Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-27
Norris In New York CITY.
[By D. W. Norris, of Grinnell.l

S. OIL SIE1llllGll.J
lists of the higher order. The city is
full of talent always.
"Gallops'' at the Garrick wins in a
walk, but it again is light. Readers of
the Century will readily recall David
Gray's horsey sketches. Well, Gray
has dramatized these sketches. Mr..
Gray was in one of the boxes and the
audience made him come out. He is
a TALL thin, smooth-faced young man,
and quite as diffident as David Be
lasco. At Washington Margaret Aug
lin led Belasco before the curtain to
satisfy the encore, and it was really
amusing to see this gray haired man
trying to stand on one foot and pull
ing the corner of his coat, while he
said thank you"
Neither is the opera well patronized
here. 1t is the place in New York
where the rich and fashionable women
go to be seen. The men who accom-
pany them are not their husbands;
they belong to that contemplate class
known as society men. They do moth
ing but idle away time, and fatter
silly, unattractive women. The hus-
bands of these women are never seen
at any society function. These people
occupy the boxes, the body of the
house is occupied by people who go
to see those in the boxes; the excel
lence or lack of excellence of the opera
itself has nothing to do with the at
tendance. The New Yorq papers recog-
nize this. Not word have 1 seen in
any paper as to the opera, but each
IN, hox n fhir,.
ty-six is regularly and infinitely de-
scribed. Some of the women who eX-
hibit their jewelry in these boxes, in
fact most of them, will not stand
first class opera glass. Many of them
are absolutely hideous on close in
spection. 1t is a strange fad that in
duces women past middle age, with
scrawny neck and angular shoulders
to exhibit their busts in public for
there is little covering except diamonds
from the waist up. Men do not like
to see 1t. 1t is positively repulsive
why do they do it? l saw one such
old belle at the presidents reception
at Washington. She was past 20. One
was enough. I was reminded of Mrs.
Skutin in Dombey & Son.
Emma Eames sang at Carnegie hall
last Wednesday, and Madam Calve on
Thursday. This is all that was said,
the bare announcement, the papers
said nothing 1 speak of these things
simply to show you that it is fact
that high class drama will no longer
be patronized in New York City. This
seems to me to be misfortune; may
be not l would rather see commune
ity enjoy and appreciate something
better, but their sole object seems to
be a desire to be amused. l ought not
to omit to mention MIR. Hopkinson,"
at the Savoy, and Ellis Jeffreys in
"The Fascinating Mr.. Vanderveldt" at
Dalys-both English importations and
both delightful farces. "The Lion and
the Mouse" at the Lyceum is a very
strong and very creditable society
drama.
1 cannot drop this subject without
what seems to me to show a material
lowering of the moral taste. At one
of the theaters there is a French farce
Mile. Modiste. 1t has no merit, but it
has a very coarse song, and this air
is a part of the orchestra program
of nearly every theater in New York
City. Inc WORDS are coarse, anu lllo
music to me unpleasant, and l heard
it so often that / got as tired of it as
1 did of the Longworth-R
wedding. The song is sung by rich.
lecherous, equity old bachelor. and runs
like this II want what I want when l
want it." 1t is fairly representative
of the unutterable selfishness and sem
suality of rich city bachelors life.
No woman need to come to New
York City to do her shopping. 1t goes
without saying that she will find what
she wants, but for most things she will
pay more than is asked at home. This
is not an xaggeration-it is positive
fact. The cost of doing business, es-
pecially in Broadway is simply fright
full. A friend of mine young doctor,
showed me a 7-room fiat at 104th
street and Broadway for which he was
was asked $1,000 a year. Cost seems to
have no relevancy to the prices asked.
Mrs. Norris found the same Identical
rugs i'm different stores varying in
price % per cent. The price seems to
he governed by Glow much will he
pay?" u. w. NohRlS.