davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
E(T Geo Romani II suo minaturale IN
r. altissimo' That's what the

efE Geo Romani il suo mi,na,urale in
allsslmo! That's what the
opera-mad Italians OF New York
are saying-in plain English: "Behold Ro-
mani, and his most high E-natural." And
that is not exaggerating, either for
Giuliano Romani can hit high F." and
who can do it,
Who Is this Romani with a top note
which scars so far above Caruso's or OF
any other opera tenor OF the present
century? Well. in Italy he is known as
the Kings Tenor" That is because the
King OF Italy-who is first-class con
noisseur-understand fully the rarity and
the value Of voice that is equal 10 the
great tenor roles Of the classic Italian
operas as originally written by their com.
posers.
When the King heard Romani sing Ros-
SIMS Barber OF Seville" heard him exc
cute smoothly and with case the famous
cadenza with its high C and its E-natural
two full tones Understanding which
had not been accomplished in the last
eighty years of the history OF opera
His Majesty promptly and personally ex-
empted the singer from military duty
What were one mans services in
this war compared With the value to the
whole world Of such a voice?
So Romani received the popular Italian
title of the Kings Tenor" and brought
his precious top notes 10 this country for
safe keeping.
Where has Romani kept himself and
that priceless top note, which only three
or FOUR opera prima donnas can reach? If
he's got it, why doesn't he deliver the
goods at the New York Metropolitan
Opera House, where top notch tenors are
worth their weight in gold?
The answer is easy. The prodigy is a
nativeborn Italian, barely twenty-five
years old. Until few months ago he
had never been outside Of his native coun-
try. Up to year ago he didn't know
That his larynX contained n "top note"
more lofty than the conventional high c."
OF all capable opera tenors. He had sung
the principal tenor roles of Italian opera
all over Italy in the conventional modern
way, and was forging ahead on the thigh
G." basis.
BY accident, one day, the competent
vocal instructor who happened to be sing.
Ing the part Of Valentine to his own Faust
IN the opera Of that name, became sus-
piclous that valuable C-sharp, an in.
valuable possible D, and an utra-valua bic
10 In alt" were incubating in the voice.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

box of that vital young tenor-anG It was
true.
Thereupon Romani and his discoverer
secluded themselves and plunged into the
cxacting labor of developing those preci-
Gus upper tones to the full extent OF their
possibilities. This meant general going
over OF the tenor's whole vocal range,
purifying it, smoothing out any defects,
making it live up to those newly discov-
cred upper tones, which would enable Ro.
mani. alone among living tenors. to sing
the hero parts in the best works of Bel
ini. Donzetti. Rossini and Mozart as orig
nally written for the great tenors of their
own time
When this task was we'll along II was
rot a difficult matter in opera-loving Italy.
where bel canto" is almost a religion, to
bring Romanis rare gifts 10 the notice Of
the King-with the result just described.
The Kings Tenor" is now living
quietly in New York City. Privately he has
been heard by some OF the most capable
judges in America. The verdict is unani
nous. Not only is that Unnatural in alt
pure, easy and to be relied on, but the
whole range. down to lower C. demon
strates a lyric tenor OF the finest quality,
of admirable power, and-when the occa-
sion warrants-with an irresistible "dra.
matte punch" in it.
The history of opera contains the name
Of but one tenor whose qualities could be
described in the same terms. He was
Rubini. And it was mainly because Ru
hini demonstrated these powers that Bel
lini composed the opera Il Purtani," with
its brilliant cadenzas soaring into "alts
slmo. One reason that this opera, and
others OF about the same period-by Bel
lini, Rossini. DoniZetti and Mozart-are
not more frequently sung nowadays is be.
cause much Of the brilliancy OF their
charming and graceful melodies Is lost in
transposing them downward to a point
where Rubini's successors could reach
their upper notes.
In justice to the great tenors of the last
fifty years, it should be remembered that
the demands upon them in the way of a
perfectly even quality Of tone throughout
their entire range are much greater than
formerly Then it was permissible to
divide the vocal range into separate
registers" and even to produce the tones
above high c" with sort of falsetto.
To-day there must be no break in the
quality of the tones nor in the method of
their production from top to bottom.
There is no doubt that Caruso and q
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

estlns thinG are always happening there
above the level of the eyes, things that
people like 10 look at. even while they
pass along. II the hat were worn low on
the face the head would have 10 be-
craned upward. and everyone would
know that the person was looking at
particular thing.
Whereas when the hat is worn on the
back OF the head the eyes may roam
where they will. and an air of indiffer.
ence and sang froid be preserved
Here is an instance of style which
seems an affectation having real basis
in utility.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
Why Mems Hats Are Tipped Back

n n explanation has been suggested
~ of the style now prevalent among
n men Of wearing the hat on the
back Of the head.
The chief function for the hat except
ior the bald is to shade the eyes. but on
CITY street there is seldom any direct
sunshine. ard therefore small actual ne.
ccssity for shading the eyes with the hat
brim.
Now comes the discovery OF an impell.
ing motive to keep the hat on the back
or the head. This motive exists in cities,
even for the oldest resident.
rake New York, for instance. Inter.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

very few other tenors OF the last two
decades were in this regard the supcriors
OF their predecessors OF two and three
generations ago. But high c." has been
their really useful upper limit. Caruso.
ana one or two others, have upon occa-
sion, when in exceptionally fine condition.
ventured just one degree into "altissimo."
dwelling briefly upon a Csharp
IhnS il will be appreciated that for n
homani TO produce an Unnatural in alt"
having the same operate significance as
the high C" OF his contcmporarjes while
supplying all the other demands made up.
on modern tenor. is not only to achieve n
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

Aiil euo, III La rdNlata,
and so on. OF the mod
ern operas his favorite
role is Rodolfo, in La
Boheme," a famous Caruso
part. The tenor part of
Rossini's "Stabat Mater"
is one Of his best achieve
ments.
Probably you will won
der what is the secret of
this young Italians ability
% do what no other tenor
If these times or any other
has been able TO accom-
plish. The answer is sim
pie: The perseverance, of
the fittest. y perfect vocal
mechanism in n magnifi-
Gently vital physique
trained to its highest ca
pacity characterizes all
great singers. Romani
adds the Nth degree, per-
hapS. by greater conf
dence and daring, united
with sound methods.
The musical tone pro.
duced by vibrations of the
vocal chords in the larynx
rs a thinner or thicker
stream Of air passes be-
tween them from the
lungs, according to its
higher or lower pitch, is
also materially under
the control OF the dia-
phragm. that partition
Of muscle and cartilage
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

triumph, but to do more than even RubiDi
could have attempted.
Giuiiano Romani sings The Barber Of
Seville with the Rubini cadenZa at the
end, which includes the thigh e" above
the high Ca performance which no
other tenor since Rubini has achieved. lie
also rocalizcs the fast movement, running
chromltic scales which all tcnors of the
modern school have evaded This means
revival OF the lost arr" OF the oauy
rart OF the nineteenth century.
1t also means new life for several of the
most charming of the classic operas Ro.
mani's practiscd rcpertory includes all OF
ny. Great Britain Rights Reserved.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

inner wall OF the upper
chest. l seem to feel that
this is the power which
enables me to reach and
sustain all my upper
tones"
He added what is famil-
lar to all singers-the part
played by the upper throat
and the cranial cavities
back Of the nose as reso-
nance chambers; and
these seemed TO gain in
Importance the higher his
tones scared.
There are several So
pranos before the public
whose speciality is the
high-pitched roles Of the
old operas here mentioned.
Tetrazzini made her great
success IN them. Marceila
Sembrich - now retired
from opera-proba bly, was
the greatest modern So
prano in this class. Her
former roles at the Metro
nolitan opera in New York
are now in the hands OF
Frieda Hempel. n very
beautiful young woman.
who-curiously enough
recently justiiies her col
oratura speciality in the
same way hat Romani
justities his "altissimo"
notes: by 10 other means
can the charming old
operas be restored to pop
ularity and 10 general es-
TEEN among opera goers.
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

which separates the abdominal cavity from
that containing the lungs and heart, and
which is largely responsible for the func-
ton of breathing. AS the pitch OF the
tone rises, so does the centre of the dla.
phragm. pressing against the lungs and
increasing the force with which the
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

AS in the case OF Romani. so does Frieda
Hempel make her best impression with
the soaring cadcnzas OF Rossini's Barber
OF seville she. too with C.sharps, DIS
ana rs in altissimo.' Perhaps they will
be heard together this coming season.
who can tell?
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05
The Extraordinary Vocal
Machinery of Sig. Ron1ar1i,
the King of Haky's FaUorite
Tenor, Who Has Been
Exempted from Military
Duty BY the King Him.
self to Saue His Valuable
High Notes

them. He sings the tenor roles Of Fer
nando. in LA Favorita"; the Duke, in
"Rigoletto"; Arturo, in Il Puritani'; Don
Ottavio, in Don Giovanni; Nemorino. in
"L'Elisir d'Amor"; Elvino, in La Son
nambula'; Ernesto. in Don Pasquale";
Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-05

stream Of air passes between the more
and more contracted vocal cords.
when | sing my highest tones" says
Romani. it seems to me that the centre
of the diaphragm rises like cone, up
ward and forward, until it touches the
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
Balancing to Music.

One Of the most difficult trials TINT
nm equilibrist OF any Kind can under
take Ia to give IN exhibition without
the aid of nm orchestra. Good. stirring
music IL OF immense assistance to the
performer In more ways than one. In
the first place. II encourages and gives
confidence to an extent which would
astUund any one who had never before
ex experienced IT, iIy always performing
to one tune the artist IL able to take
his cues from II. and lie Keeps time
much rs step dancer does. The mn
sic enables the performer to contine
mis- attention to what he Is doing by
Drowning any small noises among the
audience which might distract him
Most equilibrists during what they
consider their browning fent dispense.
with the orchestra. and this adds con
siderabiy to the danger.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
Hardly Worth m.ntionino.

As u New Orlenns hotel keeper tells
the tale ninety year-old negro man
VIII" WINS Homeless. penniless. infirm
and crippled crlwIpd into a hayioft in
a strange neighbOrhood to spend bis
last hours. The darky who owned the
hny saw suspicious figure sinking
into his stable and came with his shot
gun to make the intruder prisoner
Cnutl'"isly entering the stable. he de-
iected rustling in the hay and. aim
ing his gun In the direction whence
the sound came. yelled ont:
u got you. Dnggone You. ! got your
The expiring wanderer raised bis
head and ns he gnzed down the gun
barreIs replied waniy:
AN grent git You got!'-saturday
Evening Post.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
e.Ioivm,, National Anthem.

The national anthem OF Belgium. ia
Krabanconne." Is set to lighter music
thnn the dignifed British and Ru*sinn
compositions. Its author and composer
were both Belgtans. and the song wns
written to meet the public. need at the
time of a grent crisis in the country's
history. the revolution Of 1890. when
Belgium repudiated Its 50 called "arnai
gamatiop' with Holland
The music WAS the work Of a repu
table musician OF the time. Francois
Won Campcnhnut, violinist. fine
tenor singer and a composer. LA Bra
banconne" constitutes Campenhauts
principal claims upon posterity. Cam
penhaut concentrated his efforts upon
giving the soldiers of the revolution a
good marching tune. one which would
carry along the burning enthusiasm Of
JennevaI's words without emphasizing
any Of their deeper qualities. He
caught something of the impulse Of
Ro,iget de i.isie In the composition Of
Ia Marseiilaise." and even reproduced
n hint Of the rhythm Of the great
French song.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
- The -
Scrap Book
cempremiss Report.

At one time great many years ago
10 much counterfeit money was In cir
culatIon that business men found 1t nd
vantngeOus to use a counterfeit bunk
note detector.
A storekeeper In New Hampshire
village came into possession of bank
note which he strongly suspected to be
counterfeit. 80 he sent 1t to nearby
city In charge. OF nm old stage driver
for examination.
On two successive trips the old fel-
low forgot this particular errand. A
third time he was charged with 1t in
terms Enthusiastically strong. Again he
forgot. Fearing to confess his care
lessness. he resolved to brave 1t out
somehow.
WELL" said the storekeeper anxious
ly. did they say 1t was bud biil:"
"Why. no." responded the stage driv-
err deliberately. mot exactly"
mot exactly?" calculated the other.
What do you mean? Was 1t good"
NO. not exactly that either" and
the old man frightened little. "They
said they guessed 1t was bout mid
EVERY bOdy's.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
Dutch Hxph.n.t.d Names.

| believe. writes correspondent, that
It is the custom In country districts 10
France for married women to retain
their names In association With those
Of their husbands for shop signs when
they are In trnde. or more especially
when the lady has succeeded to the
business. In Dutch society the custom
10 for the Indy to use her name hyphe
mated with that Ut her husbands A
circular about loan exhibition at Tbs
Hague which ! have contains some ex
ampies. For instance:
Nine. Huyssen de Rattendi1ke-de
Rreugel DOuglns
Mne. de Knrnebeek RarOnne de Was
senaer.
Baronne Swecrts de l.andas Wy
DOrEh smith
In each cnse the iady's maiden name
follows that Of her husband In
France. on the other hand. the oppo
site order Is followed. London Specta
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07


Sir Donald Mum. the Canadian rail-.
road builder. Ind sensn tionnI career.
beginning NJ IN nxman In the Canadi.
an lumber woods.
Early In life Mann visited Europe on
business mission and mt a dinner one
night became involved In n quarrel
with a Russian noblennn Next day
he received call from one of the no
bleman's friends, bearing an invita-.
ton to duel elf he doesn't like what
| said to him. let him come up md
tell me so." satd Mann. ale can come
a-running. too. and carry any size gun
he likes"
The friend explained that would new.
er do Nothing but the regular thing
on the field Of honor would do.
"Oh. all right" said Mann. 1--WE
been fighting duels all my life. Rut
I'll have to insist on using my mn.
tional wenpon-a sixteen pound double
bitted ax."
The friend went AWAY holding up his
hands at the barbarian. That night
the nobIeman met Mann. He was
about the size Of II grasshopper. Mann
Ii something over six feet high and
four wide, with no fat II fight you.
m'soo." said the nobieman, with the
weapon of any civilize nation. but !
be hang If commit suicide"
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
Rsv.;no the Stomach.

Giving n Is,tipnt's stOulnch rest by
feeding him through tube thai paSSea
down his throat and completely
through his stomach IL one form Of
medical treatment Tile tnie u moi
removed utter each meal. hut IL efi
IN place fos days. and even IN SOME
cases for few weeks. hs h not
.ons before the patient bes'omes acs'u-
toned to II and feels no grei'i di~'om
fort from its presence The main pur
pose of tube feeding Ia to stop all di
gestive operations III the stomach and
so give an opportunity for the healing
of sores. such rs ulcers. but u mas
been used FOR other stomach ailments
also. Tubes are designed that may
be swallowed easily. and they have
little golden bucket al the lower end
II has been found possible 10 most
cases to get the bucket to pass com
pieteIy through the stomach In the
course Of n night. Food must be care
fully prepared for patients undergo
ing this treatment. because the stom
acb is not allowed to do it's part tn
digestion. Warmed and stra lined milk
eggs and sugar Of milk. poured into
the tube In small quantities every two
hours during the day give sufficient
nutriment to the patient = Saturday
Evening Post
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
Sand Hills Of ssrssn.

Bergen IL W called doubtless from
the snnd bills which Mt this point Ut
the coast of Holland are unusually con
spicuons and give the mime OF Little
switzerland" to tile neightOrho'd.
These dunes nre the scene Ot very w
teresting experiments In tir plDnting.
with view to keeping them station
AIRY and preserving the valuable 'nnd
behind them from Mnd drift. This
slow nff0restauon ut bergen. on which
some thousands Vt pounds are spent
annually. WIS initinted by very re-
mnrknble private association. the Meth
erinnds Health society. which. starting
In u qiiiet way twenty-five years ago.
now employs frUm its headquarters IN
Utrecht nm urmy Of workers and turns
over some tsU.OOO annually In It's im.
provenients. London Standard.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07

I'm smoking" And he kept right on
smoking.
"You probably don't know who I
am" observed Garrett
"Oh. yes. ! do" said the brakeman.
ave seen you around here before.
You're the general mnnager."
"Then evidently you haven't he4srd
about our new order ag,,inst sniok-
Ing" went ON Garret,.
Sure. heard about tia week ago. T"
replied the brink. man cotrteOusiy aud
without ceasing to pun at MS cigar.
Garrett then began to liz angry. "See
here. my gOOd mnn." said ne, which
looks the best to you. TINT ciyar OF
your job7"
For some moments the brakeman
stared on into space. putting slowly nj
his smoke and apparently thinking tile
proposition over. Then he Declared:
~ hardly know what to say. Mr..
Garrett-they're both - rottenr'-New
York Sun.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
TURKISH SOLDIERS.
They Are Always Prepared and Ever
Wiilino to Fight.

Willing to Fight.
The popular western conception Of
the Turkish army In something In the
ilature Of II wild zouave. marshaltd in
battallOns and bred with funntical.
huinicitiui mania. hut nowhere In Tur-
key will you lind such conception
realized
The great majority of Ottoman reIu
lars are sinSularly plain. unpituresque.
unpretentious soltliery. On their heads
they wear either gray bashlyks wound
turbanwise or plain fezzes Or "kal
paks'' Of n yeIiowish brown color cor
responding to their German made uni
forms Of rough wooden cloth. Their
legs are wound in a bulky way with
the same material in Turkish con.
ception Of puttee. and on their feet
either short tsUts or the soft leather
mOccasin- like shoes Of the Balkans
give them u comfortable agricultural
look.
Singly or in bulk. there is nothing at
all smart about them. but they look
exceedingly equal to the delivery Of
the goOds. Altogether they appear as
well able to fade lndistinguishabl into
the landscape as anything human
could. Many Of them are Anntolians
and some are rudy faced Kurds from
the Caucasus. Others come from the
Taurus mountains. back of KOnia and
AleppO. swarthy Syrians and Arab
types.
Any one Of them will fight at the
drop Of a hat He would not have to
change anything. There Is nothing
about him TO polish or to be kept clean.
As he stands he sleeps and eats. drills.
marches mud goes Into BATTLE Worlds
Work.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07
BAD EGGS AND THE STAGE
PsItins Unpopular Performers 10 Z
Very Ancient Custom.

very %nCtout Susto"s
The practice Of hurting bad eggs at
actors who dtspiensed them has been
In vogue With audiences ever since
there Inns been stage and dramatic
production. Chinese. Greeks and Ro-
mans ran to this sort OF unfrngrant
criticism. uni two stories told by a
collector OF odd things connected with
the tlieuier are worth repeating.
a number Of New York youths In
the Hfties threw number of bad eggs
AT u pailid and trembling performer.
He advanced tn the edge Of the stage.
commanded silence and sud:
Noble sirs. deign to throw me but
one good one-just one. care not II
II brenk over me. l shall manage II. |
have enten Dnught In two days. Pet
me with good eggs. ! beseecb you"
The appeal gained him a basket Of
good eggs by way Of the bnck stage.
man went to shakespeare the
alter In the day OF the great bard to
throw bad eggs at nm actor he dis
liked Some one jostled him unduiy.
and he punched the 1Ostler. The jostIer
whipped him. however. and tinaf1y sat
him down In the bad eggs. which
broke. 40 the would be egg thrower
wns thrown out because Of the OdOY
and called bad egg In the bargain
New York Sun.
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07

FAN enlisted man once PM the presi,
dent OF court martial 10 a difficult
position" says a writer In an English
magazine THE court martial WINS
trying the soldier for some fault or
other. When the evidence-and 1t took
an unusually long time-hnd been
given. the president asked the prison.
er II he had anything to say in his de
Tense
"'Weil. sir said the man. 7 can't
see how this ere court can sentence
me. for Major Jones' ms been reading a
pnpcr under the table the ole bloom
ing time. and Captain Smith ms been
making me into a karicatoor On the
blotting pad. and. as for Lieutenant
Brown. e 'asn't nd his commission 3
year and don't count anyways!"
The Meeker herald., 1915-08-07

Do you wish the world were better? Let
me tell you what to do,
Set watch upon your actions. Keep them
always straight and true.
Rid your mind of selfish motives. let your
thoughts be clean and high.
You can make little Eden of the sphere
you occupy.
Do you wish the world were wiser7 Well.
suppose you make a start
BY accommodating wisdom In the scrap
book of your heart.
Do not waste one page on folly: live TO
learn and learn to live.
II you want to give men knowledge you
must get It ere you give.
Do you wish the world were happy? Then
remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness as you
pass along the way.
For the pleasure of the many may be
ofttimes traced to one
AZ the hand that plants the acorn shell
tiers armies from the sun.