The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-04
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.


one. Albert Alvarez. the French tenor,'ls to
sing nrst in this city during the coming sea-
son. beginning In January. lie will not be
heard here before that time aud will not travel
with the company through the other cities
lie Is still member OF the company at the
Grand Opera In Paris and sings here on leave
OF absence this year The winter after next he
will become the leading tenor OF the Maurice
Grau opera under a three years contract.
That NJ. do Reszke will not return for a short
season is by no means settled. No tenor has
yet yet been secured to take bic place in some 81
me most popular operas OF the repertoire His
course. because Nj. Alvarez has frequently as. e.
company with the Polish tenor. Counting his
real engagement from q year from this fall, Nj.
ton that be was not really a member OF the
company should NJ. de Reszke sing here Last
yeSr Tristan and isolds was one q the most
n. de Reszks does not, feel now like coming to
to change. NJ. Alvarez is a Frenchman. and.
IN spite OF his name, q native OF bordeaux: he
most tenor Of the French opera house and.
with Albert Saltza, the most eminent tenor OF
n his country uIy He has not the handsome face
nor the athletic figure and Youthful looks OF
N. Saleha. The latter tenor will not be pleased
SSalez,pp returned after his long illness 70 ind
ca ia tie n ss States SO %sn ss po al
successor Of NJ dc feszEe here % in the Se French
appears on the scene The engagement CT NJ.
Salhza at the Metropolitan comes to an eud
he or NJ. Alvarez has come out ahead In the
struggle fer supremacy hore.
The literary agent Is an importation that
has hnnomo fbpro,,phIy Inv, To-, NJ
York. He proved so useful that authors well
coined his appearance in the held He could
place work Just whore 1t was desired. while
they might have to waste months In sending
story or book out to discover Just the pub
Usher that wanted It. The literary agent knows
which magazine happens to be overstocked
with fiction. which is suffering from glut OF
works on travel and which Is in urgent need
OF short stories. Possession OF such knowl.
edge is what makes him valuable to the au-
thors who intrust their business to him. A
writer not especially we'll known put all his az.
fairs into the hands Of q literary agent, and
soon after boosted that all his time was occu.
pied in work for which he received larger
prices than ever before. For several years
nothing but good was heard Of the literary
ago paid n visit to ths'country was looked upon
as the founder OF most useful profession. But
me agent Se r is not praised SO nnauq
gun an agitation against thu tribe, and it is
feared that with the opposition OF these infiu-
as they were In the rast. One London author
has rallied to the defence Of tho gent and
way that even With the pabsh.rs "ssinSe
them. the agents are still likely to receive the
support OF the writer's. The author in question
made friends for the agents by telling O little
story OF his own experiences. One day he de-
elded that the commissions Of hi; agent were
rectly to the publishers without the intsrven-
ton OF any middlemsn. He got guarantee of
9y TOR stow ana hs to his h2mc
out for his own business interests. Only a
few hours later his agent. ignorant of the
ness. came in with an offer OF s20.0Oo for the
same book. Since that time this partcuar
the literary aseS and in !fe erh. his
cause in the rebellion against him. by some OF
re English n LIS h puhif hn5 The agent seems
gle il he can get the author al ways twice as
much, for his work as would otherwise be re-
ceived.
Forty thousand Americans are reokoned to
have been In London from time to time dur
ing the season which has Just come to an end
Shopkeepers announce with satisfaction that
the invaders hav contributed largely to their
earnings and Ame rican money has added much
to the brilliancy OF certain ASPECTS OF a season
said to be the most successful know there in
years While the great majority OF Americans
figured only In the outdoor life OF the English
capital some Of the most splendid entertain
ments have been given by persons who LIN ed
in New York until Il few years ago and still call
New York their home. social season which
extended into the second or third week of July
has always been regarded as an anomaly by New
\ orkers who. escape.to The country ut the first
signs of spring or ut all events retire so COM
petely from society that for all practical pur-
poses they might as well be out of tho city
The heat that has prevailed this year in Lon
don has emphasized some OF the disadvan-
tages OF a summer season, although precau-
lions taken to minimize the dtsagreeable ef-
fecls OF this are more elaborate than any
known here, probably because most OF them
are unnecessary. An authority on the sub
Ject says that most OF the dinners given in
London curing the latter weeks OF the season
was reached. Every course was OF a Kind that
could be served in various stages OF retrgera-
ton. This innovation became one OF ths pop
ular fads Of the season and the most elaborate
dinner given to the Prince OF Wales was OF this
new kind probably after due notice. as moth.
iUrced on the royal stomach. London Is
ADAPTED in another way unknown to New York
tho larger houses a-e supplied with gardens
and courts beautifully decorated and large
enough to he used In connection Win the m
door apartments for the Ind OF entertaining
done by the owners OF such establishments.
Mrs. Kate Chas. Sprague lived in very mod
est lodgings on her visits TO New York to make
of her Washington property might DO post
poned long enough to provide home for her
and her invalid daughter during her lifetime.
On each OF her visits to this city she was IA
miliar figure in tho downtown business streets
going TO and from the Offices OF the men she
thought would help her. She believed that she
had been badly treated in the transaction, and
felt that the property. which lay in the direc-
ton hat Washington is now advancing. would
ultimately be worth a fortune. She Thought
at one time that the Ohio Society would come
10 her ass stance. and the late Senator Brice
took a sympathetic interest in her troubles.
hut the relief that finally came TO her was from
mother direction. Mrs. Spragus retained her
Youthful inquire. and this was accentuated by
A rather young mode OF dressing. which did
not appear out OF place on her. although few
women Of her age dress in. such Rirllsh fash
ION. Her manner had lost none OF the charm
and distinction which made her so popular
many years before, Business was not thing
TO which she had been accustomed. but
most OF the, persons who Game into contact
with her while she was In New York agreed
that her plans in regard to the Washington
prOperty we're extremely practical. The sec
ond wlre'of eN-Gov, Sprague was singer, who
several years ago made debut in Boston
after much preliminary comment and fuiled
TO come up to the expectations wakened.
JnIh A., In ,ifoy