Pittsburg dispatch. (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, October 25, 1891, Page 10, Image 10

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    Lincoln caias to ns, older by a 12-month
than Gladstone nnd Tennyson, eight rears
the senior of Bismarck, two years older
than Greeley, who died In 1872, junior f o
French President Grevy, might be the
faihrr of Lord SalisburyPresident Camot,
Harrison, Cleveland and Blaine. Bodily
con-litinss all that could be hoped, eye clear
and oeaetraiing, the once partly shorn face
Ache, red in a brisk, toulscd fringe of gray,
thi: hbir thick end matted.
TWO FA2I0U3 AET 'WOBK3.
j?. B. Carpenter was of onr company, tha
Eodrst and highly cifted artist, whose name
will ever be associated with the Proclama
tion of Emancipation. It had been his rare
felicity to commemorate on canvas now
en the walls of the Capitol the greatest
event in our history since the Declaration
of Icdencndencc. And as if fortune would
woUd be truant to his genius and endeavor,
he tia'i now painted as a companion picture
the meeting of the Alabama Claims Com
mission in "Washington, and the discussion
of the Trcatv of Arbitration.
la this work Governor Fish had taken a
deep interest, giving the artist valuable
eouacel, and although prevented from see
Idc the canvas ityits complete state, he ex
amined a photograph with critical attention
and congratulated Mr. Caroentcr upon the
fide ity with which he had grasped the his
toric (eatures of the scene. He could not
tut share our regret that white "Emanci
pation" remained with ns in the national
capital, "Arbitration" wonld go to Windsor
Ccst'e. The great work was destined for
the collection of Queen Victoria, there to
remain for coming time and remind princes,
councillors and statesmen what tee two
great English speaking nations of the world
had done toward perpetuating peace among
Christian men.
ACHIEVXilEKT OF ARBITEATHW.
In one of many remembered conversations
with Mr. Blaine when he was discussing the
famous Cabinet o! Polk, and what it had
dene for the material development of the
"Republic I remember his observation that
"no administration can do more than one
thing in its career, and happy is the admin
tration that can do that wisely and well."
The one thing done bv tiie first" administra
tion of Grant was this arbitration, and al
though it has a modest and almost colorless
plaoe beside lurid achievements, its still and
silent splendor, as a victory of peace, no
less renowned than a victory of war, will
ever be a part of our national famj an
Assurance and inspiration to other deeds of
patriotism and peace.
Oar talk naturally trended toward tha
arbitration, and what had been done in Ge
neva in the fulfilment of the treaty of ash
ington. I was in Geneva during the ses
sion of the tribunal, and recalled especially
the final session, which was public, when
the award was given. The little, modest
Geneva town house where the tribunal met,
the idle groups of travelers and curious
people, a couple of flags drooping and pen
lau: from a pole near the door flags, Amer
ican and English and a small brass field-pin-
Lard by provided by an enthusiastic
Aaimcan, s'omewhat in the banking line,
who had drummed the tourists from their
tabV d'hote to see the consummation of the
feistorical scene.
ait -cxtiicsiastic ameeicas.
This American, largely in evidencs with
lis Sags nnd gun, eloquent to the inquirVsg
mind as to the advantages of Geneva,
eho jid there be, for instance, other Com
ramnc outbreaks as in Paris, and people
"cnu.'.sd ttore for their treasure. I remem
ler he tribunal coming in to its crescent
row cf seats, like those of advanced boys in
en uvicmy.
C'.-!es Francis Adams, the years well
pcr h.m, with his scientific features, calm,
pre possessed, silent. There was the Italian
noh'eman, Selopis, vivacious with every
one, "and the swarthy Brazilian nobleman,
Jtajoba, jurists on the part of Italy and
Bririi. Notably, in some respects, the
jaoe: striking ligure was Jacob Staempfli,
the $ -is arbitrator, our strenuous friend,
sjure A-Tcncaa, if perhaps less judicious,
' -Yearns dominant, brusque, some-
e Bismarck about him, a Demos
have bewitched hitman into
ra on Democracv, to be seen
.rit puoiic session over uis
tne boulevard caics. it
I ui3 vague, dying memory
- rst met Staempfli with' these homely
crrouacings, and that so marked was his
Tsggsd, honest personality that they in no
ssdrjier detracted from his dignity as an ex
3?rsdent of the Republic.
nraiLiATiojr toe cockbtjes.
The dramatic member of the tribunal was
Sir A.ciander Cockburn. the English repre
sentative, and Lord Chief J istice of Eng
land Cockburn was a handsome man;
stately, a haughty, clearly limned face;
character deeply written. He was very
npT. Sir Alexander had come to Geneva
with the prestige of his name and the au
thority of his position, and, as the school
boys, v onld say, had been "downed." The
trbnial had gone against him, jnd as here
was to be the puhlio award here even in
Geneva th ; eyes of the world upon him,
Snor especially those of the vociferous
American, with hie tws flags on the pole
jad & gun, rea-iy to thunder: the public hu
Biiiiati n, littls wonder his temper had
cone, wih anger mounting. I stood beside
Bis chair and remember his manitrnt
scowl as he jlarcd over the assemblage. A
bo: .tl? company, so many of them shadows!
ATii, btaemplk, the angry, handsome
Cockburn, vanished; the others likewise, as
far as I remember. There was the English
Ijrojp of contestants who had fought the
tg' t for England, headed by Sir Round ell
"Pa'mer, with hia smooth. Archbishop face,
n the eve of becoming Lord Chancellor,
end Lor" Selborne, as we now know him in
jSng'lsb ")ol ;scs.
Th Americans formed a notable group.
Cashing, v ith that dark gipsy face, and a
Slash of triumph in his keen luminous eyes;
"Waite. a modest lawver from Ohio, little
dreaming of the snpreme honor that was so
toor, to corre to him the succession to Mar- j
tha;l. Taney and Chase; Evarts, with his I
. medieval lace, calmly observant. This was !
our company, governed, so it appeared, by j
I Isanerott Davis, our agent, who had been
the life and soul of the arbitration from the
"beguiling, and to whom if there were per-Eon-5.
honor in a national triumph, more
than to any one in that company, the tri
3un;h belonged.
"Well, the judgment was read. Cockburn
In 8 singularly musical voice, whose har
monies even ange conld not wound, threw
aoa his opinion and abruptly strode
away; the pendant flags were fluttered, the
little gun roared out its benediction, the
exebsrant banker gave unpaasing exhorta
tion, and the curtain came down on one of
the memorable scenes of the age.
STOEr OP1 THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
Tne recalling of this scene in scrappy
talking fashion led to the history cf the ar
bitration from the lips of Governor Fish I
shall not assume to give his words, and I
chouiu bo in despair if I were to attempt to
convey the graceful, eloquent, at times, dra
taat.p' maimer, in which the venerable
tai-rmai, ps we lingered over the luncheon,
tohi the beginning and the end of it all.
Thf 't iiad been, as all men knew, a treaty
&ttwe?n the United States and Great.
Britain under Lord Clarendon and Mr.
Bew &rd. Andrew Johnson was our Presi
dent, Itcverdy Johnson our Minister,
Heterdy, I am afraid, had not commended
himeit to Americans at home by his exu
berances and acquiescences in England;
had almost forgotten there had been a
wsr, and that heavy memories of it
liugfred in torn and desolated homes; had
thrown himself with fervor into the arms
f "ConleUcrate peers" and associates of
Berimes: had among other things been
diil- trounced therefor by Tribune Smalley
ami msny grieved correspondents, and no
Ires' y lie could ever make would have even
kitchen hospitality in a Republican Senate.
Itel'nrf the disappointment over Beverdy,
tfeerf was the rage over Andrew, nnd the
Hitc.nc of impeachment, and although cool
minds might deplore the temper of the Sen
ate over the treaty, even the great personal
influence of Seward as the Secretary of
State could not prevent its ignominious re
jection. But one vote in its favor, from
Senator McCreary, of Kentucky; and not
alone the rejection, but such a speech from
Charles Sumner as made the ears of English
men tingle and set poor Harriet Martineau,
among others, to write in pity and despair.
WHAT StrjCfEB C0NS1DEBED JUST.
I cannot recall the exact sum Mr. Sumner
wanted as "damages" from England; $110,
000,000 for losses in tonnage "only an item
in the bill" One-half the national debt, as
England's interference invfavor of the South
had doubled the war that at least, in the
Sumner figures, say three thousand millions
in round numbers before there could be
satisfaction and peace.
So it stood in 1869, when Grant came into
power. The treaty with England thrown
into her face with a matter of some thousand
millions at issue, backed by the demand of
the leader of the Republican majority in
the Senate. England angry, of course
angry with a sense of mortified pride. She
htu offered terms and no hand in the Senate
to take her proffer but that of the poor old
Kentucky McCreary. America was angry
with the sense of wrong. The new Presi
dent had shown his devotion to peace on a
hundred battle fields, and no Chief Magis
trate was a more inflexible enemy of war.
The new Secretary, of mature years, with
wide experience, above the blanishinents of
political favor, had one thought peaji.
There should be peace, an honorable peace,
honorablo above all else to the United
States. And how could there be peace with
these lowering clouds "consequential dam
ages," and so on hanging in the heavens,
to burst and fall at any time, and under
wild conditions, under the pressure, per
haps, of some momentary Irish excitement
or ebullition of political fury.
THE PEOrOSAL OP A COMMISSION.
Matters between the two nations could
not have been in a worse cpndition, and we
can well imagine two anxious rulers seek
ing ways to peace, when a Canadian gentle
man, who had gone to London on business,
happened in at Washington. This was Sir
John Rose, then a knight, later on to be a
baronet; Sir John could not well leave with
out seeing the Secretary of State, which, of
course, meant a dinner with Governor Fish
and gracious confidence, as might well ensue
from two gentlemen who love peace and
could not readily be denied their hopes of
her fend embrace. "Why could there not be
a commission or something of the kind?
Great Britain must surely see that the re
jection of the Clarendon-Johnson instru
ment was more a rejection oi iresmeni
Johnson's administration than a desire to
quarrel with England. Why not a com-
mission, ana ii possiDie an liupusiug
commission? If, for instance, the
Secretary hinted, England could spare one
of her dukes for the business. There would
be great moral suasion in the'strawber-y
leaves. Not of course one of the rat-baiting,
horse racing, razlo dazzle specios of
dukes, prone to music nails, ana tne pleas
ures of the capital, bufa sensible duke, who
could stand around in the drawing rooms
and throw luster over his company We
bad seen what a Deer could do when Lord
Ashburton came over and negotiated the
Ashburton treaty with Daniel Webster.
And although Ashburton was a peer of
mild degree, baron, I think, he made his
treaty. What might not be hoped with a
duke?
TIIE EESTJLT Off A DIXSER.
As I understood Governor Fish, the out
line of the arbitration idea came with the
overflow of the dinner talk dinners ar
ranged for that purpose, the hostess dis
cree Jy withdrawing at an early moment
talk going on to 2 in the morning, none
present but Sir John Rose, Bancroft Davis
and himself. Sir John saw that ha was in
the presence of an admimsl.ation which
not only meant peace, but a new and peace
ful administration, a majority in both
HouseB strong enough to neutralize even
Sumner and the champions of the conse
quental claims.
And in order ttiat the settlement should
be thorough, that there should be no rubs
and blotches in the work, why not take up
all matters at issu? between the United
States and Great Britain the fisheries, the
boundary disputes, the ownership of Van
couver and St. John's and the Alabama
claims? Whjnot? Take an earnest, clear
headed Scotchman and a Yankee secretary
equally earnest and quite as clear headed;
consider that behind one were Russel, Glad
stone, Argyll and the English statesmen of
peace, that behind the other was Grant, who
never wanted to see another sword un
sheathed in anger, and what more easy than
an understanding!
When that dinner was over in the early
morning hours, and the well-dinnered Sir
John padded his way home to his dreams,
arbitration was conceived. Sir John re
turned to England and was soon at
the ear of those in authority. Then
some correspondence, cipher cables,
this and that to be overcome and
explained, party prejudices to be consid
ered. For, first of all, there must be an ad
mission on the part of England that she has
wronged the Union, and with this admission
there must be an apology. The apology
was arranged, and alter tne usual diplo
matic and legislative formulas, red-tape,
sealing-wax, cipher telegrams, special mes
sengers and so on, the commission was
born.
PEESOXAXTX OF THE COMMISSIOX
The sessions of the High Joint Commis
sion began in the old State Department
building, now a school oran asylum of some
kind out on fourteen tn street, in Washing
ton, late in February, 187L They lasted
until May of the same year. It was a strong
commission, as you may see on the living
canvas of Mr. Carpenter. Among other
things, Sir Stafford Nbrthcote, a Tory
leader, was a member, as on our side was
the Democrat, Judge Kelson. This, upon
which Governor Fish had laid much
stress, took away tha partisan tinge.
The head of the Commission was Earl Do
Gray and Ripon, now Marquis of Ripon.
His'lordsqip was scarcely a Duke, but an
Earl, lineage of the great house of Grey, and
would do. His handsome bcardea face,
with the youth ofiOlooka frankly out of
the Carpenter picture as the central figure
of the British group. Korthcope was
lrom one of the oldest families in Devon
shire, line indubitable to the Conqueror's
days and to be in time Lord Iddcsleigh,
and oino g other consequences of this
solemn tribunal it befel that one of his sons
should espouse a daughter of Governor
Fish, and thus give a link of peace between
the nations stronger than even diplomacy
could forge. Thornton was British Min
ister, well known in Washington. Mon
tague Bernard was an Oxford professor of
international law, learned in its intricacies,
and had written books in its elucidation.
Sir John A. McDonald, Premier ol Canada
until his death the other day. who sits with
folded arms, a Disraelian face, a kind of
Scotch double to the Hebrew statesman,
was there to look after the Canada j.
THE AMEEICAK PAET OP IT.
The head of the American section was
Hamilton Fish. The bench, and likewise
the Democratio party, as I have "said, were
represented by the venerable Justice Nel
son, of the Supreme Court. Nelson was, I
think, in his 80th year. This was among the
last services he was to do his country, as he
died in 1873. Tyler had made him Judge
from New York State in 1843, and no one
stood higher in the esteem of his country
men. Schenck was about to leave as Min
ister to England, having been named in
place of the brilliant but diplomatically tin
fortunate Motley. He was then in the
zenith of hi3 fame, much talked of by Hor
ace Greeley in those timcs.as I recall," as an
inevitable candidate for the Presidency. A
man of original and intrepid genius, who
was to go into England and Have foolish
scandals invented about him in regard to
games of chance, which clouded his fine,
well-earned fame. Williams was Senator
from Oregon, much in- favor with Grant,
with whom he was to fall much in disfavor,
and was on the commission because he had
technical knowledge of the fishery and
boundary questions. The 'other member
was Rockwood Hoar, the "wise Judged of
the Lowell poems, grandson of Roger Sher
man, a learned and meritorious man, es
teemed by Grant, who took him to bis
Cabinet and tried to scat him on the Su
preme bench. Some Senators tound him over
civil when Attorney General, and so Sena
torial revenge or caprice, or some other
questionable motive, was permitted to dic
tate his rejection when he came to be con
firmed. The American Secretary was Ban
croft Davis, Assistant Secretary of State,
son of the "Honest John "Davis" who had
served in the Senate withamilton Fish,
and upon whom the labor of the .Commis
sion had been thrown now Judge, and one
of the strangest figures in our diplomatio
history. The English agent was Lord
Tenterden, son of the Chief Justice Tenter
den, and the permanent Under Secretary
for Foreign Affairs.
AKBITBATIOJf CAME AT LAST.
Of the details of the commission much
was said by Governor Fish. There were
minor troubles. Schenck would insist upon
talking as if it were a Congress, and debate
could run without range, and now and then
would make startling concessions. Delib
erations would at times come to a tension,
relations incandescent, on one occasion
breaking offin the whitest of white heat,
on a threat from Lord Ripon that it "was
nbout time to close the Commission," his
Lordship snapping his dispatch box lias to
gether as if it were "time at last" to end
the accursed thing.
"Yes, time at last, as I have been think
ing for days," answered the firm Secretary.
The Commission divided off to separate
rooms to commune with its wrath. But if
these gentlemen were high-snirited, touchy
and resolute for their cause, they wereserious
and just; who loved peace, and would win
her at any cost but honor. She was won.
Arbitration came. It was the gift of the
United States to Christianity, and the ven
eiable statesman in whose brain the mighty
thought was conceived, and by whose stren
uous hands it was shaped into" being, may
feel in his old age that in that victory of
peace he won the title to a more enduring
fame than that given by the country to tha
diplomatic triumphs of Canning, Gorstcha
koff and Bismarck.
FISH'S OPIXI02T OP GBAJTS.
Of Grant, Mr. Fish spoke at length, and
with discriminating affection. In response
to a question as to what, after eight years of
the closest personal and political relations
with the President, he regarded as his dom
inant quality, the Governor promptly an
swered: "Absolute truthfulness, complete,
inflexible veracity." "I do not think," he
continued, "that it would hare been possi
ble for Grant to have told a lie, even if he
had composed it and written it down." I
recalled a statement of Grant in regard to
the late General Taylor, the ex-President,
almost in these identical words: "If old
Taylor," said Grant, "had made up his
mind that he must tell a lie, and that he
must therefore take the utmost pains to
have it on paper, he would be sure to get it
straight in reading it out."
This quality, said the Governor, was shown
by Grant w'hen tha inflation question
came before the Cabinet. They had never
been so great a pressure upon an Executive
to sign a measure as this of inflation and by
the friends of Grant, his especial and per
sonal friends. The party must be .saved.
There was an irresistibia voice from the
West which could not be neglected or
silenced, and something was needed like
inflation to satisfy and relieve the West
There was no knowing what might happen
to the party else, and it was in the power
of Grant to save all. This was the view of
the ablest and truest of Republican friends
in that quarter. The Cabinet, with the ex
ception of Crcsswell and Fish, had given
way to the current, and it seemed there was
nothing to be done. k
HOW GRANT VETOED INFLATION.
"So the President," said Fish, "resolved
to sign the bill, and as a measure of peace
with his conscience, made up his mind to
write a message giving his reasons for doing
so. I think he denied himself to every
body and wenj; to work on the message.
But it seemed that tht more he wrote the
mora he saw that he was on entirely un
tenable ground, and what he began as a mes
sage of approval he turned into a veto.
Having decided his course, he directed the
clerks to copy it and make ready for the
Senate. Then when the Cabinet met, know
ing how much he was in the minority, even
in nis'own official family, he simply an
nounced what he had done, read tne mes
sage which he had directed to be sent, and
said no more."
I ventured to say to the Governor that the
story of that most remarkable of Grant's
many inestimable cervices to the country
had been told me mutatis mutandis by Grant
in Bordeaux; that he had also said that none
of his friends were so earnest in its support
as Mr. Edmunds and himself; that the duty
of writing that message and the vast politi
cal responsibilities involved had kept him
awake all night, which no battle of thenar
had ever done, and that the enthusiasm
showed by Mr. Bristow in support of the
message was the beginning of the train of
thought which culminated in the appoint
iment of Bristow to the Treasury.
THE HAMILTON-BUBE DUEL.
One or two interesting gli-npsis of Aaron
Burr, which came vividl out of his conver
sation, a strange touch with the past, re
membering that Burr had been a colonel in
the Revolutionary War, aide to Montgom
ery and soldier under Arnold. When Mr.
Fish first saw Burr the old man was far in
the seventies. Had occasion to take Burr
tome legal instrument which wanted verifi
cation, and when Burr saw the young attor
ney's name he said: "I suppose you are
the son of my old revolutionary compatriot,
Nicholas Fish."
"Yes," was the reply.
"Will you," said Burr, "kindly present
your father with my compliments?"
"I bowed," said' the Governor, with a
laugh, "but as a matter of fact I would
have as soon given my father the compli
ments of a rattlesnake, which Burr knew
very well, as they had never spoken since
the duel with Hamilton."
In the course of some running talk on
that extraordinary meeting and its conse
quences, not alone to the principals but to
American politics, I could not see that there
was any impression that there had been
unfairness in the duel as a contest on the
part of Burr, nor any surprise that they
should have met in a time when the code
prevailed among gentlemen. The censure
so severely visited upon Burr, and which
culminated in his political and personal
ruin, was, as I understood from Governor
Fish, because he forced a quarrel upon
Hamilton without provocation, forced him
under circumstances where there was no
reason for fighting.
FULL OP INTERESTING STORIES.
Further glimpses of the past came out of
this long, bright, and at times brilliant con
versationmen and scenes as they remained
in his memory. Gallatin for instance, the
Swiss Gallatin from Geneva, Lincoln, too,
and the famous Mackenzie, whom Grant re
garded as alter Sheridan the most brilliant
young soldier of the war, one of the very
lew generals that he would like to have put
in command of an army, the brilliant,
brave Mackenzie, to die only the other
day on the threshold of his fame.
Serene, quiet talk, with kindly words for
friends and foes likewise, as might well be
come an old workingman, the rough be
longings of his task done, and glad to come
in out of the heat and burden of the day,and
think only of what has been done, with no
thought of abrasions or strife. A gentle
reference to Sumner and Motley, in a spirit
of appreciation and regret of Motley, who
might have made so much of his career. Of
current affairs there was little said. The
panorama of the foolish hour could only
awaken a languid interest in one who had
lived and acted in the great days; whose
own life was almost in touch with that of
the Revolution, his father having served
under Washington; who had sat in the
Senate with Hcnrv Clav: the connspllnr nnrf
friend of Grant. With such memories, the -
uuusciuusuess ui euiuicub puuuc service, in
a beautiful homt, children to the third and
fourth generation clustering about his
knees, Bure of a world-wide and enduring
fame, secure in the affectionate, grateful
veneration of his countrymen, what more
beautiful than these evening davs of a
noble life! John Russell Young.
Dante's Inferno
Is prolific In tortures, but dyspepsia, a
malady to which llostetter's Stomach Bit
ters it. adapted, furnishes a quiver full of
them. Nausea, heartburn, biliousness, wind
on the stomach, heart palpitation and many
more manifestations cnaractertze thU pro
tean malady. Each and all are dispelled by
the bitters, which also eradlca es rheuma
tism, kidney trouble and. malaria.
Ratlings, counters and shelving.
HAUOH.& KeeNAK,
Ba 83 and 34 Water street
THE MUSIC WORLD.
Performance of Macagnfs Opera by
the Minnie Dank Company.
THE COMUfG OBGAfl EECITAL.
A Budget of General News Items For Lovers
of the Irt Divine.
60HE EATHEE STARTLING STATISTICS
This week is one of but two In the whole
season in which Pittsburg is to have the
chance of hearing grand opera.
Is it not a pity that the larger forms of
what is justly termed the art universal
should require such costly and elaborate
preparation as to be so seldom within
.the reach even of a wealthy
and populous commuity like ours?
And even when we do get it, there are
travel stains upon it and many imperfec
tions and shortcomings in its production
more, indeed, than can be realized by one
not familiar with the standards prevailing
in those favored countries throughout
which the opera is a permanent, local insti
tution, supported largely by Governmental
subsidy.
But, then, whatever be the causes of this
unfortunate condition, and whatever the
remedy that we all hope to find for it some
day, the very rarity aud difficulty of grand
opera production, under existingconditions,
over here afford the best of reasons why we
should make the most of what we do get in
that line. If the management honestly at
tempts to give the most artistic representa
tions possible under all the circumstances,
wc are quite ready to meet it more than
half way in our support and appreciation..
From all accounts the Minnie Hauk com
pany will compare favorably with the other
grand opera troupes that have been or are
touring this country. Miss Hauk herself
needs no introduction to this city, where
she has several times been heard. Her
reputation, particularly in the role of Car
men, is world-wide, and she is quite young
enough to have re ained her powers with
little, if any, impairment. Mrs. Basta
Tavary, the other leading soprano, is a
Russian singer, whose successful appearance
on many European stages notably at
Covent Garden, London bespeaks our re
spectful attention. Miss Tremelli, the con
tralto, is also well spoken of; so are Mon
tariol, the young tenor, and Bovet, his run
ning mate. DelPuente, the famous bari
tone, Leo Stormont, Helen Dudley Camp
bell and others among the principals we
already know and admire. Mr. Siegfried
Behrens, the veteran conductor, is at the
helm and his tried abilities may be relied
on to make the' most artistic me of the ma
terial in hand.
The performances of "Lohengrin," "Car
men," and the other familiar operas by this
troupe will, no doubt, be all or them enjoy
able to anyone who goes to enjoy rather
than to cri'icise. But the all-absorbing in
terest of the week will center upon the first
performances hereof Mascagni's "Cavalleria
Rusticana," one of the greatest operatic sen
sations of history. As the musical charac
teristics of the new opera have already been
considerably set forth in this department, a
few words as to its composer and plot will
now suffice.
M
" .
The Opera and Its Composer:
Pletro Mascagni was born 4n Leghorn in
1863, his father being a poor baker. He re
ceived his musical education from Pon
chielli, the composer of La Gioconda. He
remained absolutely unknown to fame un
til less than two years ago, when the Milan
publisher, Sonzogno, having offered a prize
for the best one act opera, "Cavalleria Rus
ticana" was composed by Mascagni in eight
weeks, and in the competition secured the
prize.
The libretto of the opera is from Giovan
ni Verga's drama and was written by two of
the composer's friends, Targiom-Lozzetti
and Menasci. Turridu is a young Sicilian,
who, before leaving his native village to
serve as a soldier, has loved Lola, a pretty,
but heartless, flirt. In his absence she has
married Alfio, a teamster. Turridu, return
ing, seeks consolation in the love of San
iuzza, a poor peasant girl. Lola, jealous
of her new rival, draws Turridu once
more into her power, so that
ho tires of Santuzza and refuses
to marry her, although he has betrayed
her. Goaded to frenzy Saniuzza opens Aljlo't
eyes to his wife's aithlessness. He meets
Turridu in a publio square coming from
mass on Easter morning, embraces him,
biting the tip of his right ear, according to
the Sicilian fashion of challenging an
enemy to mortal combat, and in the subse
quent encounter Turridu is killed.
This story is enacted in the square of the
Sicilian village before the open church door
the devotions of the congregation being con
tinued during most of the time that the
dramatic episodes are enacted without. It
is simplicity itself, but the strength of pic
turing the guilty passion-haunted hearts, of
the principals, and the fervent piety of the
villagers at their matins, furnishes a basis of
contrast that is potent and effective, moving
to the eye and appealing to the ear.
A Carious Lot of Statistics.
It is through Galitjnanl' Messenger that
the musical world has been put in posses
sion of the following curious information:
A Phillistine In art has appeared In tha
person of Dr. Neltzel, who has startled the
musical world by an extraordinary compila
tion of figures with regard to the strength
required by the ordinary pianist to play tha
pianoforte works of the modern composer.
With this object he has dissected Chopin's
beauttfuV'Funeral March," and Etude No.
12. Op. 25, and has arrived at the lollowing
conclusions: That the smallest weight
necessary to strlko the keyboard. In order
to obtain a pianissimo effect, calls forth a
pressure of the finger equal to 110 grammes;
200 sinmmes tor expresslvo, and 8,000
grnmnie') for fortissimo.
These figures refer to single sounds only,
the weight required tor striking chords Is
Inverse to tho number of notes, as four
sonnds tosrether need only a prcssuie of
,uuu or o.uuu grammes instead or 8,000
grammes, -iven that the strength required
tor striking one-nota forte is estimated at
2 COO grammes.
Dr. Neitzel calculates that In Chopin's
Etudo the stiongth for one passage lasting
2 minutes 5 secondB weighs not less than
3,150 kilos. It would have been Interesting
from this weighty point.of view to have
known the figures in connection with soma
ol the compositions of the followers of tho
Wagnerian school, but no doubt the doctor
will one day extend his labors In this direc
tion, urless he in the meantime, tries to as
certain the amount of breath wasted by a
flute-player In a given number of years.
Another Interesting Event.
With many music-lovera Mr. J. C. Batch
elder's organ recital at the Fourth Avenue
Baptist Church on Tuesday evening will
prove a stronger attraction than even tho
Mascagni premiere especially since tho new
opera is to be repeated the following even
ing. Mr. Batcheldcr will be assisted by Mr.
Homer Moore, in his capacity as a baritone
singer. It may be stated that the recital is
given by the church upon invitation, but it
is unlikely, the writer thinks, that any
lover of music who really wants to hear tho
recital will be turned away for lack of a
card. The programme, which hits a hapjiy
medium between the extremes of classicity
and frivolity, is as follows!
fa. Fugue In G minor Bach
h. Offertoire in D flat Salome
(c Impromptu Pastorale .'...Uuck
Song There is a Green Hill Far Awav
Gounod
Mr. Homer Moore.
Sonata in D Major, No. 5 Mendelssohn
Andante. Andante con moto. Allegro
maestoso.
i a. Modltatlon Lemalgre
)b. Marcho Solennclle Lemalgre
The King's Prayer (Lohengrin) Wagner
Mr. Moore.
a. Andante from 5th Symphony .Beethoven
(b. Elsa's Brautgang zum Mnenster (Lo
hengrin Wagner
March In E flat Salome
Crotchets and Quavers.
YiADnm; r Pachmah -will giro two 1
Chopin recitals, with new proa-rammes, In
Chicago this week.
All of Joachim RalTs II ymptronl are
to ba produced this season in Berlin under
the direction of Carl Meyder.
t Massetbt is at work on a new opera en
titled "Amy Robsart,"' the subject of whloh
Is dmwnrom ATalter Scott's novel, "Kenll
worth." Jobaxx Strauss' first grand opera, "Bitter
Pazmann,"ls now at last announced for pro
duction nt the Vienna Opera House, on
November 19.
The operatic novelty at Prague this season
will be Martin Itoeder's "Kuy Gomez." Mr.
Boeder will go f om Dublin to personally su
perintend tho rehearsals.
This year Mozart's memory Is being cele
brated by festal performances throughout
the musical world. A hundred years ago he
was buried tn a pauper's grave.
Johaxxxs Brahms ha thla summer com
pleted a new evele of songs, a second set of
"Gipsy songs" (like the first, for solo-quartette
and pianoforte) and a clarinet trio.
MRS. Amalia Fbiedrich-Mateiwta, the
eminent Viennese soprano nnd one of the
foremost Wagner singers, will revisit this
country eariy next spring ior a Bnc ui tuu
oerts. Mr Fred N. Iriizs and his Thirteenth
Reziment Band won a lot of prntso and
presents for thelrplaying at the Exposition
nt Tacoma, Washington, which closed Octo
ber 11.
BunmfsTEra'a now opera, "The Gipsies,"
drawn from a Russian pnein of like title, Is
reported to he near completion. It will
probably ha translated into German and first
perlormed in that country.
Treeelli, tho groat contralto, has finally
retired from the stage. Ilor voice retains
much of Its beauty, considering her 65 years,
but she is so affected hy paralysis as to he
Incapacitated for public activity.
There are fresh rumors to the effect that
Gilbert and Sullivan will soon kiss and be
friends again. It would seem that thev have
had enough of the pastime of .biting off each
other's noses to spite their own faces.
At Berlin, "Cavalleria Rusticana" Is to bo
preceded each evening of its performance
by a ballet for tho music of which Brahms'
famous Hungarian Dances are to bo used.
This will bo Brahms' first ballet, no doubt.
The amount taken In at the Bayreuth fes
tival performances last summer was 00,000
reiehsmarks, and as Coslma Wagner gets 10
per cent of the gross receipts, her share con
sequents amounts to 80,000'relchsmarks, or
about $20,000.
At tho opening of the Palermo Exposition,
by tho King and Queen of Italy, 150 young
lady mandolinists will play a hymn to the
Queen. With all those "buzzers" about her
Mnrgherita will feel that she Is queen bee,
sure enoughl
Reginald De Koveit and Harry B. Smith,
authors of "Robin Hood," have received an
offer from Sir Austu'tus Harris to take the
opera to Covent Garden next year. At pres
ent the authors aro nt work on a new ope a,
which will probably have Its initial per
formance In London.
Verdi states tn a lettor for publication,
dated October 5, that he Is writing bis "Fal
staff" largely as a pastime, and cannot say
when it will bo completed, much (ess nt
what theater It will be produced. He evi
dently don't know as much about It as the
news paragraphers do.
Dispatches from Paris announce that the
management of tho Paris Opera hasaccepted
and will produce tha work of Augusta
Holmes, entitled "La Montagno Noire"
("The Black Mountain"). It 13 the only
work of a femalo composer ever accepted
by the management of tho Paris Opera.
Now Richard Genee has followed Strauss
Into the grand opera field, as he followed
him, though not at all slavishly, while both
remained content to write operettas,
Genee's new work is entitled "Margit;" It Is
in three acts and Its subject has been drawn
by Joseph Brak from one of Henrik Ibsen's
dramas.
NoTwiTHSTASDrao the great success of
Mascagni's "Cavulleria Rusticana," the com
poser will not receive any financial benefit
from performances In this country, for
under the copyright law the opera Is com
mon property, having been published In
Itnly bcfoie tho recent international copy
right agreement.
1 love music aboyo all tho arts, especially
Beethoven's. House music is my greatest
delight, for the trouble of getting a ticket
at a certain time,- and sitting in a narrow
scat In an operation so is not to my liking. I
have nl avs been sorry that I was obliged
in my student davs to omit musio from my
course. That was n misfortune, for, like all
Germans, I am tuned by nature In harmony
with music Bismarck.
It Is good to see organizations forming for
the express purpose of encouraging Ameri
can music, but fcurely tho American Muslo
Society, recently organized, goes to a
"ridiculous extreme in limiting Its active
membership tn musicians whose parents aro
American born nnd its associate member
ship to persons who are themselves natives.
That would bar out most of tho mu.ical
lenders to whom our present artistlo status
is due.
The Art Socioty opened Its season with tho
ono hundred and sixty-eighth reception Fri
day evening. A goodly audience of mem
bers and friends was present and gave every
token qf its hearty appreciation of Mr.
Homer Moore's exposition of the principles
of musical expression in singing and the apt
illnstrations supplied In his own sinning.
All present seemed to agree that this recep
tion formed a most auspicious opening of
the society's activity this season.
The protracted series of free concerts be
ing given by the New York Morning Journal
at Castle Garden have enlisted sneb per
formers as Anton Seifl and his orchestra,
Xaver and Phillip Scharwenka, Arthur
Friedhelm, Emily Winant, and others of like
fame. And it has not been throwing ncarls
before swine either. The Immense attend
ance and respectful attention provo that tha
gi eat mass of the people can and do enjoy
truly good music well nerformed whenever
,they get the chance.
Astos Seibl and his metropolitan or
chestra gave a successful series of high-class
popular concerts last week at the Grand
Opera House, Philadelphia. The list of
soloists was as follows: Selma Koert-Hronold,
soprano, and John Cneshire, harpist, Mon
day; Miss Maud Powell, violinist, Tuesday;
Mme. Fur&ch-Madl and Mr. Victor Herbert,
Wednesday: Mme. Clara Poole and John
Cheshire, Thursday; Mr. Emil Fischer, Fri
day; Rafael .loseffy, Saturday matinee, and
Miss Julie Mueller-Hartung and Mr. Viotor
Herbert, Saturday evening.
The musical season which Is now opening
in New York is going to be ono of the most
prolific ever known in that city. There will
be about 1C0 orcho-tral concerts, provided
mostly by four orchestras the New York
Philharmonio Society, conducted by Anton
Seiul: the Metropolitan Orchestra.conducted
by the same artist; the New York Symphony
uruuc&tra, commuted oy wnuer .uainroscii,
and tho Boston Symphony Orchestra, under
Arthur Nikisch. No wonder New York felt
it could afford to sparo Theodore Thomas to
tho otliorwisa benighted town on Lake
Michigan.
Abbey aito Grau's big Italian Opera Com
pany will open nt the Chicago Auditorium
on November 9 for an engagement of five
weeks (20 performances), alter which it will
fill out the winter season at the Metropoli
tan Opera House, New York. Tho princi
pal artists will be Lilli Lehman, Emma Al
bani, EmmaEames and Mario Van Zandt,
sopranos: Sofia Sohalchl and Ginlia Ravogli,
contraltos; Jean nnd Edouiird De Reske,
tenor and bass. The orchestra of 60 will be
Jed by Vfanesl, lately of the Paris Grand
Opera. Tho chorus and ballet will be large.
The London society formed to further the
use of music as a cure for various forms of
disease would do better to spread the gospel
of music as a prevention. It is more desir
able to prevent than to cure and it Is much
less certain that musio can heal a single
hospital patient than that It cendomuch,
in this as;e of nervous excitement, to relieve
the strain upon the whole throng of active
workers nnd to keep them from getting into
tha hospital at all. If the present wide discus
sion of the matter serves to bring this truth
home to the people, it will not have been in
vain.
nnvo You Children?
Then you know the cost 6f shoe leather
for them. Among the special hargainsin
shoes all this week we shall offer several for
misses, boys and children. Don't fail to
seethe child's grand grain, box-tipped but
ton at 69 cents. Gusky's.
ANTHRACITE COAL-SILVER BROOK
Coal Co.'s Lehigh coal, Hazelton region;
J.S. Wentz & Co.'s. Lehigh coal, Hazelton
region; T. M. Righter & Co.'s Leliigh coal,
Malianoy region; Cbas. Parrish's Wyoming
coal, Wllkesbarre region. In tlieso varieties
you get the choice ot tho anthracite region;
carloads only; prompt shipment; prices upon
application. N. P. HYNDMAN,
Sole Agent Western Pennsylvania and vi
cinity, 95 Fifth ayenue, Pittsburg.
Telephone 329. oc22-63-Thss,u
SEW iTimttTimciiwirs.
We Offer for Subscription
250,000
OI" THE CAPITAL STOCK OF THX
AT PAR.
So Individual liability.
Full paid stock not assessahl.
OFFICER
JOHN D. DAVIS President
W. D, ROWAN .Vice President
W. E. ROSS .Treasurer
W. E. MoMURRAY ...Secretary
E. H. JACKSON .....Solicitor
This company, as Its name Implies, Is a
corporation organized under the laws of
West Virginia for the purpose of mining
coal and manufacturing the same Into coke
or other products of coal.
The lands owned and controlled by the
company consist of two tracts, containing
4,000 acres, having a frontage of 2Ji miles on
the main line of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, and situated at Farmington (three
miles from Fairmont, and in what is known
as tha Fairmont field), Marion county,
W. Va.
Geographically, its location Is all that
conld be desired, tho distances from Fair
mont by the main line and branches of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad being as fol
lows: To Grafton, 23 miles: to.Wheellng, 77
miles: to Baltimore, 316 miles; to Sandusky,
294 miles; to Cumberland, 121 miles; to Cin
cinnati, 810 miles; to Chicago, 537 miles; to
Pittsburg, 13 miles (or via Fairchonce, 100
miles), etc.
The Fairmont district is the same eoal bed
mined throughout theConn ells villo basin and
in the Westmoreland and Pennsylvania gas
coal basing, and the seams have a thickness
of from nine to eleven feet of salable coal.
As regards the quality of the coal, the
United States Geological Report (pp. 379, 429)
contains the following analysis of both Con
nellsvillo and Fairmont coke, to which we
Invite careful attention:
Fixed Carbon. Ash. Sulp'r. Auth.
Connellsville, 89.576 9.113 0.821 A.S.McCreath
Fairmont, 9L850 G.810 0.430" D. T. Day
Within the past year OVER HALF A
MILLION DOLLARS nave been invested in
this field by such men as Hon. James G
Blaine, ex-Senator H. G. Davis, Senator A.
P. Gorman, Hon. 8. B. Elklns, Senator Don
Cameron, J. M. Hnstead. P. Y. Hitoeto.
EXPERTS CLAIM THAT THIS COAL CAN
BE OPERATED CHEAPER UNDER THE
SAME RATES OF LABOR THAN THE
COAL OF ANY OTHER REGION IN THIS
COUNTRY WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
Many large tracts are now in successful
operation, both mining coal and making
coke, so that the Pittsburg Gas Coal and
Coke Company Is making no experiment In
developing their property. While perhaps
it is unnecessary to state the fact, it is guar,
P
anteed that tho whole amount of the capital
stock will be used in the legitimate estab
lishment of tho company. Not one dollar will
be appropriated to any but strictly business
purposes, such as the acquiring of real
estate, the sinking of shafts, putting up of
machinery, building of coko ovens, and other
proper expenditures necessary to tha
placing of the company in successful opera
tion. Pitt8burgers are well aware of tho large
amount of money that has been made In
this business. The trouble heretofore has
been that the man of moderate means has
not had an opportunity to Invest on tho
ground floor, and, taking into consideration
the fact that the lands of this company
) have been purchased at prices far below the
cost of those In which our l'ittsDurg million
aires have mado their money, we feel'Justi
fled in anticipating that thts stock wilt be
quickly subscribed for by careful inyestors-
The company will Issue 50,030 shares atho
par value of $5 00 per share, and subscrip
tions for same will be taken at the office of
Morris & Aisbitt, No. 78 Diamond street.
Pittsburg, Pa., payable as follows:
81 OO per sharn on application.
81 OO " " December 1st., 1801.
81 00 " January 2 J., 1892.
81 OO " " February 1st., 1803.
8100 " March 1st, 1893.
Subscribers have tho option of paying In
full for their stock at time of subscription,
in which case Interest on the anticipated
payments will be allowed at tha rate of 6 per
centum per annum.
We invito subscriptions from capitalists,
business and professional men, clerks, sales
men and tha publio generally. Tne shares
are unassessable, devoid of risk and profita
ble returns reasonably sure.
The subscription books will open Monday.
October 26, 1891, and close as soon as all the
stock has been subscribed.
MR. WALTER MORRIS, of onr firm, has
visited the Fairmont coal field, made a per
sonal examination of tho property of the
Pittsburg Gas Coal and Coke Company, com
pared it with other property in that field;
has also investigated tha methods nnder
which the company proposes operating, and
as a result feels Justified in recommending
subscriptions to their capital stock.
MORRIS &AISBITT,
No. 78 Diamond Street,
prrTsncEG, Fi.
oc2i-91-ru3a
AUCTION SALES.
HORSES. MULES.'
AUCTION SALE
650 HORSES & MULES.
Tlio larget public sale of horsesand mules
ever offered in Western Pennsylvania. Tho
Pittsburg, Allegheny and Manchester Trac
tion Company will offer at public sale to tho
highest bidder 425 HORSES and 223 MULES,
at their Short Line stable, Beaver avenue,
foot of Pennsylvania avenue, Allegheny
City, week beginning'
NOVEMBER 2, 1S9L
This will be tha best lot of stock ever of
fered hy any street railroad company in tne
State. Most of this stock is young, sound
and in good condition, some of which has
only heen in service six nionth3. Sale com
mences at 10 o'clock a. u. No postponemen t
on account of weatber. TERMS CASH.
Any information can he had hv addressing
the ARNHEIM LIVE STOCK CO., 52 Second
avenue, Pittsburg, Pa. Don't lorget the
date, commencing Monday, November 2,
1S9L 0C17-56
AUCTION SALE.
Elegant furniture, carnet, organ, etc.,
TUESDAY MORNING, Oct. 27, at 10 o'clock,
at tbe rooms or tbe Henry Auction Co.. 21
and 26 Ninth St. Elegant chamber suites, 1
mahogany suito, cost $300; 1 suite in bird-oye
maple, wth large French bev. mirror, cost
$250: fine suites in walnut and oak, handsome
parlor suite In Eng. rugs, cabinet organ,
library bookcase, china closet, ardrooes,
clieffoniers, drsks, dishes nnd glassware, or
naments, mattresses, springs and bedding,
brussels and velvet carpet, kitchen and
laundry furniture, stoves, etc. Sale posi
tive. Goods now on exhibition.
HENRY AUCTION CO.,
OC25-193 Auctioneers.
AT AUCTION DR1 GOODS, BOOTS AND
shoos, etc., Wednesday, October 28, at
10 o'clocK. Tho entire stock of a country
Btore, consisting of dry goods, notions,
boots and shoes, comfort,blankets, hats, etc
Sale positive to quit business. QC25-193
CHRISTY'S DAlNCIin ACADEMY,
1012 PENN AV., PITTSBURG, PA.
Prof. Christy has opened his Dancing
Academy this season with six competent in
structors, which will enable him toadvance
pupils in one term. Tliero is a special pri
vale class for gentlemen, in which they may
receive lessons in waltzing without tho em
barrassing presence or ladies. Classes every
evening. Private lessons- every day from 1
to 1 .p.m. Children's class Saturday after
noon" Prof. J. 8. Christy is forming classes
for beginners on Monday evening, October
26. Terms, $5 00. OC25-131
THE liGESTffl LEADING MILLINERY HOUSE IN WESTEHHPEHM.
SECOND Jkm SECOND
IEK! j W!
OF OUR
AST WEEK IS II
No time for quoting prices this reek, but
come right along. All the goods in our Gi
gantic Housefurnishing Department, every
thing in our Immense Cloak, Wrap and Fur
Rooms, everything in Blankets, Curtains,
Table Linens', Towels, Table Covers,. Men's,
Women's and Children's Fall and Winter
Underwear and Hosiery; in fact, everything
in every department reduced to prices that
we'd never dream of selling such nice, fresh,
seasonable and fashionable goods for, save for
an occasion like the present
To make room for the most gigantic,
mammoth stock of TOYS, DOLLS,
GAMES, BOOKS, BRIG-A-BRAG,
BRONZES, etc., ever brought together
under any three retail roofs in Pitts
burg, with which well inaugurate the
biggest, grandest, most brilliant and
elaborate CHRISTMAS FANCY FAIR
ever seen in these parts.
Thousands Came
a Couple of JHEundred
Miles Last Week -to
Participate in the
Wonderful Bargains
Of This, the
GREATSET
0
JIM Hi STORES g PEOPLE
SIXTH ST. AND PENN ft I
WE SUCCESS!