Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-15


 Like 1t" by Florence Gale and her company at Red Wing, Minn, We'd nesday evening, the magnificent T. B. Sheldon Memorial auditorium was formally dedicated. It was erected by means of a legacy left by the late Theodore B. Sheldon and presents the unique spectacle of municipality conducting an opera house, deciding on attractions and prices to be charg- ed. It will be in no sense a money, making venture, the only object sought being to make the playhouse self-sustaining.
 II:
 Peter Sells, who made a fortune out of the circus business, died in Columbus, O., last week. Some six weeks ago he was stricken with an attack of apoplexy. He had never been i'll until that time, although he had travelled night and day with the circus outfit since 1872, when the or ganization was established. It was while conducting an auction wagon which travelled with the fleming and Cooper circus that he saw the pros poets of an up-to-date outdoor enter tainment. He spoke of his plans to his three brothers, and they joined him in establishing the Sells Brothers circus, which was a great institution for a long time. Two seasons ago there was combination between the Sells Brothers and the Forepaugh circus, and part of the outfit was pur- chased by James A. Bailey of Barnum & Bailey, and a harmonious booking arrangement was effected. MT Sells is survived by his brothers, and left large fortune.
 :II:
 Adolph Nouritt had for 16 years been tenor of the Grand Opera house in Paris. The management added a new tenor, Duprez, to the cast and from the moment he heard the news of the arrival of the new tenor began the decline of Adolph Nouritt. Rare artist though he was, when a med dler brought him the news that Du- prez was in the front he lost control of his voice and gave a pitiable perform ance. Although he was still in his prime and his superb voice was at it's best, the presence, the very existence, of Duprez threW him into signal con sternation. He quilted the Grand Opera house and shortly went to 1Cdly. ne SduS dL 1NdplSS, dAu CliS music loving Neapolitans gave him an ovation; but so fixed was his idea that Duprez had supplanted him and that his career as a singer had ignomini- ously ended that he believed that the audience was deriding him. He burst into tears and groans and went to his rooms. The next morning his body was found on the street. Tn the despair created by his fancy he had flung himself from the window and killed himself. isaaA5t
 I:
 The other day an actor, who had been doing some good work in a company approached newspaper man, saying:
 "Do me a favor, will you?"
 The critic, expecting the usual newspaper touch" for good notice, hastened to reply:
 'sI can't promise-you see, treat all theatrical people according to their deserts-I don't praise unless have good reason to do SO"
 'I don't want you to praise me, was the unexpected answer of the actor, T want you to give me good roast"
 '.For why?" asked the astonished critic.
 well, you see, it's this way" said the actor; q want to keep my job for the whole season, because it's good one and I need the money
 "A roast wouldn't keep it for you, would it?'
 sIndeed 1t would" said the actor, who really played the part exception ally well, but if get many more good notices such as have been get ting the star wont have me in the company. Last season I played only a third of it-I got too many good mo- tices-result, two weeks notice from the star-manager. Me, for the good salary and bad notices. Me, for the roast this season, for I'm again with a star that can stand them for nobody in the company but himself"
 :I:
 The audience that saw Lettie on the first night recalled the happy accident that gave Julie Opp, in EpAivate life Mrs William Fayersham, her start .on the stage.
 Miss Opp, decade or more ago, was quite convinced that she wanted to be a writer, and she began as most authors, Dickens, Thackeray and Kip ling and the rest began, on a news paper. She wrote fashion gossip for the New York Recorder, and was popular in the grfmy office on Spruce street, not so much for any startling ability in journalism as for her beauty and charm, for even in the hard breast of the average Gradgrfnd edi- tor survives a spark of susceptibility.
 After twelyemonth or more of fashion writing Miss Opp decided to go abroad for a summer vacation.
 "But I shall work while I am there she said, with the determina- tion of the young newspaper zealot. .I shall interview people in London. Make list of the great people whom I shall see,' she said to one of the more or less impressionable editors.
 He toiled for hours to do this favor for the beauty, and the next morning he handed her the list You see have led off with Du Maurier," he said. because of the tremendous vogue of his sTrilby' just now any q sD