The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-18
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

another store on Fifth avenue. IL was TO
he quite an elaborate. costly place and in
| tended TO serve as the headquarters of the
| firm. In the course Of time 1t was ready
| and opened to the rush Of business that
| seemingly awaits all the popular stores in
| the city. There was no surprise in this
! feature OF the new branch. II was fore
| gone conclusion that il would do business
| But what astonishcd the proprietors was
the continued prosperity of their little store
around the corner. IL had been opened
| there fifteen years before when the firm
| first felt itself strong enough to attempt
| an uptown branch. II was expected that
| the new store only few steps away would
| put an end To Its prosperity. But from the
day IL was opened there has not been tie
least decline in its patronage. ard the sIr-
| prised members of the firm are WONDERING
how long il will continue 10 prosper in view
| of the competition around the corner. As
| the same persons own both stores. they can
| ahord 10 he Indifferent as 20 the ultimate
| result.
Maurice Grau is taking advantage of the
collision between his cab and trolley car
to enjoy a rest that he has needed for some
| time; and he has promised himself and his
friends Ia keep away from the Metropolitan
| Opera House for while. A no spends the
greater part of every day there including
| Sundays. and is also in the theatre four
nights week II may be seen that he feels
| the need Of some relief from business, es-
pecially as his summer vacations are the
merest prefer o, a. holiday. He travels
| from one end Of Europe TO the other. hear
| ing singers. talking with agents and attend
| ing To the various details of preparation for
| the opera season here. II is not to be sup
| posed that Mr. Grau is even now giving up
his business affairs altogether. He has two
stenographers with him during the greater
| part Of every day, there is a con slant line
| of callers at his home and he is practically
| going through his daily routine. The only
| difference il in his surroundings He is in
his own home and not in his Offices az the
| opera house And that il great concession
to his friends from man who loves work
so much ard has been at il so continuously
for years as Maurice Grau.
One Of the occasional spectators at the
frst-night performances this season is a
pretty, demure woman always dressed
in the smartest styles. but without con-
spcuousness. She looks quite as young
As she did when she first came here decade
ago and is certainly quite as pretty, although
il is not easy To see how she could have been
the heroine of an episode that nearly caused
ali International scandal in Europe when
she was singing at a Vienna music hall
| Nils gave up ItT career several wears ago
when she became the wife of Young New
Yorker who met her during her rather
unfortunate theatrical experience here.
They were married and after some years
Of travel in Europe have settled down to
domesticity in this city. Few persons
who admire her quiet beauty now recog nize
the young woman who at one time nearly
caused serious complications IN the rela-
tons between Austria and one of the largest
Balkan countries.
The theatre supper at a fixed price has
reached New York at last. London has
known it nearly as long As IL has possessed
the table d'h6te dinner But it was not
TO be had here until one of the Fifth avenue
restaurants last week began to serve al
fixed price supper ready after the theatre
closed. so far the number Of persons to
take advantage Of the new arrangement
shows that II must have been needed.
The special advantage OF this attempt To
supply good supper at moderate price
is the opportunity IL allows the guests 10
60 TO any part of the hotel they desire
They are not compelled 10 coufine them
selves TO one room in which II il served
as though persons who took table d
hote supper were OF an inferior race and
should not expect TO associate with those
who ordered by the card.
Daniel Frohman denies that he has any
idea OF bringing Adelina Patti 20 this coun-
try next year for a farewell tour and il is
a matter Of fact that his musical energies
will next year be occupied with the tour of
Jan Kubelik who is to fiddle his way As
far as San Francisco. But Nine. Patti
would not be in the least aversc TO
making such a trip TO this country. Last
summer her youthful Swedish husband,
who is scarcely half her age, came in great
haste TO the office of an American
manager in London. Baron Cedarstroin
was plainly laborng under great excite
ment until he was able 10 announce that he
had thought of the great scheme of having
his wife return to this country and sing
for a season in concert, and we would
announce this visit as farewell tour
he said, with evident delight at the origi-
nality Of the idea.
The manager looked at the youthful
husband, and then seemed lost for minute
in computation.
Il was going to say" he replied. .that
your wife must have made her first farewell
tour of the United States before you were
born but that would have been an exag-
geration. But 1t must have been while
YOU were learning your letters in Sweden
SO you see, the plans not atoget her orig
inal
II was no surprise to New Workers to
learn that Capt. Albert Carstairs and his
wife were in the English divorce courts.
They have been unhappy for several years
and this was well known to the friends of
Mrs. Carstairs. who was formerly Miss
Fanny Bostwck of this city She was
beautiful and was an heircss when the mar
riage took place, eleven years ago. 1t was
a love match. as Capt. Carstairs was poor
and socially in little better position Than
were many of Mrs. Carstairs's admirers
here. She had been taken up by society
and might have made any sort Of match
that suited her in this country.
Since her marriage she has lived almost
entirely in England, and returned here
only for short visits Her friends were
chiefly in the Long Island hunting set and
she herself is an admirable horsewoman,
Her fortune was inherited from her father,
the late Jabez Bostwick.
Flowers, according to one OF the organs
Of the trade, will mex show the effect OF
the scarcity Of coal 10y decided increase in
price This is the time Of the year to ex-
pect an increase in flower prices, not because
he demand Ia greater, but the markets ar a
-1ile less further advanced. But this season
here will he the additional expense that