloon and Others
ahat a saloon does not possess 1t is to
be called Squirrel Inn-nobody knows
exactly why. unless because it is to
furnish high living on a cheap scale, A
benevolent woman has turned a saloon
out of 81 house that she owns on the
Bowery and given the place, rent free,
to the church society. Here the most
important experiment up to date in
practical temperance will be made, If
the Inn proves a success, if men gather
there instead Of al the saloons. if they
show a disposition to enjoy all the COM
forts of a harroom without a bar and
to spend their money for coffee and
ginger ala instead of beer and whiskey,
it will have demonstrated that the prac-
teal temperance idea is the best meth
cd of Temperance reform for American
cities.
This Squirrel Inn will not be a char
ity. The fundamental idea is to make
ii self-supnoriing like the lunch wag-
ons. The building is not very large
only "a by SO feet-but a good deal will
be got into it. On the first floor will
be a restaurant and a library. There is
no room for a billiard table. but check
ers, chess and cards may be played
just as they are in the back room of
saloon. The papers will be on file, and
it is hoped that sort of club will in
time be formed among the habitues,
that will supply music and conversa-
ton There will be beds on the top
floor at IL cents each for the night. and
little cuhical rooms on another. These
accommodations for dodgers are the
only deviation from the line of simi!-
arity to a saloon, and it seems as if the
place would be more attractive if one
floor was made into a reading room
with tables rather than into sleeping
apartments.
The Squirrel Inn is not to be for
BUNS" neither for the excellent young
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

that the tragic actor was for time
driven out of employment. Indeed, thu
frivolities of the light opera from that
day to this have been considered by
the legitimate actor as the real cause
OF all his ills. Albeit with this aus
picious commencement. it would be
natural to expect that English opera
would take the place of the Italian art
lcle. But the contrary was proved to
be the outcome of Davenant's effort
From that day to this English grand
opera has never been as popular as that
bearing the foreign stamp. Addison
ridiculed the Importation Of foreign
singers, and lamented the absence of
a native English opera to little or no
purpose ss.u
1t was not until John Gay designed
his Begsar's opera, which was produced
in January, 1928. that English opera
was given stimulus that it has never
lost. Since that time we have had Ital-
ian opera some of the time, but English
opera all the time. Thus Beggars
opera had an extraordinary success,
and succeeded in driving out Italian
opera, which had heretofore carried all
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

need of recourse to law, and merchants
Will be saved much trouble. The COM
mercial lawyer will not be as important
as he has been, and he will be called
upon much less
William f. Hardt of the firm of
Hardt Il Lindgens, one of the oldest
commission houses in New York, also
spoke in the new laws favor. We
think it will work WE'LL" he said TT
might have been made better and
stronger, but it has many excellent pro-
visions. On of these provisions l will
mention ito show you the benefit of the
law, Under the state insolvency laws
the creditors of a bankrupt concern
could only have that concerns books
examined for a few weeks back FRAUD
1t was easy to cover up.
Here is an actual case in point"
went on MIR Hardt. "A year or so ago
n merchant of New York went to see
his lawyer, a widely known commercial
attorney of New York. After he had
finished his business the lawyer sud-
denly asked him: Does = & Co.
owe you any money!? NOT said the
merchant. Very good, answered the
attorney. / just wanted to know. =
- & Co. are going to fail in few
weeks. We are making up false set
OF books for them. The old set of books
will be destroyed. If they owe you any
money | can fix it so you will be paid
in fun before the assignment is made
This story sounds incredible, but it
is true. II actually happened, just IS
| have told you. The false books Were
produced and passed muster, Now I'M
der this new law, such Il thing could
never happen. The creditors have the
power to call for and to examine the
books far back. Books could not be
falsitied so as to pass the search that
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05

thing that does not fiuctuate IKE the
tide; a love OF it does not come and go
Ahe the seasons, or the mumps and the
measles. 1t Is charm that abides al
Ways ike a freckled face. And what
IS true of music applies with like force
70 the lively, jocose or comic lyric; to a
comic story, to pretty faces, graceful
aanclng, eye-pleasing scenes and cos
TUNES. All these comic opera has: all
these 1t is likely to have in even greater
abundance in the future.
AT THIS point it would be as well to
observe that there is growing DISPOSE
ton to scorn the past. 70 look upon
that which is wild and new as being
superior to anything of past ages This
is quite natural when so little is known
of the past by the average citizen.
Great minds are producing literature
and music in this age that the nom
studious man of 300 years from now
Will look upon with contempt Yet, the
student of that time will inform the
world that during the declining years
of the nineteenth century there were
men, Gilbert and Sullivan, De Koven
and Smith, Ludwig Highlander, Good
man and Morse. Victor Herbert, STANCE
and Edwards, sousa and Klein by
name and that their works should not
be lost: that they possess novelty. inter-
est and charm. Then the Wise citizen.
the circumference of whose horizon is
not much greater than the outer rim of
rain-barrel, will cry away with them,
the present is greater"
So 1t is with the past-''the present is
extraordinarily 50, since artists
profit by the experience of those who
have gone before. But / am of the
opinion that every auditor who sits
through a comic orera of to-day would
.,,-- J., l..
If he was acquainted with the quality
of the works which pleased and de-
The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-05
Curiosities of Our Calendar.

There are some curious facts about
our calendar. says Tit Bits. No cen
fury can begin on Wednesday, Friday
or Sunday. The same calendar can be
used every 20 years, October always
begins on the same day of the week as
January, April as July, September as
December; February, March and No
Vember begin or the same days. May
June and August always begin on diff
ferent days from each other and every
other month in the year The first and
last days of the year are always the
same. These rules do not apply to lean
year, when comparison Is made be
tween days before and after February
%