SEDONISM ON ITS LAST LEGS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXIII, Issue 275, 6 December 1899, Page 2

SEDONISM ON ITS LAST LEGS.

'full s^^pcyij THE SAME OLl>W(ii^^; -. FIGATE.^ f^ "ITWASTHEtGMiirS^ flowiojra a s s - : =j^LP^ ? gf Mr John Gbaham, the ex member ror^' f Nelson, and the pledged nominee of Seddonism, seeking re-election to-day. y ':> gave m theatrical display at the Theafee ;.j j Koy»l last evening to a large and appro- :' ■ ciative anaimce. The Theatre was packed ; from gallery to stage, and Mr flnrford, the front manager of the show, was kept busy fri-m an earl/ hoar providing Beats lor the ladies as they csme in; Star on ne was also irell employed, feadiog off the : cheering by waving bis cap as fagkman. '■. ■ toe drop oarfaia was down till the usual hour at which these highly entertaining performance* open, that is, * o'clock: but it «M evident that :he siege waa being well prepared by the chief actor and stain manager, Mr Graham. The leek of % proper orchestra was greatly felt by the audience, for a portion of the performance consisted of the sloping of "For HeY a> Jolly Good Fellow » in vn-ioui keys; bat a aumber of whistles did fahly well as a substitute. Banged at intervals among the front ranks of the stall* were various members of the company, eaoh bearing a booqutt r while behind the enrtatn conld oe dimly gee* flitting feet and gesticulating arms, marshalling ths chorus. H«w • •aj l *"" • W would be poked cut from ' behind the megs to see if tbere was a fall . house,' and the aadiedoe would Uazh sad cheer. . "■ -" '■ . • • # teablaut tne half of the audience bad come to be (unused, the entry of eaoa". wel!-fcnowo pejßon»Ke was greeted with " caetra, e yen, the Bold Bad Man of the play, the Editor of the •' M»il," (who was to take the part of the Villain Denounced) '" being received with cheers, intermingled with some groans. Another actor in the ' piece, the Editor of the "Colonist," re. ceired qni c an ovation,- when ha arrived with bis Chief, the Star Performer, whose. Last Appearance had been previously annoonoed by wide adver isoaent. lluch*. Urg&aadienea is not often seen at dramatic rentals in Nelson, and it recalled a> similar gathering for a similar purposft three years ago, when the 801 l Bad Man afores id was also the Villain of tha piece. « * # * * Panctoally at eight o'clock the ourtaia tvse, and the lights (with wbioh tbe man. agement had been experimenting for subsequent effects to accompany tbe slow music at the pathetic and tragic passages). " were turaed np permanently. Then it was seen that seats had been arranged on the. stage, with numbers of people thereon, and ttiuie entered ■ from the Prompter 1 ! tile of the wing .the ex-HayoF and the pnocipal actor in his farewell appearance. The seen ry behind hai been drawn np to aflordmore light and air and add & tne effectiveness of tbe t isplay. Viewed from the 0.P.-the off prompt-side of ">e Theatre, the half rolled seenery^of " Dorothy," » c .think- bore a. strutttt reaemblsQce to a figara of Boss Seddpn, looking on benignly. Immediately on Mr Graham appcjlrinff in his part he was greeted withljheers and applause which lasted for a fMi&tev of an minute, and to it he bowe*with hi* well-inowri smile and his hand on his . heart. The bouquets;*; which had apparently, been pro.vsd«f regardless of 6xpeaseby.theManagement,weirehande4 npjin considerable- numbers, , and the Principal and Favourife Actor was almost . hidden frofil vi«^.therSh4- : " - ■ *• • » J *<,*■ . ■ -^When the applause had subsided, the Mayor gracefully did HisJlittle part, and then the Star Actor-performed his, t<s the entire satisfaction of .himself and at least; Half the audience.- He had in his hand a sheet of paper/ >hich was believed by $he audience to.be the-Fateful Certificate which was to^fc£rfush-the Oppositioa Shoyr, and he' fras' also i equipped with other accessorial., .such as cuttings from the ■" Mail, * 'doctors' certificate^ school certificates ( more or lesa ragged and torn' andt)f anaent.dftte. The Bold Bad Man sat below, and; had one of the occasional staff of the rfrMail" (his son) beside him.' As thewHtfas no chair for the second reporter^ansl as Mr Burford bench he brought in had nof Been Jla^fcth^Jor him, the Occasional Eeporter- .wejii out to obtain a chair from'^he-" Mail"' Office not far away. He tried-, to get through by the stage back way in order to avoid* the crush^but-he »wa sternly ordered off by Mr.Grahaui, as the regulations of the ' »njpany:did not. allow of any intrusion behind the scenes. . He therefore had to reach Waimea street and the "Mail" ;office as best he could. He returned shortly with a chair, owned by this office, but his right to a place, in the Theatre was- questioned by Mr Graham on the ground' that ho was under age, and not an elector. He w»3 permitted to stay, however^ under a running fire from the Actor on tha stage. Mr Graham informed hi 3 audience thatpnly those who had paid, had been admitted, that is to say, only • = those who were over 21 years of age ; but later on he asked some interjecting "boya" to be quiet; which somewhnt^spoilfc the jeffect of tho .managerial announcement. The poor Occasional Keporter was involuntarily thrust into the role of Bold Bad Man Junior during the evening's , performance, "and on his way back to tha " Mail " Office with the chair at the dose of the play he was actually assaulted by a, stone or something which struck him on the back of the head, end by a blow on tha face. Ho had fallen and might have been seriously mauled by his cowardly assailants ; but friends and lovers of fait play came to .his rescue — among . them two young supporters of Mr Graham— . and though he had been struck while both hands were engaged in carrying a ohair ; he escaped with a sore head and a bleeding nose. • -■• • ' • But that was an after-matter. The . main performance consisted of an attack I on the Bold Bad Man, the Editor of tho I " Mail/ who was held responsible for the Doctors' Conspiracy, for all the doctors' differences/ and for all the sorrows of the •' Martyr," (a part played to perfection by. Mr John Graham, with lightning changes); ' * "-