OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 150, 25 June 1907, Page 2

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

.(From Our Snecial correspondent.) NEW YOEKi May 18. A LATE SPRING. The unpreeedentedly cold and backward spring has thus far been relieved by but one or two seasonable days, and from fanners to tailors all classes are complaining. Winter clothing is still comfortable with the single exception that lieavy overfeoats have been- generally discarded, but ladies are often seen with their fur wraps, especially for driving, and clothing men. -say thai the demand for spring wear has been; obliterated this year, as the change when it comes will be directly from winter to summer. Crop planting has been abnormally late, and the price of wheat on 'change has reached 1.75 dols., with the present prospect of it going to 2dols. Quantities of heavy ice still impede navigation about the entrances to' the Gulf of St. Lawrence, aaid a. week ago there was a fall of ten inches of snow in the northern part of Nova Scotia. The New York theatrical season is almost over, and no new attractions are announced, but no one feels yet like patronising summer resorts, and although. Coney, Island is partially open, business, in that direction is most- notably slow. Open cars on the surface lines are as yet- generally shunned, although the. ear companies say that this is the season for the withdrawal of the winter ears to be painted and overhauled, and they are forcing the open ones on the lines at every opportunity.

CONEY ISLAND ATTRACTIONS.

The programme -for Coney Island the coining summer presents quite as many novel features as usual. One of these is-the separating helter-skelter —a slippery bamboo-bottomed slide down a steep incline upon which people go by force of gravity, an evolution of the ancient amusement of sliding down banisters, but suddenly find themselves diverted from their friends into separate chutes, and so with many unexpected bumps and turns eventually drop in a heap into stout canvas receptacles. The "Human Bagatelle Board" is perhaps the most original of all this class of novelties. A great incline has been equipped exactly like a bagatelle board on an enormous scale. In place of marbles the board is fitted with baskets mounted on -wheels large enough to hold a grown person. Seated in this novel car one will slide quickly along the board, striking the pins placed along its length, and in the end enter a pocket at the bottom. \ The person who enters the pocket labelled with the highest number naturally wins. Another of the season's novelties brought very much up to date is the "Molly-coddle." It consists of a clever illusion of mirrors arranged about a triangular room which greatly multiply every object they reflect. The visitor takes a seat in a boat in the centre of this room, which immediately begins to rock and dart about violently. The motion is controlled by a series of magnets. As the boat dashes toward the mirror it apparently is about to come into collision with similar boats, also filled with persons. There seems to be danger of a. thousand collisions, all of which are escaped by a hair's breadth. Just why. tlu> entertainment should be called a Molly-coddla is left to the visitor's imagination.

The theatrical attractions at Coney Island will include additional spectacular effects to anything previously shown, with daring innovations and all the applications of motive power and electrical devices that ingenuity has been able to evolve. The most elaborate of the new productions will be the "Feast of Belshassar," showing gardens of Babylon, the handwriting on the wall and thrilling ballet acts. "THROUGH HBAVKN AND HELL." Another production is entitled "Night and Morning, or a Journey through Heaven and Hell." The trip, it is promised, will provide the most blase with new sensations. Incidentally the production has cost some £10,000. In order to take this journey one first enters a room shaped exactly like a coffin and correspondingly dark and gloomy. Thi3 hnge coffin is covered by a glass lid through. wbdeh. as one looks upward a very lifelike or, rather, deathlike scene will be visible. The opening is surrounded with flowers appropriate to the occasion, with weeping willows and similar details. This lid is to descend for several feet, tilting and shaking in the descent. As a final touch of realism the sound of dirt being shovelled on the top of the coffin is heard for sev- ! era! minutes. A voice in the darkness next announces that a guide is necessary. A volunteer is thereupon placed in a coffin of convenient size. In an instant he is transformed into a luminous skeleton. The skeleton in turn disappears and an animated skaieton appears and delivers a lecture on the horrors which await the visitors. TTis voice is panied by the sound of clanking chains, while a number of imps pass about offering for sale fans and pieces of ice, at greatly advanced prices, against a time of need. The side of the coffin now opens, and the visitors start on a personally conducted tour of the lower regions. ' The journey is long and tortuous. A twentieth century hell lini*d with janitors tied to red hot radiators and trust magnates frying in pans is first visited. Further along will be found a chamber of skeletons, a clever illusion, where a score of luminous and very animated skeletons ask impertinent questions and insist upon shaking hands. Still another feature of this Hades is a River of Death, a complete novelty in stage mechanism, which shows a great stream of dismembered bodies being carried along in a river of fire. There is a happy ending to ; this journey, in still another stage illusion, in which a graveyard disappears, to be replaced by the figure of a.young girl clinging to a cross, with descending angels, all to appropriate mueie from a great pipe organ. In a twinkling the darkened room is transformed into a bower of rosee beneath a blue sky, and the pilgrims are ushered out to the next attraction.

STRIKE OF WATERSIDE WORKERS.

New York's shipping business has been , greatly hampered during the past fortnight by a strike of 'longshoremen, upwards of ten thousand wharf labourers going out. They had been paid 35 cents per hour for ordinary work. 50 cents' for overtime, and GO cents for Sundays and holidays, but struck for 40,- 60, and SO cents respectively. The employers refused to grant the men's demands, and as a result many of the transatlantic liners obliged td sail on schedule time have been going out without discharge ing or loading any more cargo than has been practicable by the ships' crews and such, independent labour as has proved available. Some steamers sailing for New

Yorkvfrom Europe, since the strike, began iave adopted' the expedient of b'ringingj with., them for the trip enough men to - handle their cargoes wiHe here in port. Tfie only-freedom iroin the-generalicondi— tion has. been at the.Cunard and North, German Lloyd The Cunard management some -months;ago adopted the. plan, of putting their men on, regular weekly wages whether they had much or little work, and the North- German. Lloyd, prior to the strike, compromised with the men by payments of 45 to 60 cents an hour. The advance demanded is generally resented, because so many men in more responsible positions in-Kew York to-day are willing to accept 15 dollars to IS dollars per week, upon which income they are obliged to dress respectably and live reguiariy. A strike of a different nature, involving necessity for legislation, has been that of the city school teachers, who had a bill passed by the State Legislature granting certain demands, but it was vetoed by the Mayor of New York, who has this power in regard to legislation affecting the city. The State Senate, however, has the bill over the Mayor's veto, and it will probably rest with the State Governor as to whether the enactment may become law. The demands are principally for increased pay and equality of female with male teachers. Following the lead of their New York friends, the "longshoremen" in Montreal struck work this week, demanding increased wages. Nearly 2000 men went out, and steamers are tied up., which is a much more serious matter there than here, for the limited, open season of navigation on the St. Lawrence makes every hour count.

A SENSATIONAL WEDDING.

The recent passing sensation, has been the, marriage of Mr. Wm. E. Corey, millionaire president of the Steel Trust, to an actress named Mabelle Oilman, with. whom his name had been connected prior to the divorce obtained from him a frw months ago by the wife whom he had married w4ien he was in a humble position at 10 dollars per -week, and who had helped him to build up" his fortune. Several bishops and prominent clergymen had publicly declared, when the Corey-Gilman wedding was rumoured, that they would not perform the ceremony, but a Brooklyn man in charge of a Congregational Church was found to He, however, has been so upbraided for his act that he has expressed contrition, has returned the fee received, and has asked bis congregation to forgive him. The couple have gone to Europe for a trip.

WINTER BOWLING.

One of the winter amusements which is perhaps more largely indulged in here than elsewhere is that of bowling. As played in New York, it is essentially an indoor game, and the public alleys are generally in the basements of beer saloons, where solid foundations can be obtained, and the noise does not disturb others, as the clatter of the balls knocking down the ten-pins, or, as many of them as possible on the part/ of the bowler, is not gentle. The air in these places is, however, generally damp, while laden with cigar and beer fumes, and the alleys are often draughty, so that it can hardly equal for physical results the effect of exercise in the open air. Nevertheless, there were said to have been over 400,00 men. and women parti'cipajting in the game in this city during tie past winter, most of them beiiig , - members of clubs which hire alleys regularly ' for a certain night each week.