The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-14

Wild with delight and would have
whooped it up all night if their Emma
hadn't told them she was worn out.
THE next morning the whole town
turned out to take US TO the station,
and, though that was fifteen years ago,
I believe the mountains must be echo
ing yet with their 'Good-by, Emma! !
Nevada said she wouldn't have missed
that visit for all the money she would
make that season, and il was, by long
odds, the most entertaining experience
I've lad in my career as a manager.
I wish had record of the different
situations in which I've had to call con-
certs off and refund money 10 the au-
diences. That would throw light on
the eccentricities of genius. When l
think of the apologies I've been forced
10 make to the public, 1t makes me
break into cold perspiration. Nothing
short of inspiration pulled me through
sometimes. There's one thing about
an American audience though. It's the
best-natured lump of humanity on
earth. I've tested it often enough to
know. What will make an American
audience simply angry would burn the
building and raise street-riot any
where else. Why. one time, had Cam
panini and De We're in a concert quartet
7 up through New England. Things
hadn't been going so very well and the
+ exchequer wasn't in q state to make
/ me willing to see n full house lost. ]
/ had an Italian in charge of the luggage,
and. naturally, he wasn't in the pri-
vate car with US. We were billed for
4 Springfield one night and had adver-
/ tised an act OF 'Faust'-new scenery
y " it1c
/ Paris We came down from western
T Massachusetts, and our car was switch
ed off from the Boston division to the
through train. At Worcester we had
20 change again and / strolled out to
/ look for my Dago. No Dago; no lug
gage. The man had been fast asleep
at the last change and he and our bag
gage were in Boston. / raved around
and kept the telegraph wires hot, until
finally il was arranged that the lug
gage and the man should come through
on the next train without checks. That
would bring them in time for a late
concert. To make a long story they
never showed up until twelve o'clock
that night. l was desperate. The
house was all sold out and we wanted
the money.
There's nothing for it, said to the
quartet; you must sing
=" But eet ees impossible. We hat
not re costumes
Cant help it. Sing in evening
dress
= "Campanini ran his eyebrows into
his hair, took hold of the corners Of his
tight sack-coat, and whirled around.
"'Eet is all 1 haf.' he said.
NO evening clothes?'
Zen my trunk
We'll, you'll sing In those.
He absolutely walled, NO nevaire!
. he declared.
Yes, you wiIl,' l said.
Then I hunted up De We're. She haC
: on a shabby skirt, low shoes, white
: stockings, and n loose sack under
seal-skin coat All her other clothe
J, we're with the luggage. She said 'nev
: airel' too; but my blood was up. TIL
big basso was the only one that ha'
= saved anything from the wreck. II
= had frock-coat that he could put oil
= with his plaid trowsers. 1 had q tus
sic: but 1 persuaded them that the con
cert must go on, if the audience .woul
- stay by US. After that I wiped my fore
=, head and went out to tackle the public
:. explained the situation. l assure
| them that personally, 1 would prefe
!, returning their money. Only conside
:. ration for them prevented my insisting
!. Campanini would sail for Europe i'm
: mediately. This was probably thei
only chance to hear the greatest livin
=, tenor. Campanini had refused to sins
- but had pleaded with him, and, if tn
- audience insisted. we would go on. TIL
audience was good-natured, as usua
:. and insisted.
Ia "Oh, ye gods. l wish you could hav
,s seen that Faust outfit, when the cul
10 tain went up. There wasn't any scener
z 50 the poor singers We're just seated o
T. chairs. Faust looked like a little Gel
" man sausage in a checked cover; MAJ
AZ guerite showed white stockings an
D. kept on her sealskin coat, because 81
or couldn't show her waist; and Mepf
Id istopheles literally looked like the dew
I'd The audience was deadly still for
ke moment, and held my breath. The
70 there was a howl of laughter, and
W knew ii was all right. When the sin:
L. ers began to grow dramatic and sett
IN down to conventional Faust it W;
enough to make a wooden Indian laug
s. 1 wake up in the night sometimes, eve
n yet and ehuckle over il. Campanini
I pride was hurt. He cried; but the re
he of the singers were blessed with
IS. American sense of humor, and said
in the audience could stand ii, they coul
ng Il never put concert through und
Ip, circumstances more unpropitious tn;
ay those; but there was another>uight
Il Faust, that was almost as bad. Car
EST parini was the victim again. We we
ed down South. and Campanini had be
ist having bronchitis, and the prima don
tin had been laid up with sore throat.
wn had been obliged to cancel five dat
The for full houses. and had reached t
er; limit. Then Campanini sprained
up ankle. i had gone on ahead, but
the ceived a telegram saying: 'Sprain
ter ankle; can't sing 1 telegraphed: M
ole me whether possible or not He n
md me. and / told him he must sing.
wo But can not STEP he said.
gin You'll have to sing some way
old other ] said.
the He turned to his wife. All, Eet
de. come he said. L hat often said it. II
to- gone in re head. at last; re pau
on GOttschalk.'
ers Fl had my way about it in the e
Int made another apology to the audien