New-York tribune., 1902-03-30

and permission will soon be obtained for a sec
ond loan of $35. 100000 Cor the same object. A
calculation based on thu traffic of the existing
lines shows that the total number of passen-
gers in a year the whole metropolitan sys-
TEN when completed will be 352,OOOOO0 which
will yield the city net annual proht or
100000 which is deemed amply sufficient to
justify the issue of a municipal loan Of $40
100000 sum considerably more than Is nee
e$sary for the construction. Some people are
beginning to wonder whether the upper stratum
of Paris viii stand all this tunnelling. Several
years must, however, elapse before the colossal
scheme can be carried out
Holy Week has been marked with the revivals
of passion plays and sacred concerts, which
have called forth enthusiasm seldom witnessed
here for performances of what Partisan the
atrical manager describes as devotional art
Sarah Bernhardt is having a well deserved
success with her admirable personifcaton of
NJ Rostands La Samaritaine." in which she
has adopted with marvellous effect the cos
tunes, headdresses and color and floral ar
rangements accurately reproduced from the
famous Botticeln pictures of the fifteenth CEN
tury FIorentine period. The performance was
enlivened on Thursday night by the topping
over Of a huge olive tree. a real one, which
Sarah Bernhardt had planted the stage by
the side of Jacobs well. In the third act the
heavy tree came near to crushing the woman
of Samara, but trdssed up again and the
play proceeded without further hitch.
The passion play entitled Christ" by Charles
Grandmougin was revived on Good Friday at
the Theatre Desmathurins. The Christ was
impersonated by NJ. de Max, the actor who
some years ago scored a considerable popularity
as the Due de Reichstadt in an historical play
which was the predecessor of "L'AigIOn." The
Dill, +ol-a hy-A Gr10d n
mougin. This passion play is in verse, and is
set TO sacred music by LippaCher.
Charles Frohman has been making a flying
visit to Paris in quest Of theatrical novelties
for New-York but has found little of promising
interest here for the United States besides Les
Deux EcoIes" by Alfred Capus. which is draw
ing full houses at the Varieties; an adaptation
Of Guy de Maupassants "Yvette" which did
we'll at the Vaudeville, and "Au Telephone"
which is running successfully at the Theatre
Antoine-al being plays for which Mr.. Frohman
had acquired the American rights some time
ago.
Sarah Bernhardt has sgnifed her readiness
to act in French TO Miss Maude Adams in Eng
lsh in Romeo and Juliet" Victor Hugos
'Burgraves,' with its solemn splendor and
medieval magnifcence. Is still doing we'll at
the Theatre Francais. but IT is too declamatory
and too much like Wagner without music. The
transient superficial snapshots at Austrian
court life, grouped by Abel Hermant into light
comedy called "Archiduc Paul. may best be
described as Ofenbach without music. and may
for some thirty nights, because 1t has been
the occasion for some experiments by leading
Partisan couturiere in the new fashions for
ladies' dresses. which indicate that the reign Of
clinging garments. so much in vogue for the
last three years, is near its end and will be
replaced by ample flowing gowns with a pro-
fusion of rich elaborate hand painting and
embroidery.
Critical. analytical. indiscreet and gosslpy
publications in regard to Victor Hugo still con-
tinue The latest sensation is a revelation that
somewhat shocks the world OF letters here. It
appears to be an established fact that the scup-
tor Pradier, when he modelled the colossal
female figure personifying the famous statue
Of the city Of Strasbourg in the Place de la
ConcOrde, which since 1870 has been decked
each year with wreaths OF immorteles and
crowns Of violets, employed his model Juli-
cite Drouet the beautiful Partisan actress who
/ created the role Of Princesse Negroni in "I.u-
crece Borgia," and who was for many years the
intimate companion and mistress of Victor Hugo
at Guernsey, at Brussels and at Paris. The
features Of the beautiful Juliet are reproduced
in the historic Strasbourg statue. c. I. B.