The sun., 1903-12-08
$500 TO UNION. MUSIC LATER.
WOMEN HARPISTS PAY CASH AND
PLAY TO COMMITTEE.
Union Hint That They Play plain Mamie
O'Hoolcy'--Schuecker Instead-Sand'
pappr Artists Heard First-NO sacri-
fcing of Union Principles or %2OO.

fiCing OF Union Principies UT "~"O'
Nine Dufriche and Nine. WE'LL, the
harpists of the Metropolitan Opera House
orchestra, who have the reputation in this
country and abroad Of being the best harp
lists in the world, went to the headquarters
of the Musical Mutual Protective Union
yesterday to play before an examination
committee of union labor tooters as pre-
liminary to joining the union and averting
the threatened strike Of the musicians
at the Opera House,
The headquarters is in German beer
garden al Third avenue and Ninety-first
street. The women were accompanied by
Nahan Frankie, the manager of the orchestra,
and by Nj. Dufriche, the barytone, husband
Of the harpist.
The first formality was the payment Of
an admission fee of 500 for each Of the
women. That was demanded within two
minutes after the women entered the place.
The union grabbed the 500 before any
questions were asked and before the COM
mittee had chance to hear the. playing
and decide whether or not the harpists
were worthy Of membership in the labor
union.
After the fees had been pocketed the
rush was over for the time being, so far as
the union was concerned The women
and their escorts, who had been told that
they must reach the headquarters promptly
at 1 clock, which they did, were left wait
ing in a bare ante-room until 2 O'Clock,
while string of drummers and flute
players who wanted to be allowed to make
living by playing in 50-cent table d d'hote
restaurants, gave up their 500 apiece for
the privilege and played sample tunes for
the committee.
The noises coming from the examination
room seemed to annoy the women. They
looked about as happy as two women wait
ing their turns in a dentists reception
room, before the days of gas, and listening
to the groans of the patient who had got
there first.
Nine. Dufriche was startled by sudden
scraping, grating noise.
Mamma Mia Che DEP" she exclaimed.
THAT, explained union labor musician,
"is shuttle solo made by drummers
rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together
to represent a jig dance in descriptive
coon piece
Nine. Dufriche, who doesn't understand
much English, got her husband to explain.
Then she asked Dufriche If she and the
sandpaper artist were going to join the same
union.
Nine. WE'LL looked grim and said nothing.
The committee condescended to hear
Nine. Dufriche play first. Her husband
started to go with her into the examination
room, but admission was denied him by the
committee.
But he exclaimed, Mime. Dufriche
does not understand English very we'll.
may be of service to her and to you as an
Interpreter
That won't be necessary" said a COM
mittee man, and the door was closed with
the harpist inside and her husband outside.
Nine. Dufriche made an elaborate bow
to the committee, and then without word
sat down before the harp.
She played the ballade Of Schuecker
withy which none Of the committee seemed
familiar but only one of them showed his
ignorance. He expressed an opinion that
something in the way Of a popular tune
snggestsd something like Plain Mamie
The other members Of the committee cut
him ,of, and explained in an apologetio
way that the examination was only for
mahty required by the rules Of the union,
dark on 4Plain Mamie o Hooley" as the
committee was on Schueoker bowed again
and returned to her husband.
Nine. WE'LL went in next She also
played the ballade OF Sohuecker and most
Of the artists recognized it as being the
same thing they had just heard.
The 500 for Nine. Dufriche was paid by
her husband, and Nahan Franko paid Nine.
Weill's fee. But, as told In THE SUN the
other day, Nine. Weill will reimburse Franko
II she decides to stay in this country after
the expiration Of her fifteen-weeks contract
at the Opera House.
The women are not yet members of the
union. Yesterdays proceedings were pre-
liminary The unions board Of directors
will meet tomorrow and rule on the eligi-
bility of the harpists, neither Of whom has
been In this country six months, while not
under contract as required by the union
bylaws. But as the fees will have to be
returned If the women are rejected it is
expected that the directors viii find some
way Of admitting them without sacrificing
the principles Of union labor or the $500.
Manager Conried of the Opera House has
taken no part in the row. He declared
at the outset that he would fight and close
the Opera House before he would give in
to the union or pay anybodys 500 fee.
But ne was not reported last night as being
at all cha grined by the outcome of affairs
and the avoidance of strike.
Nine. Dufriche, the first harpist, has an
exceedingly difficult and important part
on "Tannha nights. At the close Of
that opera on Friday night Herr Mottl,
the conductor, went to her and with great
her performance.
"Ah," said Dufriche, the barytone, with
mock sadness last night, "My wife and
Nine WE'LL are no longer artists. They
are the day laborers. Shall we hang the
fin dinner nal on the harms for all TO See?n