The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-22
OPERA ON BOARD
Theater Cars Will Not Be In
trOduced Upon
The Santa Fe But the "Black
HusSar'
WAS GIVEN IN PART
On One Ofthe California Trains
Yesterday
By an Opera Company Before
Many Passengers.
WAS GIVEN IN PART

Iheater cars are not in operation on
the Santa Fe and according to General
Passenger Agent Black, they never will
be. but this did not prevent a tourist
sleeper on Santa Fe train No. 1, which
left here yesterday afternoon, being i'm
provised as one by the Southwen Eng
lish Opera company, and a concert
given.
In reality it was not a concert but a
rehearsal of the opera THE Black Hus-
sar," but the passengers who crowded
in at either end of the sleeper aplpauded
from time to time as though the vocal
work had been especially arranged for
their entertainment The company is
en- route from Philadelphia to San
Francisco, under contract of Is weeks in
the latter city, and the repertoire is to
be so extensive that it was decided to
commence rehearSalS on the train. At
Topeka the music was taken out of the
baggage car, and 1.-The Black Hussar,"
which is the opera that will be put on at
I the opening of the company's engage
ment on the evening of April 1, selected
for the first rehearsal.
Operations were commenced shortly
after the train left Topeka. The var
iOus parts were sorted out by the
conductor-the musical conductor-a
gentleman with a fierce black mustache
and a foreign accent named SimOnson.
He took a position in the middle of the
car, sitting on the side of one of the
seats.
"ze principal ladies and ze principal
gentlemen to my right, please; ze
chorus ladies to my left, also chorus
gentlemen" he said.
1t would have been exceedingly diff
cult for any uninitiated to separate
the principal ladies and gentlemen and
the chorus ladies and gentlemen. There
were no short skirts and jewels, no
handsome uniforms and baggy breech-
es, to distinguish them. The majority
of the women wore dressing sacQues,
O lOlnRinR
their seats, cOatless and with vests
open, as the car was warm Others had
on smoking jackets, and some had their
pipes in their mouths. A number of
both men and women had discarded
their shoes and wore soft slippers, al
though a few wore no footgear at all.
pie endeavoring to make themselves as
comfortable as possible on a long rail-
road journey in a tourist sleeper.
There was one berth in the car still
made up 1t was across the aisle
from where the conductor took his po-
sition. and the contralto of the company
was reclining on the mattress. L wish
you wouldn't rehearse today, Mr.. Simon
SON. she said. Il have a beastly head
ache"
''Ze exertion sail remedy it, madame"
said the conductor.
We'll, if 1 have to sing I'll sing lying
down. and the cOntralto rose on one ell
bow, slapped her pillow two or three
times and settled herself as she might
for afternoon SleStd.
Il must request Ze madame to stand,
exclaimed the conductor, nervous and
red in the face.
Il can sing as well lying down as
standing up, coolly remarked the con-
tralto.
Madame, again I must ask you to
stand" almost screamed the conductor.
Il must see your face, madame, and
can not pierce re curtains of your bOu-
doir. Your face is not so pleasing. 1 as
sure Madame. but L most unfortunate
ly must see it while you sing. Will ze
Madame take her place?''
The manager of the company here
took hand in the trouble. He is Mr..
J. Ernest Southwell, son of the director
of the company, who established the
SOuthWell English Opera organization
in Philadelphia several years ago. He
explained to the contralto how neces-
sary it was that rehearsals be COM
menced on the train, and she finally left
her berth very reluctantly Others of
the company who had been awaiting the
outcome of the difficulty left their places
and arranged themselves under the di
rectiOn of the conductor.
The rehearsal commenced. The CHOIR
us voices were strong, and before the
opening chorus was finished the paSsen-
gers in the standard Pullman in the rear
and the tourist sleeper ahead became
aware that something was going on.
Two or three of the more curious of
the passengers first stood on the plat
form and looked in. Then they opened
the doors part way and listened. The
conductor was waving his baton and
the company was responding to his
gymna site motions, apparently unmind-
full of the intruders. This gave the pas
sengers courage and they slipped quiet
ly into the car at either end. AS the
singing continued others were attracted
and soon the car ahead and the car in
the rear were practically emptied into
the sleeper where the rehearsal was in
progress.
AS the train shot by forces of section
men at work alongside the track and
groups of loungers a t the small stations
stared with eyes and sometimes with
cling concert was something new on the
line of the Santa Fe-
1t was some time after the passengers
had slipped into the car that applause
was started. 1t happened after a par
ticularly pleasing solo by one of the So
pranos of the company. Her voice was
in good form and she sang delightfully."-
AS she let the last notes of the song
die out one stout, good natured old
gentleman who had been listening in a
leaning position with one hand to his
ear unable to restrain himself, cried
"GOodr' and began to applaud. 1t had
an immediate effect on the others, and
in a moment all the passengers at either
end of the car were applauding also.
The musical director drew his brows to-
gether and looked worried but he real
lied that to object to the further attend
ance of the self-invited audience would
materially interfere with the rehearsal
So he simply froWned and said nothing
The little blonde haired soprano bowed
her thanks as sweetly as she could have
acknowledged the applause before the
footlights, and the rehearsal was re-
Sumed.
The e-Ood nafured Hooking old erentIa-