WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 39

WELLINGTON WING WHISPERS

By P. Rojiptbb.

/ May 27. Dear Pasquim,— Carl Hertz has had possession of our Opera House boards since I last wrote you, and to-morrow he will leave, haviDg in his possession much Wellington siller. In the language of the Sydneysider, " He has done alright biz." I have a question to ask you. What has become of our Amateur Dramatic Society ? Are the members dead? Do they dr?am, or is it but asleep they are doing? Our Dramatic Students are very much alive ; the Operatic Societyians have suspended animation. Here we are in the deadly dull season, when the lively amateur is wont to take advantage of the dearth of importations—yet the A.O.s (the heigh-ohs ! eh ?) still keep on saying (and doing) nothing, — all the same Brer Fox. On the other hand the Students have gotten up a fine programme in aid of an Operating Theatre (no relation to an OperaTheatre), which they will fire off during the Record Reign season. Perhaps the Amateur Operatic Society is too well off to raise energy sufficient for a season. They have a large, healthy asset sheet, and in their time members have done big things for us and themselves. Why shouldn't they emulate the spider and try again? Anything is better than keeping an oyster-like shutupness. Chuck J chuck 1 chuck ! get your hair cut ! Frank Lincoln is doing northern towns. He opens for a short season up in Palmerston North next week. By the 'Frisco mail just to hand I received from Svengali Rsubcn Fax a copy of the New York Dramatic Mirror of April 10, the front page of which is taken up with a large photo-engraving of Reub in his everyday clothes". He is now appearing by special engagement at Wallack's Theatre, New York, in a new piece, " Miss Manhattan," the part built upon Fax being Father Knickerbocker, his impersonation winning enthusiastic praise from press and people. The Mirror makes reference to Mr Fax's success in Australia, and "P. R." says "Q, R." (which means quite right)

to that ; and the New York paper says R. F. wm born in Canada in '62 of Irish-Sootoh parents, and his first appearance on any stage was as a super, " his duty being to carry and preserve a respect" ful silence : he almost broke down, ao great was the nervous strain." Glad to hear from yott; Reuben, and may your offers be many, your coffers full, and your parts phat. I notice "The Span of Life" stretches itself across Now York again. Folix Tanner started on his 30 days' fa»t last Monday evening, and his agent (J. A. Montgomery, L.M.) must be a fellow of infinite iest, for on Wednesday night I read in the advertisement in our papers this line i " Only 29 morn days." We are trotting out our dictionaries o' nights now. For why? 'Cos Professor Bristol's equescurriculum of extraordinary equine performers, with Director-general Professor T. A. Kennedy (ex-Mesmer), avant courier J. B. Fr«sier, and two assistants, are on the move downwards to us from the north. The animals are described as fine specimens of horseflesh in the very pink of ooadition, and displaying an intelligence much beyond the ordinary nature of horsey tricks that make those who see their tricks marvel. They appear on the stage ranged as a school class, and betray all the humours aud weaknesses of human scholars, playing pranks at the expense of each other and their master, taking their punishment for school offences, and some of them showing their smartness at arithmetical calculations. One of the public feats of Denver, a clever mule, was walking up over 80 steps to the literary department of the New Zealand Herald office and dowi; again. ;