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SYMPHONY SOCIETY WILL
SOON BE REALITY AND
ENLIVEN MUSICAL SEASON
BY GUISARD.
FLOODTIME OF NEW PLAY
DELIGHTS THEATER-GOERS
IN THE EAST THESE DAYS
NEW LEADER OF THE "ROYAL ITALIAN MARINE BAND " THE MU
; SICAL SENSATION OF THE EAST THIS SEASON, BILLED TO AR
" RIVE HERE THIS COMING WEEK.
WELL-KXOWX AND TALENTED ACTOR WHO IS ADDING TO HIS
FAME IN THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET, NOW BEING PRODUCED
AT THE GRAND OPERA-HOUSE.
<The pages of the Wasp ar© poorer thesfll
days by the lively vitriolism of R A.
Lucchesi, who has departed the. Journal
istic life to devote himself wholly to
music. As a kind of introduction to tha
new regime Mr. Lucchesi gives a muslcalo
on Friday afternoon next at Sherman &
K la ?T, Hal T*. lr L wh «ch.he is to b© assisted
by Miss Lia Polletlni, Mme. Emilia TojeU
tl. Miss Inez Carusi and the followlns
gentlemen: Harry Samuels. A. Rod—
mann, A. Weiss. H. Slering, Fr. Hess Fr
Forde, W. Welgel, R. Laraja, W. G. Cal
linaux. C. W. Fuhrer. H. Susman W.
Wertsch and P. Demetrlo.
A small but enthusiastic tribe of bard
lovers will well remember th© good little
"Royal Italian Marine Band" that played
to such pitifully scant houses last year at
the California Theater and came to grief
at the end of Its season there. Not least
among Its attractions will they remember
the handsome and accomplished solo
trombone player, Creatore. whose musi
cianly work created so much attention.
This year Signor Creatore is leader of the
band in place of Minoliti, the competent
but melancholy person who last year led
Ellery Channlng's organization into fa
vor. It may also be remembered that thg
band split into two sections here, a Mino
liti and a Creatore faction, and that one
went north and the other south, or, to bo
more exact, the Minolltis went to an ar
tistic extinction somewhere Seattle
ward, and the Creatores walked into
glory In Philadelphia. Creatore has been,
quite the reigning band sensation of tho
East this season. He has been freely
compared with Sousa, and quite frequent
ly to th© disadvantage of the last named
and has achieved an altogether enviabla
reputation in his line. This la all apropos
to the fact that Mr. Channlng'3 band,
will be here this coming week to begin aa
engagement at the Alhambra,
formance. It is a fine effort, th» clumsy
passion, punchinello braggadocio and ma
licious mischief of tho character being
given with the aptest art, and the sing
er's rendering of the famous "Prologue"
fit course delights. And the admirable
usefulness of Birbareschi, who assumed
successfully the role of Nedda on Thurs
day night on shortest notice, should not
pass without note. This week both Sa
lassa and Barbareschl will again delight
us in "Nsbucco," that In response to a
large demand will be repeated, and this
rare opportunity of hearing Verdi's first
opera should by no means b© neglected
by any student of operatic literature.
President Roosevelt 'is reported to have said recently /^hat one of his :.- regrets is that he has
never visited the Pacific Coast, so perhaps an invitation to come along about next summer would
* - . ' „'\u25a0\u25a0-:\u25a0\u25a0.\u25a0. . • ".1 • - - . . \u25a0 -^ . •
; We have not heard much of late about the Charleston exposition, but the "recent an
nouncement that twenty-one acres have been set aside for midway attractions is calculated to ex
cite interest. . -\u25a0...- \u25a0 " \u25a0 . "
There is Skirmishing all over the Transvaal, and now and then a battle/but if all reports be
true the heaviest fighting of the war is going on between Kitchener's headquarters'and the Salis
bury Ministry. _ .. " '
It is now stated that the reason Prince .Chun and his suite started for China so promptly
was not because of orders from the Chinese Government, but because Germany insisted on it The
Kaiser did not wish Chun to make a tour of European capitals and convert that "apology to Ger
many" into a frolic. _ .. fc5 -
A New York man who found a burglar in his house held him up at the point of a revolver
searched him and found in his pocket $10, which he took, as he said, to pay for some crockery the
burglar had broken. He then let the fellow go, and now the burglar is wondering whether he
can have the households arrested for robbery. .
TJ2&TT^OTZ,2s/L DIVORCE X-.-A/WS.
The Bar Association aims to bring about the adoption of laws in conformity with its rec
ommendations by the Legislatures of the various States, and efforts to that .end have already been
made in many quarters. It will be seen that the recommendations of the bar do not affect the
phases of the issue with which the church deals. It is with the bar merely a question of bringing
order out of confusion, and the plan proposed leaves each State to- decide for itself what shall con
stituted valid ground for a dissolution of the marriage bond within' its jurisdiction.
FOR a long time past the increasing frequency of divorces among the people of this
country, and the variety and laxity of the laws on the subject in different States, have been
topics of earnest disctfssion on the part of lawyers, moralists' and sociologists. The churches
have been compelled to interpose, and in some cases have refused to recognize certain
legal divorces, to the extent at least that their clergy have been forbidden to officiate at marriages
between parties one or the other of which has been legally divorced, but upon grounds the church
refuses to recognize as sufficients
To the bar the problem has been as serious as to the church. There is now such a confusion
in our marriage laws that it is difficult for the ablest lawyer to determine in some cases whether a
man has been legally divorced or not, or to what extent a divorce granted in one State is recog
nized as valid by the courts of another. A church can make legulations for itself on such subjects
that will be binding upon its clergy and its membership, but the bar has no such advantage. For
that reason there has been an earnest effort on the part of many of the eminent members of the bar
to bring abput the enactment of something like a uniform divorce law throughout the nation
The aim of the bar differs from that of any of the churches, inasmuch as.it does not concern itself
with what grounds may be made, a sufficient basis for divorce so long as the statutes of. the vari
ous States agree.
For'the purpose of ridding our laws of this confusion the American Bar Association at its
recent meeting at Denver recommended that no divorce be granted in any State unless the
grounds for the suit were valid in the State where the parties had lived : and where the cause arose.
Where the suit is brought in the State where the cause arose the person seeking a divorce must have
had an actual residence of one year; where the cause arose in a State other than that in which the
suit is brought, the applicant must have had a residence of two years in the State where he seeks
relief. It was further recommended that no person be entitled to a divorce 'unless the . defendant
shall have been served personally with a process, except that when the defendant cannot be found
after a diligent search of six months, it shall be lawful to the court to' authorize publication of the
suit and grant a decree. . •
The new drama by Sir Henry Irving's
son Lawrence, "Richard Lovelace," E. H.
Sothern's offering at the Garden Theater,
is another rather mixed metropolitan suc
cess. The story winds about th© courtly
poet's life as it is known with consider
able truth to history, but, with the excep
tion of the third act (where Lovelace,
mortally wounded, eees again his former
sweetheart. Lucy Sacheverell. now mar
ried to his treacherous friend Hawley),
that Is unanimously described as strong,
moving and sympathetic, th© play is not
regarded as a distinguished example of
dramatic craftsmanship. Mr. Sothern has
won much personal favor aa Lovelace,
and Cecilia Loftus, whose appearance in
John Drew's new play at the Empire,
In which he has a part that is said to fit
him like a glove, is "The Second in Com
mand." a four-act comedy by Captain
Marshall, whose "A Royal Family" has
of late so delighted th© play-goers here.
Mr. Drew's role Is that of a major in th©
English army, who Is always late for the
good things of life, late in love, lat© In
war. everywhere too late. The comedy is
said to have all the brilliance and clarity
of construction that commonly distin
guishes Captain Marshall's work.
A play that Is bound to meet with a con
tinuance of the distinguished favor that
greeted its first appearance at the New
York Theater Republic on the 23rd ult. is
Ian Maclaren's "The Bonnie Brier Bush,"
done into drama by James McArthur and
Augustus Thomas. I wish I might quote
in full William 'Winter's appreciation of
"dear old Stoddart" in the part of Lach
lan Campbell, In which tho veteran actor
has mad© his reappearance on the stage
\u25a0with 6uch distinguished success. Here Is
a bit of It, however; the critic Is speaking
of that touching Incident of Campbell's
erasure of hia daughter's name from th©
family Bible,
In Mr. Etoddart'B acting, on the other hand,
the effect Is bo afflicting and lamentable that
it seems above all art and scarcely can be
borne. ICothlng eo elmply touching, so rev
erend, eo awful in Its tremendous purpose of
Justice, and bo deplorable in its weakness of
human griet has been seen on our stage. In
the element of simplicity— In the something that
comes straight from the heart and goes straight
to the hearts of others— this impersonation tran
ecends anything of its class that the present
<Jay has known. • • •
It did not seem to be acting:— It had all the
truth of reality. The audience was greatly
moved. The performance Is one that every
body should see. It adorns the theater. It
vindicates the uses of the drama. It is an
honor to human nature, and it will prove a
great publio beneflt^—comlng, as It does. In a
time when each blessings as a pure play and
a great actor are grievously needed.
The opening cf the Manhattan Theater
in New York by Mrs. Fiske is regarded
by the devout play-goer there as one of
the most eignificant happenings of the
year. The theater has been beautifully
decorated, a consistent, elevated and pro
gressive policy for its management an
nounced, and the new era inaugurated
Eome two weeks ago by the production of
Anne Flexner I^ewis' play, "Miranda of
the Balcony." So far a? good acting can
gro, Mrs. Fiske's first offering was finely
•successful, but the consensus of opinion
regarding th«» play itself is less favorable.
It is granted that "Miranda of the Bal
cony" possesses all the novelty of out
look and atmosphere that was promised;
that it offers oven a great personal oppor
tunity to Mrs. Fiske. but lack of action Is
alleged and a preponderance of the psych
ological rather than the dramatic flavor.
NOW is the flood time and high sea
son of the new play in the East;
these the days of the tasting of
the new drama, and perhaps a
glance at the dramatic menu that
rr.ay be ours next year if we are good,
may not prove uninteresting.
tb £ grreatest P rais e that can be ac
corded Mr. Haworth's Impersonation Is to say
that it was a constant and vivid reminder o
the Hamlet of Edwin Booth. It was a vor\
human Hamlet, but It did not .fall In poetlV
atmosphere. Then great soliloquies were rea
with marked Intelligence, and the strong (emu'
tation to over emphasize was well resisted
In appearance • Mr. Ha-worth's Hamlet con'
pletely satisfied the most exacting admirer of
the role. It Is picturesque and virile in con
ceptlon and execution, and Mr. Haworth and
his friends may well be pleased with the sue
cess of the creation.
Here is what the Boston Traveler had
to say of Joseph Haworth's Haxnle*
that will be the farewell bill of the St»d
actor's engagement this week at the
Grand Oi>era-house:
lsThL H H m f^ int^ r 8ays " Jai "es Hackett
is the best Don Caesar since Salvini," but
as has been pointed out, there have been
no Caesars since Salvini's, wherefore Mr
Winters saVing says nothing. Both actor*
are accused of lacking the superbly p£
"^nT « qU " Ut r ° f the Lati/hero, the
grand air," the full-blooded grasp or.
X™l£ c ,t reless> dashIn &. splendid stride
through their romantic day. but Hack
ett s impersonation is conceded to pos
sess the true note in higher degree.
Faversham has with him -the clevei
Jessie Busley, the beautiful Julie OrS and
cur own Edwin Stevens. Mr. Hacker-
Robert? f n °t, t , her faVOrlte here - Theo?o£
Koberts, in his company.
James K. Hackett and William Faver
sham are both competing for favor a
the swash-buckling Don Caesars, Hackett
at Wallack's in Victor Mapes' edition of
the story, "Don Caesar's Return"; Faver
sham at the Criterion in Gerald du Mau
rier s A Royal Rival." The new dramati
zations, or rather adaptations, of the old
Play are not much discussed, the balance
of favor perhaps being with Du Maurier's
that keeps more closely to the old ver
sion.
the 'legitimate" was an event second
only In interest to Mr. Sothern's appear
ance In a new play, seems to have cre
ated a markedly favorable impression as
Lucy Sacheverell. Hillary Bell says of
her performances that "Cecilia Loftus has
leaped the river that separates vaudeville
from the drama, but her skirts are wet."
Other critics express it that Miss Loftus'
work in the emotionals needs toning
down, a tendency to hysteria being evi
dent.
There has been a happy indication that
the audiences of this year at the Tivoli
have been going to hear operas, and not
particular singers. Salassa and Collama
rinl are the - exceptions, however, and
Salasea's Tonic* this week in "I Pagllacci"
.has been the chief attraction of the per-
The assets of the society so far are the
faithful and competent board of directors,
composed of Mrs. Phebe A. Hearst, presi
dent; Dr. Edward R. Taylor, vice presi
dent; Mrs. James N. Odell, Mrs. J. M.
Goewey, Mr. P. N. Lilienthal and Mr.
Robert Tolmie, directors; Paul Steindortf,
conductor; something like $1800 in the
bank, and the list of former symphony
society members. Library there is none,
on the other side, without the mortgaged
Scheel library that is fn the directors'
possession shall, as it legally may, be con
sidered as the property of the society;
there is the public indifference to fight,
scattered enthusiasm to organize, the mu
sicians to inspire and all the thousand
And one other duties incident to initial
organization to be undertaken. But Mr.
Steindorff has said, "It shall be done":
the directors say, "It shall be done," and
I think this time the symphony society
may be looked upon as an assured fact.
Nothing is to bo undertaken in the matter
of concerts until after the Grau grand
opera season in November, when three
trial concerts will be given by Mr. Stein
dorff. Meanwhile those interested are ad
monished to busy themselves in this the
most significant musical movement of the
year.
"With the coming of the Tivoli grand
opera season, however, with its introduc
tion of Mr. Paul Steindorff as a conduc
tor of importance, the directors of the
Symphony Society who have still held to
gether in a forlorn hope again took heart.
They watched Mr. Steindorff's work week
t\j- week with increasing respect. They
'V<Jk the measure of the man, noted his
courage, energy, enthusiasm, artistic at
tainment, unlimited capacity for work, a
gift in handling men, and to their own
surprise found themselves considering
anew the possibility of a symphony so
ciety for San Francisco. Last week they
finally decided that Mr. Steindorff wa3
the man for the hour, met officially and
took the decisive step of electing him con
ductor of the society that is to be.
It affords me the utmost pleasure, O
most polite and perturbed sir, to make the
following very sufficient explanation of
the symphonic silence that has pervaded
these pages; but prepare yourself before
hand for the shock of good news. There
is no grumble coming this year on the
subject of a symphony orchestra for San
Francisco, for and because before San
Francisco is two months older she will
have a symphony society for "which I
think I may venture to prophesy perma
nency, artistic standing and financial sol
vency. This is a large saying, I am
aware, particularly as it is based almost
entirely on the personality of the man
that has been chosen as director of the
orchestra, and in face of the warring
factions into which former societies have
split, and the generally lymphatic and
intermittent interest that has been taken
in the subject for some time now.
But, after all, in a matter of this kind,
it is the personality of the director that
counts; witness the highly successful
symphony seasons here under the mag
netic leadership of Fritz Scheel for ex
ample. Since that day the society has
seen only troublous times, with occasional
gleams of success. Its leaders have be
come the most pessimistic of persons and
the public has lost both confidence and in
terest in the matter.
WHERE, O where, is the custom
ary and necessary grumble on
symphony matters that usually
adorns your, pages at this sea
son?" questions one subscriber
this week among several who concern
themselves with the same subject, and who
owns to something like dismay at having
seen the beginning of the season go by
without anywhere a word of protest as
to this most crying musical need of the
town.
Mr. Bryan may think there is another campaign in, pounding thrashed straw over these old
grants, but* he will be retired to the moldy and mummified company of those Republican politicians
who still think there are votes in the rebel claims issue. We have the roads and they have the
rocky and desert grants, and we only wish there were more lands of that kind to grant railroad
companies which would take them and build more roads.
It is true that the United States also loaned to the Union and Central Pacific roads bonds,
from which they derived $18,000,000 each, to spend on construction, but it also true that these
roads have paid back to the United States every dollar of this loan and every mill of its interest,
and for its loan that yielded the roads only $36,000,000 the United States has pocketed more
than $120,000,000. . ". .
We, who live on this coast and enjoy the railway facilities for travel and transportation
afforded by the overland land grant roads, do not take patiently the criticism of the land grant
policy made by demagogues born on the Illinois Central grant and domesticated in Nebraska' or
elsewhere. The grants that made their country great are treated as politically and economically
proper, while everything done in the same line for the far West is denounced as "a steal," and the
Republican party, which took over and applied a Democratic. policy for our benefit, is character
ized as a thief, robbing the people of their heritage.
MR. BRYAN, who is publishing columns of advice to President Roosevelt on how to run
the government,, has found time to rediscover a grievance and dress it up as a fresh ad
dition to his museum of issues.
He finds that between the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean the Republican
party granted 135,800,000 acres of public lands, to secure the building of railroads. To his mind
this transgression warrants standing the Republican party up ngainst a dead wall and shooting it
through with oratory supplied by himself, Cyclone Davis, and other Populist cartridge makers.
He finds it entirely convenient to forget, and maybe he doesn't know, that the system of
building railroads in advance of population and business, to open up new country by furnishing
transportation, was devised by the Democratic party. It was a wise policy then, and was wiser
when it enabled the building of railroads over the bare and unpeopled stretch of mountain and
desert to reach this coast. Mr. Bryan was born in Illinois. Thi-t State was the first to benefit by a
railroad land grant. When she was bankrupt, and trying to repudiate her public debt, when her
people were few and immigration meager, for there were not facilities to carry- people \here and
their surplus products to a profitable market, Stephen A. Douglas saved Illinois from the dishonor
of repudiation by securing a vast grant of public land to builcf the Illinois Central Railroad. It
was the best of agricultural land, capable of enormous production, but it was unpeopled. The
road brought settlers, took their crops to market, and survived to a paying period on the credit
which the land grant gave it. Admonished by, this experience, land grants in the State of Iowa,
again rich agricultural territory, were given during the administration of President Pierce, when
Marcy was Secretary of State, Linn Boyd of Kentucky Speaker of the House, and Davy Atchison of
Missouri President of the Senate. These grants created the credit which built across Iowa the Mis
sissippi and Missouri, now the C. R. I. and P., the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska, now the C. and
N. W., and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroads, and the Iowa branch of the Illinois Cen
tral, from Dubuque to Sioux. City. Both parties in i860 demanded, government aid to a Pacific
railway, and the grants to the overland roads, which made the shivers run down Bryan's back, fol
lowed in answer to that demand. He speaks of these grants as "monstrous,"' and of the lands
as the heritage of the people for their homes. Not one grant to a Pacific railroad approached in
value that of the Illinois Central. Mr. Bryan knows better, for he has traveled over the Southern
Pacific on a pass, but he fosters the idea that these mountain and desert grants were like the rich
prairie land in the Illindts and Iowa grants, which were made under Democratic administrations.
The fact is the exact contrary. The overland grants look enormous on paper, but in their whole
vast expanse there is rarely a section that equals in production a single forty-acre in Iowa or Illi
nois.. They were land, it is true. They had some, but a low, economic value. They looked well as" a
basis of credit, and helped to build roads which were a military necessity to the government, ?nd
finally enabled such settlement as the country was capable of supporting, and by furnishing trans
portation built up the mining, livestock, and coal business of the West and created the Spates of
Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada.. Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas. Without the roads which those
grants helped to build there would not now be a State in the Union between California and Ne
braska. .
PUBLIC L-AilSrD GiR^IISPrS.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL., SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 19O1.
JOHN D. SPRECKELS. Proprietor. Address Communications to W. S. LEAKE, ' Manager
SUNDAY ....... OCTOBER 6, 1901
Publication Office _ <^t§§§|^> ...... ...'. .....:... Market and Third, S. F.
BY BLANCHE PARTENTGTON.
18
It Is said that certain people cannot sine th«,
song, but anybody can go away back East arH
Bit down In the comfortable trains of the Nlcke'
Plate Road. These trains carry Nickel Pi a u
Dining: Cars In which are served American CluJ
Meals at from 860 to U.00 each. Call or wrltt
for free book Bhowin* views of Buffalo Pan-
American Exposition, Jay W. Adams, P. c,
P. A^ 87 Crocker iildff.. Baa Francisco CaL
"Go, Away BRck and Sit Down."
Walnut and Pecan Panoche. Townsend \u25a0
\u25a0 m » . ,
Choice candles, Townsend's. Palace Hotel*
\u25a0 \u25a0> \u25a0 ,
CaL glace fruit 60c per 1b at Townsend's. •
Selling out. Eyeglasses, specs, 10c to 40c
Look out for 81 4th, ft barber & grocer.^
Townsend's California glace 'fruits 50c a
pound, In fire-etched boxes or Jap bas-
kets A nice present for Eastern friends
639 Market street. Palace Hotel building. •
Special Information supplied daily to
business houses and publio men hv fh«
Press Clipping Bureau (Allen'S?B10 Mont-
gomery street. Telephone Main l<Mi .
The coffee trees require about four vear.5
to reach maturity and produce profitable
crops. *
ADVERTISEMENTS.
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the Cold passes off without a struggle.
"77" is a small vial of pleasant pellets
that just fits the vest pocket.
; At all druggists 25 cents, or mailed on receipt
of price. Doctor's Book mailed free.
. Humphreys' Homeopathic Medicine Co.. cor-
ner "William and Joaa sts.. New York. j
