FQOTWGHT RICHES.

Evening Star, Issue 9864, 28 November 1895, Page 6 (Supplement)

FQOTWGHT RICHES.

[Br Oai& Bot.J

The Brough-Bonoicanlt eothpany play a return season in Wellington before leaving the colony. Mr J. Hutchison, a well-known Hawera amateur, will join the B. and B. company &t Wellington. It is stated that Mr W. J. MaoLaughlin, formerly of this City, is about to joini the Newbury-Spada Concert Company, and to proceed with them to England. The Garrison Hall has been secured for Christmas week for a concert season by the Misses Rose Blaney-Fisher combination. Miss Carry Biltou has joined the Rigaold Company. Miss Kate Bishop (Mrs L. J. Lohr) has arrived in Melbourne to take up her old part in ‘ Man to Man ’ at the Royal Tueatre Rubenstein’s ‘ Christ ’ has been performed as a religion play on the stage of the Bremen Theatre. The work is divided into seven scenes, with a prologue and an epilogue. The former represents the birth of Christ, with the shepherds and the procession of the three Kings. The scenes selected are the temptation in the wilderness, the baptism in Jordan, the sermon on the mount, followed by the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the repentance of Mary Magdalene, and the raising from the dead of the widow’s son ; also the purification of the temple, the last supper, Christ before Pilate, and the crucifixion. Raimund took the part of Christ. Care was taken to carry out all the composer’s ideas with regard to the representation, which was artistically successful and was received in a reverential spirit by the audience. From documents produced in the Loudon Bmkruptcy Court it appears that while ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ was running Oscar Wilde received 10 per cent, of the gross weekly receipts up to £I,OOO, and 15 per cent, of any sum in excess of that amount. For ‘ Lady Windermere’s Fan ’ the amount was not so large. As to ‘A Woman of No Importance’ and ‘An Ideal Husband,’ he received 5 per cent, on the weekly receipts over £6OO and under £BOO, 74 per cent, over £BOO and under £I,OOO, and 10 per cent, for anything over £I,OOO.

Mrs Charles Turner’s (Annia Montague) valedictory benefit at Sj dney was remarkable for its cordiality on the part of the people among whom she had lived so long, and for the expression of high esteem in which she is held by all branches of the musical and dramatic profession, who gathered round her in strong force. Sir W. P. Manning read a congratulatory address to Miss Montague, signed by the Mayor of Sydney and other public men, in which the deep respect and admiration of all classes for her was expressed. Sir William also presented Miss Montague with a cold necklace, adorned with pendant ivy leaves of gold—the gif tof herpupils. Then Sir William made a speech which contained many nice allusions to the heneficiaire , and the work she had done in the colonies.

A horrible tragedy look place in a mamgerie at Lyons. A clerk named Louis E’ssette, aged twenty-four years, who had the entree of the show, made up his mind to be photographed in the central lion’s cage. He entered the cage, which was, of course, empty, and while the photographer was getting ready his camera he approached the neighboring cage, in which an enormous lion named Romulus was sleeping. He did all he could to excite the animal through the bars, and while pressing against the partition inadvertently opened the trapdoor which separated the two cages. The lion bounded through the opening, and, springing upon the clerk,teized his head in its mouth, crushing it terribly. The clerk was killed almost instantaneously. It was with difficulty that the lion tamer induced the lion to relinquish his prey and return to his cage. Flora Graupner has rejoined the Comic Opera Company, and Edward Farley become a member. ‘Pinafore’ was staged during Cup week with Elsie Cameron as Buttercup, Florrie Young and Juliet Wray as alternate Josephines, Lauri as Sir Joseph, Brownlow as Corcoran, Tapley as Rackstraw, and Farley as tho cross-eyed bos’n.

While Fillis’s Circus was at Kimberley, Smith Africa, Dan Feeley came to sad grief in his vaulting act over men holding fixed bayonets. He got over all but the last man, whose bayonet caught Dan’s side, inflicting a very ugly wound. When the mail left Feeley was lying in a very dangerous condition.

Writing to the ‘ Mail,’ Mr Alfred Oakey, of Nelson, says: “I have passed many of my earlier years in theatres, have intimately known numbers of actors, and amongst them all have never met with a bad-hearted man. As a rule I can truly say they rank with the best of men and women. They ever fed keenly for the distressed, and there is scarcely an instance on record W'here an actress or actor have not freely given their gratuitous services when called upon. In the telegram from Sydney of the recent calamity the word ‘ murder ’ appears. I feel that most people who have read Mr Dacre’s letters will concede that this was uncalled for, and that the painful word should have been eliminated. To murder is to kill a human being with premeditated malice. There was no malice in this case—they loved each other all through their arduous life struggle, they were in perfect accord, and when dying their hearts beat in unison. I, for one, am hopeful that the odious word will be expunged from the report of the inquest, for it is certain that no true heart will ever allow the stigma of murder to rest on the memory of poor Dacre. Virginius did not murder his daughter.” Adelina Patti attributes her exceptional health to plenty of sleep—nine hours a day. The will of Madame Albani, the famous contralto, is a remarkable document. After leaving her jewellery and snug sums of money to her sisters, brother, and brother-in-law, nephews, and nieces, and remembering her butler, cook, linen-woman, and chambermaid, and providing for her funeral, she gives an oil portrait of Rossini to the town of Dago, in Italy. She bequeaths to the city of Paris 100,000 francs of 3 per cent, rentes, which will go to form savings bank books of 250 francs each. These books shall be inscribed and distributed annually, by way of encouragement to work, to the pupils of both sexes ha/ing attained the age of thirteen years (without distinction of nationality or religion) who attend the classes of the public and gratuitous schools maintained by the city of Paris, at the rate of two books for each district—one for the boys and one for the girls. The will also gives to the charity department of Paris the sum of IOO.OOOfr, to found and maintain in the name of Alboni in one of the hospitals of the city of Paris two beds (or more if the sum should permit), which shall be set apart exclusively for persons of Italian nationality without distinction of occupation or religion. This sensible and broad-natured woman appointed her husband universal legatee. At the conclusion of the Paderewski tour Mrs Gorlitz lAtny Shetwin) will revisit Australia aud'New Zealand.

Mrs Keeley, who is close on her ninetieth birthday, keeps the best of health and spirits, and is in every respect a wonderful old lady. Recently the veteran actress recited with much dramatic force and exquisite pathos, which brought tears to the eyes of some who beard her, some verses from the pen of Mr J. Ashby-Sterry, which he wrote for her upon the occasion of the benefit performance in aid of the Hospital for Sick Children. The last verses, full of quiet humor, were: —

I crave for theta your sympathy untold, Your, love, your help, your pity—and your gold! The last I’m bound to have, foryou must know I played Jack Sheppard many years ago 1 I’ve not forgotten his impudence, his dash, His rare persuasive power when seeking cash ! Stand and deliver—sovereigns, fifties t fives— We want you money for we want their lives.

mised Conway an engagement should bis health be restored onreoohing your end of the world. I am quite ante the colonial public will be delighted to second this generous act, and give the erstwhile most popular of jeune premiers a cordial welcome. Conway, whose real name is Blcnkinsopp-Goalson, was one of Mr Bancroft’s discoveries, and achieved his earliest successes in ‘ Diplomacy ’ and Robertsonian revivals. He gained, however his greatest laurels both in London and the provinces in old comedy, and for many years was admittedly the best Jack Absolute, Charles Surface, Young Dornton, etc., on the stage. How his present illness set in it boots not to inquire. A handsome actor has many temptations, and the strongest cannot burn the candle at both ends forever. Physical weakness led at last to a condition of affairs painfully suggestive of the fearful malady known as G.P. (general paralysis). Fortunately, however, it was not that, we are told. Mr Conway’s troubles culminated in Scotland, where his stuttering led to a mistaken conclusion and caused an audience to hiss him. ’Twas after that the news of the abortive suicide of the whilom favorite shocked the British public. In the days of hisvprosperity Air Conway had a cottage down the river, as well as a flat in Victoria street. He was a great man at aquatics of all descriptions, and kept down the tendency to put bn flesh —so fatal to leading men—by taking heaps of exercise. That Mr Sims Reeves will not travel 14,000 miles to secure £IOO a night whilst he can secure that sum in London may be taken for granted. The Empire Music Hall have just offered the veteran these terms for a period, and, bundling his dignity into his pocket, he accepted them. Miss Pattie Browue, the Australian soubretle whose pert lady’s maid is one of the features of ‘ Cheer, Boys, Cheer,’ at old Drury, will have a leading role in the pending pantomime, which, as usual, is to outshine all previous productions.