Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-17


tentions of the befuddled Titania, regard
less Of the fact that he Is wearing an ass
head, is the very embodiment Of rollicking
humor without coarseness Puck. the sprite
who does Oberon's will, is the quintesence
OF mischief, His tangiing OF horses names,
and the such like sports are but idle
pastimes compared to the part he plays in
mixing up the queen Of the fairies with
lout Of the stripe Of Nick Bottom. but the
whole is conceived in the broadcast Of fun,
and the entire situation is one that sug-
gests that Shakespeare would have fur
nished some delightful nbrettos for musi-
cal comedies had he been spared to this
day. Around these chief characters re-
volve a host OF others. more or less need
full TO the action of the play. but all sub
merged in its pervading atmosphere Of
genial fun. Miss Fitch has given the
production much pains, and the dress re-
hearsals that have been held at the park
indicate a successful production The play
will be given on Wednesday evening, COM
mencing at o'clock. at the south end OF
the park. If rain should interfere. the
piece will be presented on the next even
ing.
Omaha appears to nave drswn more than
its share in the matter of freak per-
formances this summer. the most promi-
nent OF which to date has been the long
distance piano FOUNDER Already three OF
these endurance contests have been put
forth for the edihcation OF a more or less
thoughtless public, always ready to grasp
at something that is out of the ordinary
These professors" have discovered the
fact that so long as a thing is an oddly
It will attract attention, and the gaping
crowds that have fattened their noses
against the show windows while straining
their ears to catch the tinkle OF the In
struments through the plate glass are
merely a tribute to the estimate placed
on public intelligence by the men who
would rather subject themselves to an
unusual nervous and physical strain than
do real work for a living. The fact that no
good purpose can possibly be served by
these unprovoked assaults on music does
not enter into the consideration Of the
promoters OF the enterprise; 1t is a mo-
Tnentary scheme 10 arrest attention. and
for this It is accepted. 1t has ope distinct
advantage No price of admission is
fixed, nor is II at all likely that any could
be made successful for 1t is beyond be-
lief that anyone would pay to see such
performance. In this the long distance
plano FOUNDER is a decided Improvement
over the long distance pedestrian or the
six-day bicycle rider.
-
Many years ago the presiding genius OF
this department of The Bee shivered with
some hundreds OF other shivering mortals
ell through the watches of a cold satur-
day night In the old exposition building
on the lake front at Chicago, watching the
finish of a six-day walking match, in
A.. ak,a ,fnv4n xuFan MI
dragged themselves around the tan-barked
track, barely able 10 stagger, while the
spectators tramped restlessly around the
ring on the outside. endeavoring to keep
warm The chill OF the atmosphere had
cooled any ardor of sporting blood. and
the crown was as silent and undemonstra-
tive as the walkers. II was supposed to
be a great sight to see Weston, OLeary,
Campana and the others in that contest,
but looked back on through the years the
memory fails TO revive any sense OF en-
thusiasm more than prevailed that night,
when the walkers went solemnly along
amid a silence that was oppressive This
scene was recalled last week as the spec
tacle Of one OF the plano players was
presented IN a Farnam street window
about O'Clock in the evening. He lay
back In an armchair. bolstered up by cush-
ions, like a convalescent, his face covered
with a towel while his trainer poured some
sort OF dope out OF a bottle over the cloth.
Protesting nature was being revived into
a semblance OF voluntary activity while
the fingers moved listlessly over TIE keys,
striking a note here and there. with barely
force enough to make the sound audible.
Yet for I'VE hours more this man strug-
Kied on, until forced by exhaustion to
euccumb Idlers watch him from outside
the store during the daylight hours and
in the evening a throng Of curious TANNED
the store and the sidewalk. waiting for
the fnish. 1t came. And then? Nothing.
The man had played the plano twenty-five
hours and some minutes. and across the
street another man had thumped a piano
twenty-five hours and some more minutes
and that was all.
One Of these men explains that he has
aeveloped certain muscles 10 the point
where he can undergo this strain without
SERIOUS detrIment He would accomplish
more OF real benent to mankind If he were
10 devote this abnormal muscular develop
Ynent 10 carrying the hod on some OF the
new buildings that are going up about
town. The hod carrier Is a lowly but cs'
sentfaily necessary Individual. and ~ much
Immediate service 10 the builder. Without
him the mightiest OF mans constructive
achievements would never have beer
reared. The humble and despised mul'
and the burro of the mountain have played
an equally important part In the accom-
plishments OF the builder. Great mountalr
Eorges have been spanned and railroads
have been built where without the sure
footed and patient burro the work Of tn
engineer might have always remained II
the embryo OF his unacoomplished plans
But the nod carrier tolls In his obscurt,
that the temples Of religion. OF art. OF com
merce may rise, or that the mausoleun
may mark the resting place OF some mar
distinguished above his fellows. and IN
donkey lives aud labors not in vain. bu
Altogether without recognition. that tn
Ways OF commerce may be made smootl
across paths where nature has placed he
most forbidding obstacles. These hav
their share In the achievements OF tn
buiider and are instruments for the us
OF the genius who plans the triumphs
what honor shall be theirs as compare
20 the man who pounds a plano twenty
ay,e hours and some minutesG One con
soiinE thought forces itself into promi
hence IN this connection. Lake the ma
who blows into the gun. or the other ma
VINO thaws dynamite IN the oven. the long
distance piano player is hardly apt Z
A. IT,