Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-09

door. Once within the portals Of the man.
or, visitors discover to their intense amaze
ment that they are walking on the ceiling
instead OF the floor. that the windows open
downward. and that the chairs, tables and
other pieces of furniture are as topsy-turvy
as the house itself, Finally one can make
an exit through an ordinary door concealed
from view, but which an obliging employe
will kindly indicate to persons who grow
prematurely alarmed at finding themselves
inside a place which. they penetrated down
the chimney.
The Black Cat show.
Apropos of chimneys, an immense one,
artistically carved and beautifully deco
rated, plays an important role in the Black
Cat, or Chat Noir entertainment, which is
an importation from Montmartre to the
banks of the Seine. The pantomimes pre-
sented here have always been given in
chimney-the idea which it is intended to
convey being that the performance is for
the delectatfon of few friends assembled
around the hearth The show will not be
quite so brilliant as in the days of NJ Sails,
the founder OF the Black Cat tavern, who
oleo a lew years ago; but his widow has
preserved all the accessories of the estab-
ishment, and has acquired the right to
perform the successful Caran d'Ache pan
tomimes.
The ready wit and the humorous descant-
ing OF the late Sails will of necessity be
lacking, but no doubt his place will be
1alriy well filled by other poets and sing
ers from Montmartre who still maintain as
they empty their books of beer. that their
soni is m the moon and that they alone
(poets: scrfbblers. artists and philosophers)
are or any account in this world. At the
Black Cat improved Chinese shadows with
a piece of white cloth for scenery enact
short plays. The dramatis personae are
carved In zinc from a design by a Black
Cat artist. As many as 1900 persons-in
zinc-are made to appear upon the stage
IN the course of one entertainment They
do not come in and slide away, as is the
case of magic lantern or ordinary Chi
nese shadows but they move about and
perform the part assigned to them. SOL
diers are dressed in the correct military
attire Of their country. The ladies are
gowned In dresses by the famous makers.
said to move and converse without ever
uttering syllable.
The Sculptor's Part.
Sculptor Recipon. whom l recently inter-
viewed says that the exhibition Of sculp-
ture. executed by the most renowned artists
of France expressly for the Paris expo
sition, will be remarkable. The scuIptors Of
the present day. although perhaps they
have followed in great measure in the
footsteps of their predecessors and have
proven themselves to be heirs to tradition,
have made many innovations. When their
work Is terminated, couple of months
hence, one will be enabled to Judge If their
productions are Of higher artistic value
than the decorative subjects that have
lately been removed from the top Of the
main entrance of the old palace Of indus
try. which, by the way. was erected in the
Champs Elyseesr as the main building Of
the Paris exposition of 1855. The last
stones of this palace are being removed
as these lines appear. and Bougereau and
many other famous artists and sculptors
are shedding tears as the last loads OF
debris are being carted away, and the home
of art in which they earned well-Inerited
success and glory disappears forever.
FREDRIC MAYER.