The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-06-07

N"h Neg ANAN g'Ni'
Decoration Day marked the formal be-
ginning OF the amusement life at Coney
Island for the summer season, but the
beginning was anything but auspiclous.
for the rain poured down In torrents and
hardly more than handful Of people
came down from New York and Brock
Ign.
All along the approaches 10 the elevated
trains you see signs. Avoid arrest-don't
crawl in or out OF the windows Of the
cars" The warning sounded satirlcal
on this occasion and might have been a
joke but for the reflection that the rail-
road company doesn't indulge IN testing
with the present price OF paper in mind.
Additions have been made to Dream
land and Luna Park and Bostock Is
there with as fine an animal show as has
ever been exhibited on Coney Island But
the principal novelty is the big circus
which has just been opened on one OF the
vacant lots This circus Is advertised
as the largest show under canvas. and
minor announcement assures the vis-
tor that the canvas is waterproof. and
the show can be enjoyed. wet or dry. re-
gardless Of the elements.
But tho Decoration Day downpJur
strained everybodys faith In circus ad-
vertising. The orchestra was soaked 70
the skin, the performers came out OF
their dressing-rOOms and entered the
arena carrying umbrellas The elephant
that sprawled out in the center 10 let a
small pony attitudiniZe gracefully on his
ribs, almost disappeared from sight IN
the mud, and ! feared the services OF a
deep-sea diver or a derrick might have
to be enlisted to pull him out The
clowns nevertheless went about their
business Of being funny as though moth
ing was happening 10 damp their ardor
For while the audience enjoyed the
show hugely from it's seats. but later
everybody found it more comfortable TO
stand up. The only artists who seemed
10 quicken artlstically under the infiu-
ence Of the weather were the performing
seals. They enjoyed it vastly more than
the hippodrome ballet OF 100 maidens in
spangles under the premiership OF Mile
Rose Edyth. OF London. Yet II was a
good show. and being the first circus at
Coney Island, proves great novelty for
the regular habitues on whom the ordi-
nary exhibitions have long since palled.
Williams & Walker, the colored come
dams. are booked for London. They are
now playing a series OF vaudeville en-
gagements In this country after closing
their season in "Bandana Land" but In
July they Will be sent over the waters
70 delight LOndoners with their peculiar
style OF entertainment
Their success there is almost beyond
doubt. Marie Bates. the veteran actress.
told me. just before closing In The
Music Master" how cordially the Eng
fish took TO all forms OF negro enter
tainment as long as thirty-six years ago
She went over there with Shook & Pal
mer's monster Uncle Tom company
carrying a small army corps OF genuine
plantation darkies. Miss Bates played
Topsy, and you will hardly believe II OF
the matronly Mrs. Houston, Of Hous-
ton street, who lives in the old Houston
mansion" that she used to turn hand
spring. and for five months enchanted the
Berliners in her colOred specialties as the
irrepTessible TOpsy
She said that London went daffy over
the plantation hands. and many of them
married white girls and settled down 10
become good English citizens Some OF
the famous old minstrel trOupes of the
past were very successful over there. and
Williams e. Walker are just the sort OF
entertainers to please them
They are likely TO come back in first
class cabins, unlike the members Of
George AIDES College Widow company,
which returned 70 New York a few DAYS
ago, a thoroughly crestfallen set OF
players, the majority having come over
in second cabins. All unite in attribut-
ing the failure OF the American satire to
the inability Of the English TO under
stand our slang phrases, as well as their
pardonable ignorance OF that peculiar
native institution, the college widow
Oscar Hammerstein has a daughter
Stella, who went on the stage a year
ago; just why develops this week from
the disclosure OF an embryo romance.
Stella three years ago met the son Of
London publisher. They fell in love. and
became engaged last November, The
young man is the son OF a baronet with
the accent on the metz. and Is himself