AROUND THE WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 55

AROUND THE WORLD.

(From Ot.vgo Witness Specials.)

PERTH, W.A., August 11.

Dear Bis, — It would have done your heart a deal of good (providing, of course, there is any badness iv it) to have been m 'the commercial loom of the Court Hotel yesterday. John J. Hedge ("One of the Jays") lead out aloud to i.ue other members of that noblo order the contents of the theatucal page of the latest Old Reliable, which had arrived by that morning's mail. After ihe jay had read out the entire page, the paper was snapped up by one, who, alter again leading, passed it on to another. Good Oiu Reliable! .bong may it wave. *

The Newbury-Spada Concert Company had a record three-nights' season at Peith; and are no-v on the faelds. Roster: Mr. Phil Newbuiy, Madame Spada, Miss Liliias Appleby (a most brilliant piamste and accompaniste), ill Rjoda Periy (ihc male alto), Mr Albert .broad (basso profundo), and Mr Archibald Newbury (.manager).

Pollard's Liliputians gave a three-nights' variety entertainment ac Perth Royal; a week ou the fields ; two nights Fremantle — one night ills Lady Slavey," and one night vanety. Their Australian tour came to rather an abrupt finish, as alter Fremantle they proceeded by boat to Java. As to their return — well, r.t present that is not even hinted at. I think myself their intention is to get right away to the Far East, "where moiiey is more pientiiul.

The Payne Family of Bellringers ("no conncctioa with the shop next dooi") have, I have very good grounds for stating, had a brilliantlysuccessful tour of the West. It is marvellous what a stiong hold this old-established tioupe have on the play-going commui.ily. I struck tho Family at Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, Xanowna, and Southern Cross, and at each place money was refund before 8 o'clock on the opering nights.

Mr W. 3. Payne (the proprietor of the Payne Family Bellringers) is at present on a trip to Melbourne and Sydney, in search of fresh" novelties and artiSGS. He is expected m Perth on Monday per E.M.S. China. The company then commence tlie farewell lour of the colonies. Judging from the success they have mot with m years past, there is no doubt they will still hold their own aja^wl all-comers. LUnfortunptely, Mr Payne succumbed to failure of the heart's action just prior to reaching Peitli — JPasqutn.]

The Wilson Forbes Dramatic Company is at pvosent holding the boards of Perth Royal. They opened in the woman's wail, "East Ljnne, and followed with "Camille,' "The OJd Forge Mystery, ' "Held by the Enemy," and olhois. "Uncle Tom's"" Cabin" is their Saturday matinee bill — " children, 6d to all parts." Miss Ada Lawrence, well known m New Zealand,, is leading lody. Daisy Harcourt (a la Peggy Pryde) tops' the bill at Cremorne Theatre, Perth; with Mr and Mrs Johnny Colernan (Lottie Lome) lammng hei veiy closely lor pride of plpce. Lottie is making a big hit in a veiy clever imitation oi Johnny's famous " Scareeiow " dance.

The Rev. Charles Clarke, orator., opened his scapon here to-uight. The party is now titled '"Clarke-Holroyd Entertainments."

Wirth Bios.' Circus, -wdiich opens its Australian tour at Perth, is shortly to arrive 'from 'dingapore. ;-i' Brough's Comedy Company (Allan Hamilton, inaiz.-igpr) and Charles Arnold's Comedy Company XX 1-'1 -'- J- Loin, manager) have intentions on thrj Golden West. "

Evidently all expect to reap a harvest. There is gi'eat talk of wonderful and speedy improvements in this land of sand grorjers now that Federation is an accomplished lad; but everybody can't make a fortune, that's a certainty. Dr Summeii, and Dr Eberlien are at loggerhen cl&. Seems like a touch of petty professional spite, because one is more successful than the other, llpuy letteis have been published between them ; here is one from the West Australian of August 1, under the caption of " A Question of Degrees or Titles " : — Sii, — Some cuttings fiom your issues of May last have bseu sent to me respecting tho title of Mr C. J. H. Eberlein, who is practising music in Perth, and adveitises himself as "Dr Eberlein." As secretaiy of the Union of Graduates in Music, _ incorporated, I am a^ked to state whether this gentleman has graduated and takon the degree of Doctor of Music at one of the universities of the United Kingdom. In reply, I should say I do not find his name on the rolls of any of these univeisities. This does not necessarily imply that he is not entitled to use the title of doctor. It is somewhat unfoitunate that he does not indicate in the advertisement just what his degree is, and its source. He may be a doctor ol medicine, or of laws, or of divinity, or of science ; or he may have received the title from one of the German universities, which, however, do not grant degrees in the faculty of music, but can make a man Doctor of Philosophy (Phil. Doc). Or Dr Eberlein may have taken his degree in music at one of our colonial universities; or he may have passed the examination at Yale, Harvaid, or at one of the accepted universities of America — unfortunately, there are many so-called universities in the United States which must bo designated bogus. If Dr Eberlein's degree emanates from a reputable university, I cannot believe that he would lik: to rest undei an} r sort of stigma. Allow me, thciefoic, to suggest that he should publish in your columns a copy of his testamur. Your readers would then know just what this degree is, and by what university, with date it was confcired. — Yours, etc., T. L. South-gate, lion, secretary Union of Graduates in Music, Royal College of Organists, London, June 27,

It is a great pity professional people do not accept the mottoes : "J_iive and let live," "Do unto oths.s, etc., as in my own mind I feel newspaper controversy can do no good for either side (m the case under mention, at any rate). »»

By the way, the lipmc of your veiy weliinfoimed coi respondent, Nell Gwynne, was taken veiy niiich irf* vain the other evening. The final and unanimous conclusion ariived at was that " Nell is a man." So, in case they think the same of this wiiter, 1 er.close my card With my very best wishes to " the only Bis" and the Old .Reliable, — Yours -sinceiely, BEL LOEIMEE.

COURT HOTEL, PERTH, August 8. Dear Bit, — The final Clark-Holroyd entertainment was given in the Queer's Hall Lo-mght. The much-travelled's advertisement lead very much like the loster of a variety show: "The splendid artistic trio, 'which includes the best and youngest soprano in Australia (Miss Hetty Hchoyd), the gifted Anglo-Maori contralto (Mis Howie— Te Rangi Pai), being received every evening with unbounded enthusiasm." Prices, 3s, 2s, and Is.

Wirth Bros.' Royal Circus,, Menagerie, and Equine Paradox arrived to-day direct fiom Singapore, per p.s. Karrakatta. ' Manager Harry Lyons tell-a us tho.ii " the original and only Wirth's, Circus and Equescii'fi'iculum" v/as formed in Austrplia, and after 20 yeaxs' travel and experience - have been • everywhere, seen everything, and got eveiything, worth having. Among the picked champion artistes oi the world who will have the honour of making their initial bow to Australia, engaged at enormous salaries, aie the following- — The Wnth B.os. (they are seven), Howard (niystifier), the Saxons and De Wynne (strong men), Misses Manzles ai.d Tona Grinnctle (equestriennes), Albert, George, and Carl (jockeys), the beautiful Adele (queen of the. wire), JPadley Bios, (contortionists), Fiori troupe of- acrobats, Wracherrnan (wild annual trainer), Phyllis and Stella (dancers), Don Miguel (the Spanish Augusle), Marguerite and Madore (lady gymnasts), Jemnette (lady steeplechaser), the bicycle polo team, etc., together with six clowns. Wild animals form a piommeivt feature of this "Congiess of \Vondcrs. Tho crowd open in Melbourne during Cup Carnival, and as Fitzgerald's Company do the sime, things 'arc likely to be lively. The Rev. Haskett Smith, M.A. (through Moaland four year? back) opens m the Queen's Hall to-moriow night, when ho will give '" for the first time anywhere his new illuminated lecture on the marvellous pnd magnificent Paris Exhibition of 1900, the crowaAig wonder of the nineteenth century." This '' enteitaiiiment ""is illustrated with '"a splendid collection of 80 stereopticon views, fiorn photographs taken by Mr Hasketi, Smith during his lengthy stay in Paris, with its superbly unique exhibition oC 1900." The chaiige of bill for the second night is Hasketfc Smith's famous lecture, " Seven Thcrsand Years Ago. '

"Dickey Front" is in advance of the New-buiy-Spacla Concert Company.

The Bulletin inaccurately says that the cpmeia brings out Mrs Brough's latent likeness to her sister, Emma Temple. Emma Temple is half-sistei to Robert JBrousdi, and Bessio Major, if I ouistal-ie not, is his> full sister, v.'hile Brenda Gibson is another half-sister of his. Miss Romei was the wife of three husbands — Messrs Brough, Temple, and Gibson.

The Wilson Forbes Dramatic Company closed a frosty s=eason here last night, and are now on the fields. I have seen better '"barn stormers" in Moiland.

Thete is some talk of Ceo. W, Heller visiiing the West. Would be pleased to see him and his little jay, Geo. T. Callender, once more. (" As the world goes round so the Midget Globe-trotter- goes -with it.")

Through a nasty fall I received recently I am eariyiiig one arm in a sling, and so Dm "resting." Regards lo the Moaland Jays and the Old Reliable.— Your* truly, JOHN J. HODGE, ("One of the Jays.") ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI (U.S.A.), June 25. Dear Bis, — I take great pleasure in again forwarding you. a few lines, although I fear I have little or nothing in the theatrical way to interest. The theatres here, as in all the other cities, are still closed for the summer, and the hoardings and billboards are shining forth telling the merits of so-and-so's 5c cigars, or some patent pills that cure everything, from pitch and toss to manslaughter. It is always a mystery to me why the theatres are closed. The heat during the hottest part of the day does not average Sodeg, and yet tlisre are so many cases of heat prostration. The evenings aie, in my opinion, decidedly cool, and I see many people usnig light wrap". However, the people are not without amusements, although the theatres are closed. The summer parks, are the attraction during the hot season. But this year has been a terrible failure in St. Louis owing to the street car strike. I shall noL enter into details on that subject, as doubtless the cables have m?de known the facts of the not which exists, and of Uie outrages committad on &}1 females who attempt to ride m the cars, they being, dragged off and stripped of eveiy vestige of clothing. Rice's Extravaganza Company were engaged to play at a park which was to be opened this season; but there is very little prospects of their being able to do so, as the public aie scaled to attempt a trip in an electric car as there would be a chance of their having an aerial trip into the bargain,, with the assistance of a dynamite bomb.

'Ihe number ol people who attend these parks in this and other cities is hardly credible, especially on Sundays, when from 10 a.m. a constant stream of people aie making for the parks, which are usually fiom five to seven or eight miles from the city. Cais are inn on a th.'cc minute schedule, and although they are bmlt to accommodate from 60 to 75 x^ersons, yet it is a frequent thing to see them with, ironi 150 to 175 pa&sengeis; and people continue" to airive at the parks until 30or 11 p.m. Of course there are plenty of attractions all the time. It is a wonder to me th"at the colonies have not introduced this kind of attraction ; it seems to me to be more apni-oprmte in Australia than m America. I have .just returned from Niagara Ealls, winch, in my opinion, is the gieatest attroction in America. It used to be a novel feature for some one to try their skill in attempting to clear the lapuls ; but now it is almost an eveiyday occuirence to learn of some foolhaidy man attempting what so many have risked and lost their lives at. On my visit there last year, a man went tlnough m a scaled barrel, He was taken out more dead than alive. Last week one man, calling himself Mr Bowser, attempted the passage in a specially-constructed air-corupait-ment bopt which he named the "Pool-killer." The boat weighed 2J tons, and was towed out in the stieam fiom the American side. The first act, the boat got tangled up in a whirlpool, and theie seemed every chance of its being a "gone coon," and doubtless it would have been, but the row boats went to its assistance and managed to throw a rope to Mr Bowser, who, having got out of that predicament, pioceeded to act li, which brought the boat to the narrow part of the gorge. It then, took an idea in its. head to act the spinning top, which it did with such perfection that Mr Bowser, is not at all sure if he was on his head or his heels during the evolution. Act lii, the boat tried its strength on the locks which abound in the gorge, with the sui prising lesult of lesisting the povcre strain — all this took place in water which was making a r>ace of 12 to 15 miles an hour. A crowd had assembled at a place where the gorgo widened a little, and as the boat ai>

pioached, they threw a line and succeeded in pulling both man and boat to the shore. Whc-> Mr Bowser was quite sine he was safely hmdcc l . and hung on to a tree stump whilst re^pi.iin.'j his breath and scattered senses, he told tho assembled crowd it had been his original in.tcntion of starting a line of passenger boati down the rapids, but he did not hesitate tc admit that he had changed his mind. Mr Bowser and his Fool-killer are now on exhibition) at a Boston Musee. Not- to bp outdone, an-, other man (whose rame I did not learn) sign!-, fiEcl his intention of making a trip through thocascades in a Luge washing tub. His trip/ nearly cost his life. He had scarcely started! v, hen a rock had an argument of one momenta duration with the aib, which allowed the man, to take one direction and the several* paits o£ the tub to, choose any way they liked. -Tho ' man was picked up more dead than alive, and after two hours hard work he recovered. Doubtless.he is a sorer and nmclwwiser man.. i, , The good "Old Reliable" comes regularly to hand, and I have much pleasure in handing itround'td some 'of, the Americans, who sivo coming to the conclusion that there are other places in the world beside the United States. Many have asked me if the bicycle lias been mlic"-' : duced into Australia! I told one such inquirer that it was a DurednT gentleman ihat fiisfc .invented the safety, bicycle. He looked much ' concerned, and 1 "fear lost' a night's rest; '"be-*" I sides kicking himself for being _.hahiiid , tha. | times. I expect' to s^end tho glorious 'Fourth. - of July ir> Indianapolis; and in my next will i give an idea of how it is celebrated m that city. I i must now draw to a close. .with kindest iegards to all my ilaoi-iland Mends. — Yoms fraterniaUy,

GEORGE V. "BECK. ' Permanent address- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Miss Eva Marshall Shontz, of Chicago, known as the "Jeanne d'Arc of temperance reform," is lecturing through the States. Miss Sliojitz, about thi.ee years ago, originated in Chicago the movement known as the YoungPeople's Tempeiauce Union, which since then has spread to a national organisation, covering 22 States. The growth of this society is said to be duo, in large part, to the magnetism and oratorical powers of the -young leader. 'Ihe_authorities of San Francisco have decided that after July 1 next year no fence or billboard shall be allowed to exceed -10ft in height. This extension of ' time was given on account of contracts already entered into" between bill pcsteis end advertisers. A "mysteiy poem" by Madame Krysinka, lately peilormed in Paris, is called "Cain," but it beais no sore of relation to Byron's " inystcry" of that title. It is thus coherently described: '.'The legend is~ original. Alter the murder of Abel his brother fled from the Divine vengeance. The race of tho first criminal accomplishes its terrible expiation in Egypt during the Crusaded and the inquisition, culminating m tho execution of Louis XVI. .The lasfa scene is tho de«ti-uocioii of the hated symbol in, a modern strike. Emil Markcnberg, an aeronaut of long expenence, fell fiom a height of 500 ft 'while making a balloon ascension, Fouith of July, at Santa Ana, Cal., and was crushed to death ni the presence of thousands of spectators. The accident was caused by the breaking of a strai> to which heVas hanging by Ins teeth. One of the most thrilling fer.tuies of the Fourth celebration in Indianapolis was the exhibition of Thomas Griuley, who made a bailoon ascension that was neaily attended with disastrous results. He weui. up astridte a ybicycle,- and, at an elevation of over 1000 ft, leut loo=e. He was seen to drop with great velocity, the parachute failing to open -fully. People held their bieaths, expecting to see tho aeronaut dashed to cart 1 !, but he kept his wits, and at probably 500 ft from ihe ground the parachute righted just in time. Grmley would haveshuck the giound heavily had it not been for his agility. He said that "he was not injured. Copakc, N. i., had a decided novelty in the way of social diversion leccntly. The citizens organised a "tombstone bee," and, going out to the graveyard, straightened zip all the toppling monuments and headstones. Following out their original streak, they then returned to town and wound up the evening with a dance. The "star" item in the celebration programme here was o great head-end collision between two big Baldwin engines At 5 o'clock the two migir.es took their positions at the opposite ends of the temporary course, — 4000 ft apart. It v/as announced from the judges' stand by megaphone that the engines would start at 5.10. At that time the bells were peen to be moving. The engine at the east end of the track first gave a signal whistle, as if challenging tha other tc mortal combat. The other quickly replied. The men m the cabs .had their eyus on the judges' stand, aiid as the judge dropped a flag they pulled the thiottles wide open and then sprang to the ground. The two engines gathered speed -quickly. When they struck they .rere tiavellmg at a rate of 20 to 25 miles an hour. The gicat throng of people was fascinated 'by the impending crash as the engines approached each other. -Some of the spectators shouted ; others filed pistols and firecrackers, di owning the crash of torpedoes that " had been placed on the tracks. WhCn thfe two engines came together they, seemed to sink their fronts iato each other — grappling like h\o bulldogs in a death grip. They did not rise into, the aii, nor wholly leave the track. There was not much noise — only a dull crash, a flash of fire from one of the ergines, a cloud of smoke and steam, a gush of water fiom tho tanks, and a scattering of coal and debris from the ' cabs. Thr* wreck was obscured behind the escaping steam and smoke for several minutes, and before it had cleared away, tens of thousands of people were rushing toward the spot, affording a moving spectacle that can never be forgotten. Soin enrr hunters and camera fiends were numerous.

The street car ferviee heie on the Fourth was simply paralysed Even as early as\ noon, cais were jammed. The street caT men allowed the passengers to ride on top of the cars or any place. Eveiv available inoh. of space on the footboards was taken, and the people were stan ding between the seats. The -passengeis, however, would not have complained so strongly if it had not been for the'delays. A number of yovng men, m one ca?e, tried to push one of the cars along, nrnch to the amusement of the passengers. When the dust-covered, persphing people reached the fair grouuds they were in no humour tc enjoj' the programme.

" No people on eaith," remarked a man who has seen much of the surface of this planet, "make themselves as miserable as we do in pursuit of pleasure on a holiday. As Lawrence Sterne says in his ' Sentimental Journey,' 'tiiey do things better in France' — and not only iii France, but everywhere else. Such .packing oi people on street cars as was witnessed yesterday "would not be tolerated in any other civilised country." There's something for the city councils of Moaland tc legislate upon.