Evening Star Newspaper, April 25, 1891, Page 12

ABOUT THE BANJO. Once Used Only by Negroes, It Has Made Rapid Development. ITIs NOW A SOCIETY FAD. S.mething Abont Its Original Constrnetion and the Improvements Made in the Instra- ment—Some of Its Players—Talberg and the Prince of Wales Among Them. Written for The Evening Star. . HERE CAN BE NO S good reason why the av- erage American-born cit- izen should not be proud of the truly distinctive and only purely native stringed instrument, the banjo. Born not long prior to the late war, in those ante bellum days of | the moonlight cooni S the “barndoor jig’ and flat boating on the Mississippi, it has fought | ite way through the war, doing duty to the camp for its “juba time,” enlivening many a poor hungry soldier by the “plinkity plink,” and making the jolly cook find his feet in the sbufile. Crude as it wag in those daysit brought good heer to the camp fire, and accompanied the singers in such old songs as “When This Cruel War is Over,” “The Vacant Chair,” “Tenting Tonight,” ‘Tramp, Tramp,” “Red, White and! Biue,” and many others. ‘The instrument originally had but three strings, and was used only to strike off the time for the darkies’ ditties and jigs; but it was soon found that by the addition of two more strings it would be given greater scope, both in its tone and field of usefulness. ‘THE OLD-TIME BANJO. About thirty-five years ago I possessed = Danjo of the kind then on sale at the stores. ‘The rim was an ash hoop about ten inches in diameter, lap jointed and glued and having a piece of sheepskin parchment strained over it and secured by small brass-headed tacks to the | rim. A walnut neck or handle was secured to this rim and the five strings were connected to a crude tail piece g over the neck or finger board to t gs. This was | ‘the kind of banjo the youthful minstrel of that day did his barn storming with—the kind to be wen at all the “shows” given by the boysin the @oodshed, the old garret or wherever else. When the hea’ or parchment of this banjo be- ame loose, owing to the constant strain to Which it was subjected, an astringent mixture of sweet oil and vinegar was applied to it and slightly warme: dram tight £ At that time tirely asa t a thimble (si to a proj finger nail) was placed upon the index and used to strike downward upon the | This style of playing the banjo is not ‘except by 2 few old-time ban- ed to bring out the fx owing to the ditti- without lon; rs are scar h improved in con- », and the best instru- | that is to say, joists, or w volume of the emity in maste tice, and good th ‘The banjo has be struction since tha! 0 ments are those having the old-time banjo tole, en ‘THE BARIO OF TODAY. ‘The banjo of today has means for tightening the head or parchment when it becomes loose. Ite finger board is fretted, inlaid with pearl and altogether is a handsome piece of parlor brie-a-brac, and in the hands of « performer of some musical taste an instriment of not a littie scope and a joy in the house. The waltz, the ttische. the march, the jig the airs from the operas can be produced with pleasing effect. It is no longer a “darky instrument,” wholly an instrament of accompan by some of the modern ietionaries and encyclopedias, but a popular American instrument of distinctive character. | it is not difficult nor does it take much time to | carn to play a few pieces, but after struggling | with it for some thirty odd suzamers I am: cou- | vinced that there is much that I cannot play ina sstisfactory manner when it comes to the latest music published for the instrument. It has | been my experience that not more than one in twenty pieces published are well adapted to | be banjo. Pieces that are merely difficult of | execution are not always 1 uor desirable. | \ mere matter of gymnastics is one thing and music quite anot The banjo has fallen from the hands of such ers as “Picayune Butler,” Tom | and many of to the | refined and educated ladies and gentlemen of | conta! Ex-President Arthur was re; ‘y + friends as a good performer, and tae Prince Wales is very foud of the banjo and pl UL. Even Thalberg. the great piai composer, at a time when th very plunky affair, became ated with ite nasal twang and took a course of ins from one Rice, who, in an instruc blished in 135- a the great composer. At that time the jo was of limited scope, the notes above the fifth fret being of rare occurrence and of a ory duil ang unsatisfactory character. COMPARED WITH THE GUITAR. The banjo today compares more than favor- | ably with the guitar. The six strings of the tar require a very wide finger board and the rds correspondingly dificult of execution, while it lacks volume and carrying power as a solo instrument. Of course it will always be garded as one of the sweetest and softest in- ruments to sing to. On the other hand the jo has but four sfrings to be fingered, the rtor thumb string being always played pen” or without being stopped by ihe fingers ard is therefore hords within and less . but by the use of a sordine or sodulator—such a a pair of pennies placed or a pocket comb wna over the strings back of the under the feet of the br ushed do ae 1dge—the tone of the guitar is very closel; sunitated. Moreover, it fm surpasses the uit 4 “* # solo instrument and may be played Various styles — the banjo — style ith the thimble), the guitar style and the andolin style, by making « rapid trilling ovement with the index finger over the rings. The sweet effects on the modern banjo * sweet indeed, while the piquant effects are +y brilliant whem executed Tre performer. se banjo bas bad to fight the popular preju- ce and it has been vietorious, It i» mistacen ides of many that the negro | Operating expenses per car mile, 18.16 cents; handled. As regards these items, the railways | operated by animal power hold an intermediate position, showing # cost and a density of traftic are great negro performers. Horace doubtless the best all-around banjoist of 8 color. But he was always before the public, while Frank B. Converse, Rubie Brool a. C.ifton Dobson and some few others are not Goop TIMES. nightly on the boards, but far ew him in the very best class of modern banjo execution. Mr. Converse has followed the banjo’ from its “crude and imperfect state by nature” to its present perfected condition, and is deemed its paternal ancestor, having started with a good musical education and taken up the instrument nearly half a centruy ago. PATENTS FOR BANJOS. It would amuse those interested in the banjo toleok through the drawings in the class of “banjos and guitars” in the patent office. Maay of the patents relate to devices or attach- ments designed to “permit the sound to escape.” ‘There hay n many very strange and startling schemes presepted to me for the improvement of the banjo. One has an idea that the secret of making agood banjo exists wholly in the kind of wood used for the rim: ancther in the wood used for the neck or the bridge, while others regard the matter of bav- ing the neck secured to the rim in acertain way as all essential; that the entire instrument shouid respond or tremble to the firat touch of the strings. Some advantage has been taken by unprincipled manufacturers of this class of enthusiasts and their advertisements are cal- culated to lead the unwars to believe that the greut secret of tone and poweris only by them. An instrument made of well-seasoned hard wood, correctly fretted finger board and a good hard ‘finished calf skin head, tightly drawn down, makes the best banjo that can be con- structed. The matter of adding a great num- ber of brackets and straining hooks, together with the pearl inlay work in the finger board, is but to catch the eye of the unknowing, and not for the car of those who know. “Everything in the head” is a well-known phrase to the ban- joist, and there is good sense and music at the ottem of it. It isa peculiar and significant fact that at concerts where good piano and violin solos are on the program a fair banjoist will be received with more hearty enthusiasm than either, pro- vided always, that the audience is not composed in great part of the classic musical element. At parlor musicals this fact is Tory, noticeable. E. P. Buxres. Presse comet STREET RAILWAY STATISTICS. A Census Inquiry Into the Relative Economy of Cable, Electric and Horse Power. A bulletin of considerable interest has just been issued by the census office. It was pre pared by Mr. Chas. H. Cooley and presents an array of facts upon the question of the relative economy of the cable, electric and animal motive power for street railways. While it is stated that it is too early to form a final judgment respecting the value of electric motive power, yet the statistics presented, as they record actual experience, are believed to throw considerable light upon the matter. Electric motive power in this country has only a history of six years and already one- fourth of the street railway lines are operated wholly or in part by electricity. Statistics are given of fifty lines—ten of which are operated by cable, ten by electricity and thirty by animal power. ten electric roads nine are operated by em of overhead trolleys and one by ecumulators or storage batteries. In the of the cable roads—the total cost of road equipment is $26,351,416, operating expen: ¢ ear mile, 1412 cents; e carried, 3.22 cents. Elec- —total cost of road and 426,285; operating expenses per per pussenger carried, perated by animal power. ‘otal cost of road and equipment, $22,288,277. per passenger carried, 3.67 cents. It will be seen. the bulletin says, that in so far as the operating expense per car mile is an index of economy in operation both cable and electric railways show a considerably greater economy than’ railways operated by animal power. It is noticeable, however, that electric railways, which "have the least expense per car mile, have the greatest ex- peuse per passenger carried. In order to show the cause of this @ statement of the ratio be- tween passengers carried and car mileage is given, from which it appears that electric rail- ave show a less number of passengers per car mile than either of the other classes. ‘The explanation of this fact is doubtless that the electric roads, being new, occupy lines over which the passenger trafic has been but partly developed. From the tables it is seen that the cable rail- ways under consideration were built at a cost per mile of street occupied of over seven times ch as were the electric railways. The y of passenger trafic is about six times as great upon the cable as upon the electric railways. These figures correspond to the generally accepted fact that cable railways attain’ their greatest efficiency where an extremely heavy traffic is to be somewhat greater than the electric railways, but much less than that of cable railways, ———~es____ ‘To Kepeal the Lake Shore's Charter, ‘The Michigan senate has passed the bill to repeal the charter of the Lake Shore and Mich- igan Southern Railway Company. The effect will be to bring the company under the opera- tion of the general laws so far as they regulate taxation. ———_* +e —___ Italians Killed in a Collision. By the collision of freight and work trains at Rock Point, Pa., on the Pittsburg and Lake Erie yesterday morning, two Italian laborers were killed and three others injured, two of them quite seriously. ee sees ‘Two Years’ Imprisonment for Mutiny. Four of the artillerymen of the British bat- tery which on Monday last mutinied in order to call attention to the grievances and excessive drills from which the men claimed to be suffer- ing, have been tried by court-martial and have each been sentenced to two years’ imprison- meut. ———_-e2_____ Duel Over a Dispute at the Theater. A duel has just been fought between Gen. Negrier, commanding the seventh army corps of France, and M. Gaston Legrand. Gen. Negrier was wounded in the chest, while his adversary received a wound in the jaw. The duel arose out of a dispute which oecurred at the Theater Francaise. President Balmaceda’y Message. In his message opening the Chilian congress PresidentBalmaceda dweltat length and in detail on the history of Chili and npon recent events discussed in that country. The president also the economie situation and various projects of reform. Minnie—“Lord de Liverus, whom Clara Ducketts married in Europe last summer, re- fuses torvisit America with her.” purchas- Mamie—‘How After aS abe is not: ‘toezhibithim. Poor MADE FAMOUS BY WAR Old Winchester Town and Its Inter- esting Memories, A SCENE OF MANY BATTLES. The Peaceful and Beautifal Valley Once De- vastated by Contending Armies—Reminis- conces of the Ancient Town—Sheridan and His Troops at the Close of the War. Written for The Evening Star. RECENT VISIT TO THE OLD TOWN of Winchester, Va., calls up » flood of recollections relating to that memorable winter in the valley of the Shenandoah when the middle military division, under command of Sheridan, took up its winter quarters at that point. Winchester and the portion of the valley immediately around it seems to have been selected at various times, commencing from the first settlement of the country and extending up to the last days of the civil war, 488 favorite place of combat between contend- ing armies. The town was established by law in 1752. It ‘was a corporate town when Washington was 4 young Virginia colonel and Pittsburg a log stockade besieged by Indians. At Winchester Braddock encamped, with Washington as his guide, both on his advance and the memorable retreat, of which every school boy knows. ‘This section of the lower valley of the Shenan- douh, lying around and above Winchester, is shown to have been selected over and over again as a place of combat between the various tribes of Indians who once roamed through section now covered by fertile fields. During the entire period of the late war this old town was occupied first by one and then by the other of the contending armies. ‘The hana of complete mastery was uever placed upon it until that eventful day (the 19th of Septeuber, 1864,) when Sheridan gained his decisive vie~ tory over Early. That was the last battle of Winchester, and so we may hope it will ever remain. ‘Yo recount all the other skirmishes, the oc- cupations and evacuations during the period of the civil war would make a volume in itself. My intention is only to try to picture the Win- chester of the winter of 1864, as compared with the little city of 1891. SHERIDAN’S HEADQUARTERS. Let us now in fancy walk from the present depot of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad south on Market street to Picadilly, thence eastward to Braddock street. Here standing upon the southwest corner is the same square brick building in which the little idol of that great army had his headquarters, and the dwelling house had been occupied for the same purpose by many generals on both sides during the three years preceding his occupancy thereof. At the windows now we see the bright and cheery faces of young ladies, instead of those of bearded, uniformed and armed men, for it is used as an educational institution or female institute. That same little observatory stands upon the center of the roof (now unused) from which during every day that winter the flags of the signal officer were being constantly displayed and at night the colored lanterns took their place. The yard in the rear has dis- appeared. The little wooden building in which Bick Be (made famous by Buchanan Reed) and her stable companions were fed has given to one more substantial and is occupied for dwelling purposes. The yard itself, where the body guard bivouaced and had their horses picketed, is also built up. Just at the west end of Picadilly and only a — bove stands the large white house in which Gen. Averill had his headquarters. A little to the north of itand only a short dis- tance away is the brick building where Corbett spent the winter. _ But let us turn and walk as Sheridan almost invariably walked every morning, back east on Picadilly street from his headquarters to Main or Loudoun street, then turning, we ceed a short distance south toa brick ny ail di office. This brick building is now jewelry establishment. WHERE THE SCOUTS ASSEMBLED. Alittle farther on and adjoining the Taylor Hotel is the small brick structure in which the commissary held forth. His name escapes me, but it is hardly necessary to say that his was a very popular place of resort during that winter. The old Taylor Hotel was historic in ante-bellum days, and as historic during this eventful winter, but on up beyond it on the same street, and near to Cork street, there is an old build: ing which was then termed the “Our House. ‘This was the headquarters of the scouts com- manded by Maj. A. A. Young, and known as the “Jessie” scouts, and what a motley gang of good natured dare-devils they were! This old building had been known previous to the war as the “Massey Tavern,” and if the record of the fears expressed and tears suppressed there among the boys who came and went from and to perilous undertakings could be written it would probably make one of the most pathetic stories of the war. The act operations were of all kinds and conditions, in all sorts of disguises. The dress of the Virginia farmer; the uniform of the confederate ; the ragged and tattered clothes of the coufed: erate soldier and the regular uniform of the Union army were all mingled together, and every night found a hearty welcome to some one who had got back from away down the val- ley (often from Richmond), or gave tearful farewell to some one going out upon some hazardous expedition. Many an unfortunate sweetheart’s letter found its way back to this old tavern rather than to the soldier boy for whom it was in- tended in the army of northern Virginia. Many poor fellow left there never to return and every one who did return brought with him a fund of information and a wealth of anecdote that made the evenings always of intercst. Each of these privileged characters carried the “open sesame” to all pickets, which read: ‘Pass bearer throngh the lines at any point and re- turn. P. H. Sheridan, major general com- manding.” Leaving the “Our House” let us walk back northward on Loudoun street to Picadilly. Here on the corner we find the old stone build- ing still standing which was used as the head- quarters bakery. ‘The house is now filled with merchandise and its proprietor evidently doing prosperous business through the doors whence the headquarters boys received their bread that winter. We will continue up Picadilly to the eastward and stop at the old stone church on the hill above Kent street. CUSTER AND HIS LEGION. Looking off to the southeast there stretches away the Front Royal road, and just in sight is the flat topped brick building some three miles | oc a away where Custer had his headquarters, and around which lay the legions of cavolry. In the same direction, but very close to’ us, is Mt. Hebron cemetery, the monuments and headstones in which bore so many curious pic- tures made by the flattened bullets that haa ‘ttered against them on the eventful 19th of Beptembers Adjoining this cemetery, on ties west have grown up, side by side the two new national cemeteries, the one for the blue the other for the gray, to which the battles around this little town have furnished their popula- tion. Right along the line of Mt. Hebron, running north ind south, where Sheridan hospital was then standing, there still stands the long stone wall where she fifth Virginia made its last stub- born stand. Looking due east from our stand- point we see the “Wall House” and off to the northeast is the “Balter Mansion.” Beyond it still the stone building known as the “Roberts ”’ infront of which lies the plateau made with the fat to run or even to walk fast to his yacht, ADIPOSE AMERICA which lay in the bay. Among the extromely vayseeesons “| SiePconen! und friend of Camar, and’ Caius army in the an of r, of the enemy. The con: ‘story is to , 2 Marius, the great general and consul. 3 capkine Gon wey bad eiconfeder. | Jonathan is Now a Rival of John rg Niece leeway 3 sa taliate » cess of adipose tissue. ’ Catharine Il of Russia him for ecory) rey hee ey ooh Srestenent Bull in Bulk. became of ron , with iapors of dwaklo size, rolling chins. In this particular she resembled ‘good Queen Anne” of England, who died of obesity. According to the physicians of her time. Anne'e grossness of body was caused by her drinking hot chocolate and milk, sweetoned Some of the Causes of the Prevalence of een eect mien before sleeping. i and Fat Wite—American ‘ ee betes ey—Fat Men ‘When Too | , ¥othing fattens one more rapidly than sugar, omen meet a five ounces of which eaten daily, it is said, will Late—Sugar the Champion Fattener. increase the weight one pound a week. This is ® fact for the consideration of the lean who wish to become stout. mas pere and Saint Beuve are two more instances of fat men decidedly not fat witted. The list might be prolonged, but enough ex- amples have been cited to prove that however enervating to the physical powers obesity may become it does not necessarily diminish the intellectual activity: “Aro the fat alwars good natured? The old proverb of “laugh and grow fat” would lead us to think so, but it is not the obese who laugh so much as the lean who laugh at them. Their heavy, unwieldy forms, their waddling walk, their shortness of breath, their sufferings from heat and from the slightest fatigue have from time immemorial been considered legitimate subjects for mirth and ridicule. Even Shakespeare in his im- mortal creation of Falstaff says, “I shall think the worse of fat men.” Getta Looax. ++ —_____ SOUND VIBRATIONS IN A GLASS, nt’s battery was so placed turnpike as to be able to completely command every avenue of escape. When the} CORPULENCE INCREASING. regiment which Milroy commanded was seen passing along in the dim light of the early dawn it was mistakén by the officer in com- mand of the guns for one of their own com- mands and fire was withheld until they had passed beyond reach. It was certainly most fortunate for this regiment that the mistake was made. These fortifications commanded both the “northwest "asthe turnpike is called, which runs out toward Romney on the west, and also “that good broad highway leading down,” and over which Sheridan made his ride on the 19th day of October. It is only three miles away on this turnpike to where we see the little village of Kernstown, which like the sister city of Winchester had been the acene of many conflicts, All this section is now filled ith the hum of industry and the fields give evidence of prosperous agricultural pursuits. THE HEADQUARTERS WAGON TRAIN. Walking back down Kent street and along the railroad track to the north we come toa space which is now occupied by a large flour- ing mill and other buildings. This space was at that time an open lot containing only the ruins of an old hotel and the unoccupied brick building which had been “Ginn’s foundry.” In this old foundry the mules and horses of the quarters wagon train were stabled, and in the lot the wagons were parked. Any one who was in Winchester that winter, or attached in any way to headquarters, will remember the ambulance drawn by four white mules which carried back and forth daily the mail sent to and received from Stephenson's depot, fiv miles to the northward, which was at that time the terminus of railroad facilities in the valley. All the people of Winchester have good reason to remember both the quartermaster sergeant, Mr. Noonan, who lived to become a good and useful citizen, and Tom Wathey, the forage master, who married and settled down in that vicinity. Many a story worthy of repetition was told in Wathey’s tent during that winter regarding levies made upon sutlers’ goods (con- sidered common property) by the teamstera who hauled them from the railroad depot at along ‘Written for The Evening Star by Celia Loran. HERE IS A CERTAIN WIDELY KNOWN caricature which for at least thirty years has been accepted as typical of the proportions and personal appearances of John Bull and Brother Jonathan respectively. ‘The first fig- ure is of of a short, thickset little man with an enormous paunch supported by his corpulent limbe—that is John Ball. The second figure, that of a tall fellow, lean to emaciation, with a hatchet-shaped face and spare, pointed goatee, represents Brother Jonathan as he isno longer. With the passing of time John Bull has not altered his characteristic shape, but Jonathan has changed his until he resembles the beefy Englishman of the caricature more than the lank Yankee of yore, and Mrs. Jonathan has “plumped up” even more than her mate, 80 that while specimens of the elongated, skeleton- like Brother Jonathan may still be found among us, the true type of the “end of the century” American is more like the rotund and unwieldy John Bull than original apothecary-like Jonathan of the picture, w1 is as much out of date now as the st stripes of which his costume is composed. EVERYBODY GETTING FAT. Except the letter carrier, no class, no calling is wholly exempt from this infliction of too much flesh. From the President down to the ash man all are more or less burdened with fat. President Arthur suffered from it, #0 does Mr. Cleveland, and Pesident Harrison kee, corporosity within reasonable bounds by A Simple Experiment in Acoustics That May Be Easily Tried, From the New York World. Here is a simple and interesting little experi- ment, enabling one to trace sound vibrations in a glass of water. Take fine, thin glass, such as will give forth a musical sound if Tubbed with wet fingers around the rim. Fill it nearly full of water, and, having wiped the edges dry and smooth, place upon the rim a ¢ross made of two equal strips of thin card board (an old postal card will do for the mate- tial), with the four ends bent down at right Angles, so as to prevent its slipping off. on this stage of | da: Stephenson's to the tents or buildings occupied by the sutlers in and around the ci The old court house, which is still ‘standing, was occupied by the troops who did provost duty in the town. Its walls and ceilings gave evidence of the occupancy by soldiers of many regiments on both sides. Characters drawn in charcoal were of every conceivabledescription, and the sentiments expressed bore testimony to patriotinm and pathos from both sides of the eld. ‘The Brooklyn zouaves, with their gaudy uniform of red petticoat and fez, did duty there during most of the winter, and were as much a terror to the colored element then asis the Pennsylvania militia during an inaugura- tion celebration at Washington. Adjoining the court house yard, and now used as a place of business, is the brick build- ing used then as a guard house and later on turned into a variety theater hall by aman named Jacoby. Everybody remembers Jacoby. 4 MIMIC WAR. Who will ever forget the fighting boys of Winchester? The spirit of battle had become imbued in the youngsters left alone with mothers, aunts, grandmothers or grandfathers, and while awaiting the time to take up arms foc the souti they found it necessary to war with each other. On this subject alone @ volume of great interest could be written. ‘The lines were not more strictly drawn nor were conflicts more earnestly waged between the armies of Sheridan and Early than they were between the two contending factions of boys in Winchester. The railroad boys trolled the northern and eastern sections; the Braddock street legion the southern and west- ern portions of the town. ‘The “Railroaders,” as they called themselves, had constructed a railroad, together with a truck to run upon it, and this they guarded day and night from depredationa of the Braddock street foes. All the various methods of warfare were employed between the two factions and the conflicts at times grew to the proportions of battles more serious in their consequences than wero those between the tribes of Delaware and CatawLa Indians, held on the same grounds years and years before, Many men of today who were the boys in Winchester then must bear scars in memory of the fierce conflicts then waged. ‘The leathern sling was one style of weapon and the missiles used by the railroad party in the sling consisted of one-half of a regular rail- road rail spike broken by @ machine they had constructed for the purpose, and these pieces were sometimes heated red-hot before being thrown. { could recite stories of the conflicts between these little bands of desperadoes, which to the mind of most readers sound very Munchausen like, but suffice it to say that the regular troops had finally to be called upon to separate and disperse them. ‘The prison house of the railroad boys is worthy of description. It had been formerly known as “Chapman's ice house,” and consisted of an excavation in the earth somo twenty feet square and about thirty feet deep. ‘A Braddock street emissary found trespassing within the bounds of the “railrgad” bailiwick wns usually confined in this le, subsisting upon very limited fare for from one to three walking. the easy life, the certainty of income, ab- sence of care and constant good living in the capital are provocative of corpulence, hence the tendency of our representatives to fatten up in Washington. There are, of course, some men among them who would not fatten under any circumstances, but the majority are scaling high. Senator Allison weighs fifty pounds more than he did when he was elected. Senators Manderson and Gorman are fast becoming ver heavy weights and George Vest requires muc! more vest than he did two years ago. Leland Stanford lately spent a summer at the German springs in the hope of reducing his ponderosity. CAUSES OF CORPULENOE. So completely has thinness ceased to be typ- ical of the American that foreigners are begin- ning to wonder at and comment upon our na- tional bulk. In no other country, not even it adipose England, are there sold so many nos- trums for the reduction of corpulence as in the United States. ‘This disposition to “take on” fat, more especially in middle age, is attributa- ble to many different causes, the first of which is the drinking of beer. Next comes the con- sumption of rich,fat-forming foods,complicated with the indolence induced by luxurious living, and lastly, the lack of exercise, all of which are the direct results of our having become a rich nation. Those of us who are obliged to work hard are not prone to become obese. Now if you gently rub the outside surface of the glass with a wet finger, it will sing, or give forth a sonorous musical note. But the prin- ciple phenomenon which you are to observe in this experimentis the following: If your finger Tubs the glass below one of the ends of the cardboard strips the cross will not stir; but if. ‘on the contrary, you rub any other part of the glass, not in @ perpendicular line with one of the four ends of the cross, this latter will gently turn of its own accord until the end of the cardboard arms of the cross arrives at a Point directly above the spot where you are rubbing with your finger. Thus, by placing your whole forefinger around the middle of the Blass you can, make the cross turn at will, as if yy magic, without touching it at all. This experiment demonstrates the existence of what are called, in the science of acoustics, the nodes or knots of vibration in sonorous EASIER DONE THAN UNDONE. ies. ‘These nodes are the four points on the Onr girls, thank goodness, are still slender | rim of the glass at which the arms of the cross and willowy, but that condition, as a rule, does stop. Bice Bepicst eyetned —— fey acters : nd vibration s os outlast thats first youth. Take har Engiteh | SUa waar coneenuentiy tae tesmehenar an roaches | cardboard cross cannot rest. le age, loses her delicacy of outline, and frequently’ even before that dreaded tim reached becomes plump, and afterward by eas stages she grows little too fleshy, then deci edly stout, and finally to her horror and con- sternation she finds herself fat, absolutely and froquently abnormally fat. ‘Then there is ——_—cee_—_______ He Had a Few Grievances Himself. From the New York Tribune. “Ihave traveled on this road for fifteen years,” said the loquacious man to his neigh- bor, “‘and I never knew a train to be on time.” rush for “obesity cures,” “anti-fat remedies” | ‘The other looked out the window, maki and “reduction movements,” but, alas, the ne haar ao ie mischief 1s an “accomplished fact,” and she | ver. . ih I nut tant aitiing tat ti remember riding on this road once when See eet meets | took four hours to go seven mile,” the frst PLENTY OF FAT WOMEN. —— Toconvinee yourself that we are no longer scandalous outrage that the public a thin people go into any of our great dry a aaeaeiea be this way.” oods storos or ladies’ restaurants in the lai “ od “ Slitee! or viand'on the Corner of some fashion. | ,,80me day the people will rise in their might able street frequented by ladies, and you will and put a stop to such things. It's Just mich be obliged to admit that the number of obese jgnce as Sls thet causéd she Breach rovele- women who pass is in excess of the slim ones, He shook his head savagely and glared and these latter are almost always young. In at a brakemar. + 3 n “Pm going in town to keep an engagement stores where scales are kept they are in such : : constant ave that. the stout, shoppere_alender on ok Tiltet yen even monty Gime men seldom weigh themselves—etand around h i: in. crowd waiting their turn to use the appa- striding Adie eis ratus, whicl to be repaired every few Meese oD 3 months in consequence of being continually | 4,28¢ other shook his head, giving the first in jumped ypon by the fair and fat But notin ication that he was not deaf, Fenanrania nor uo he srt can bet you two to one that I'm half an hour an accurate idea be formed of the ponderosity eae aa of the average American woman, because when | Jat thoy the saiaetiet eed te ngnant she takes her slow and heavy footed walks eborag esc yer ent abroad the mach abused corset braces her up | Purser jerked out his wateh. and hauls her into the smallest endurable point, man, what's the trouble now’ Tide ot sale Canam eageg akitt covers a bulls. | “the brakeman did not know. tude of skin unsuspected by the looker on. In] ‘ayy 4 the Turkish bath when she stands unconeenled. |g. leant rey mor catalogs 2 yam! ve for a solitary sheet, she who runs sheeted. iled into the hot room may read that as a nation we | pe otlter occupant of the we jenopuees Se ae re ee don't want you to be late.” in addition to the ri to which corpu- ; eae lent ‘perions are subjected, and. there aro] ihe Prakeman looked at him pitsingly. many minor discomforts to be borne, the | ry man wonton, Thee taonine aed lom heavy load of flesh tobe garriod Favts companion be ely: these, the shortness of breath and inal z m ; move, quickly ara others.” Stout women are a very “hard” on all articles of clothing, whic! OBS they can seldom buy ready mad ee yAvomen are more prone to fall int> loth | tow tong?” than men, especially after they reach their| .- ES a” fortieth year. No woman can be strictly beau-| <.ng'y ny nee mms built oy tiful who answers Swift's deseription of athin| (,309,7°U don woman, a “skinny bonia, and lean;” al Weill, you're a Job.” certain’ roundness of outline enliances the sph “fy friend,” said the man of few words, in a beeaty ct Sie teenie form: The/Gimralty 49 $0 | 5 Aiea oie, “have pon an interest in this preserve the juste milieu. = , draperies Foud, ny, money invested in it, any claim In men the oft alluded to “one ounce of su- pertluous flesh” is detrimental to perfect sym- metry. The ancients not only disliked but de- rided corpulence, and the Franks inflicted a fine upon their young men who grew too stout to encircle their waists with a band of a speci fied length. It also rendered them ineligible for military service. Thus, to become larger than the legal measurement was looked upon as the decline of youth and beauty; therefore every one tried to squeeze their waints into the regulation band, and to this custom the Freneh corset is said to owe its origin. ‘Tho Spartans punished their soldiers for becoming corp mt and reduced obese children by rigid fast- ing, understanding better than we of the nine- teenth century do that fat children cannot withstand disease as well as thin children. ‘The Greeks and Russians professed the most pro- found contempt for corpulent persons. At tho Toman festival of Bacchus gront fun was mato vs A GRAND REVIEW. Sheridan's grand review before he started down the valley in March, 1864, was probably one of the mos: imposing spectacles aside from the grand review at Washington that ever oc- curred in the history of the army. On the broad plateau before mentioned, along to the northwest of the town, was drawn up in array all the cavalry of the iniddle military division, including the troops of Custer, Averill, Cor- bett and others: ail the horses, sleck and fat, the men well clothed and well’ equipped, the very best of camp equipage supplied.” It was an imposing spectacle, and two days after this review when they passed out through the town and down the turnpike toward Cedar Creek it looked to be an array of men that should prove invincible. ‘The sixth and nineteenth corps of infantry rivaled the cavalry in appearance and Sheridan had indeed a great army. ‘The struggle was then to be brief as was shortly proven, But that body of cavalry was in condition then to have penetrated to the Gulf of Mexico, if neces- sary. ” was the reply. My friend, Ihave had three crops of hay burned_by sparks from locomotives on this road. Ihave had three Jersey cows anda horse worth $1,000 ran down and killed by trains. I was smashed in a collision once and stayed in a hospital for ve months.” ell!” gasped the first er. Sent) a ener the first train ran over it and I have never had a cent of dividends out of it. I wear a corkleg since the accident. I have seven acres of fine hay land which I never touch. I don’t dare raise any cattle. Ican't get any ineurance on my life. My dear friend, you ought to thank your stars that you are eo fortunate.” anger,” said the othi don,” and then t THE END OF HOSTILITIES. Iwill never forget the effect upon the Win- chester community, both the home population and the soldiers lying in and around it, made by the news of Lee's surrender. This news was received at midnight. and the drums of every camp beat the long roll. The soldiers who sprang to arms and the people who heard the familiar sound expected anything else but the news that came. It waa decided that the little city should be illuminated in honor of the n, and the commissary department was called upon to furnish candles. Rardless of the wishes of the occupant the windows of almost every house were filled with numerous burning candles, and the town put on an | of the fat Silenus. appearance of rejoicing which was not felt by | |'The physicians of antiquity treated fat as a any manner of means by a majority of those | disease, and were at least as; householders. Then came the news of Lincoln's | duction” processes assassination, and the rejoicing was turned to | present day. In grief. The effect of this news upon the public mind has been fully expressed as regards many communities, but it is safe to say that at no lace within the United States would it have been more unsafe for any one to utter a word in detriment to the memory of President Lin- coln than in the town of Winchester within forty-eight hours after the news had receit Your Uncie Samu From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. ‘There was a time when we looked something like this: as are the doctors of the n addition to employing mostof our anti-corpulent cures the ancie: doctors resorted to bleeding. ris FAT MEN AND FAT wits. ‘From Life, in fat bodies. lee gaoeieeh elolonea eat E H nivel ON A How the Great Tragedian Runs the REMAINS OF BOOTH’S THEATER How thé Great Tragedian Had a Reminder of Former Times—The Rialto and Its Frequent- ere—Made to Move On—The Countryman at the Dime Museum—How He Was Appeased. Correspondence of The Evening Star. WIN: done no acting this week, has nevertheless thing or two worth mentioning. He is living in the semi-seclusion of his rooms at the | rs’ Club, next door to the beautiful resi- dence of the late Samuel J. Tilden, over in Gram- done erey Park. low. than Prine, “But I ofit h how bitter costliest and most ambitious under: “Well, T said Booth, “until Brander Matthews took me farce last night at the Park Theater. What he meant by that is worth explaining, by way of illustration of the peculiar fortunes | to see and misfortunes which ness leads to. Nothing finer has ever been done in American theatricals than the erection | of Booth’s Theater and the Shakespearean pro- ductions therein. The supporting company | included such actors as Lawrence Barrett, E. L. Davenport, Edwin Adams and others almost equally famous. ‘The scenery and costumes were perfection. money taken at the doors was not in a right ratio to the critical admiration and Booti was bankrupted. The theater was sold by auction to James came a convict. ‘Then the outfit of the stage and auditorium were bought by Hyde & Beh- man, a Brooklyn firm of variety showmen, who | paid only $500 for what had cost many thou- sands, gain, looked about hastily for something profit- | able’ to do with the material. and 35th street was an aquarium that had re- failed. W.C.Coup,a rich partner of the late Barndm, had grown tired losing mone; in it and had shutit up. This place was leased b: the Brooklyn men at a very moderate rental, | consideri stage and auditorium as it would hold. The result was curious architecturally. The height was about half that of the demolished house, and so the squatted down and only the lower boxes util- i The parquet level held all the chairs easily enough, and above this was placed intact the first gallery: be alerel with the point where the upper gallery shoul: have been placed and so it hnd ‘The general result was that of a massive and handsome cane or something had blown off the upper half and the remainder had been newly roofed in. But it was a success financially. A theater of good capacity was produced at a cost to the per year of not more than $10,000 right in a neighborhood where other theaters rent for $30,000 to $40,000. making a fortune out of bankruptey. recognition of the maltreated architecture that had caused Booth has stirred up a great ado among the owners actors this win and Maurice Barrymore become members of the Players’ Clu these actors escaped actual blackballing through the hasty withdrawal of their names from eandidacy, the less posit 5 embers of the club drop into the prem- | ises, he goes down stairsand sits with them. He can hardly be said to chat, because his words are fewand merely responsive. The property of the extinet Booth Theater has just been sold for $1,000,000. That is an enormous sum, and was paid by a big dry goods firm, who will oc- cupy @ goodly portion of the building for an | immense store. The old and beautiful theater Was taken down about ten years ago, and in its Place a commercial edifice erected. “Now you see,” said a friend to Booth, as they sat at the club, “if you had retained that | Piece of real estate you would have more Fecouped ali your losses in the enter- The tragedian assented to that, for it was an assertion based upon the fact that his total in- vestment had been only about half a million. jong ago,” = abnormally popular. A deputation of dignities gentlemen calle: upon the et of the beer garden where she - D OFF THE STAGE fi many vill be bresent/”” asked the stolid German, in measured and dceply guttural tones. bout five thousand,” was the reply. ell, shentlemen,” said the practical man the dusky Spaniard’s In . “ot fifdy cents a heads dot makes ve hundred tollars. She may gome Players’ Club, He would make no other price and she wasn't hired. An old man whose suburban wh shoddy «tore from far boy some excitement in a Bowery dime ma-« He was standing in front of the placid fat ia when he turned and addressed every one with hearing with a series of remarks that sj consternation on all sides. See here,” he cried, place, an’ now Pm ge New Yor, April 24, 1891. ve been all over this BOOTH, ALTHOUGH HE HAS in” ter apeak right out what I think of ve. dog-faced man mt look no more like a dog than he does like « meetin’ house: yer Albinos ain't got bh white > hull Simpeon family yer snake charmer ain't got a snak kin arm, half as fat as farm ter our'n. I m Watkins that lives the next _ Yer big picters outside is deloosion ai Imight a gone out an said nuthin’ if it warn't fer this fat woman, but I won't low yer ter impose upon me ter this extent. Yer picter of this Indy is as big as the front of » 3 hull buildin’, and now here — onl we girl with the dro tell ve Tw. ie rots do about i consekences of legal action? The countryman gazed with flashing eyes about the room and the people preset changed glances of ast f he fatlady bridled with indign and looked for moral support to the living skeleton, who seemed angrr enongh to do bodily harm to the radical rural lecture: x a know, you old chump,” said that I weigh over three hundred nd this is the first time in all my eo: ith the profession that I have bee How dare you come in bere and ening, if some congenial fel- Now, what ye goi oney or stan’ the Ppose you're glad to have seen the last ¢ friend continued, knowing | Was the actor's recollection of his king. ink I had seen the last of it,” “Ye don’tneither weigh more’n three hundred Pods.” anapy ryman, turning his attention gots porker athome don’t weight that, an’ hes bigger ‘2 you. an’ Tl bet ye on it. An’ ‘a did part what th ye ye ain't no bigger n ride bareback an’ jump a fence if she wants ter without doin’ harm ter herself. Ye ain't what ain't gettin’ money worth the amusement busi- urbance was about. wart of the countr d,and he proceeded to apologize f the severity of his langua “Never mind, little girl,” he said, “I didn't mean ter hurt yer f Come ter look at ye, air summat big; 1's st ter the big picter made ye seem kinder small. Don’t ery. Fm sorry an’ 1 don't want my money back. Air ye sellin’ these Photographs of yerslf? Let's see ‘em. I'll But, somehow or other, the Fish, the bank president, who be- | jee men, having made such a bar- | eof the fat lady came out lyme od at once and she evinced the Breatest interest in exhibiting to the count man her collection of photographs. The pro- | prietor of the muscum lingered long enough to see that peace was fully restored and then went out to his office, observing to the ticket taker as he went that “if the jay hadn't pulled out wh id he'd a got the razoo out inter the y." The countryman left the place » firm friend of the fat lady's, subdued by her tears and flattered by her elaborate smiles. bitanboe nd A Street Sweeper of "91. the value of the site. They fitted | interior with as much of the Booth | gorgeous proscenium arch had to be but the roof wason a level wud to be omitted. theater, looking as though a hurri- So Hyde & Behman are e debris of Bouth’s Tt was a visit to this house and Booth to make the remark quoted. week by refusing to let Nat C. Good- It is true that both but the exclusion was none by the personal wish of the great Ameri tragedian. club house. He gives the use of ors, but not the prop: Booth stil n owns the handsome to the play- torship, and his word is law in the management of Booth organized the Players’ Club asa resort for men in dee; with | th rare library has been started, numerous relics of the draina have been collected and the ver: place tions of the theater. actors, managers and admirers of the stage are welcome there. and it has been carried out rigudly. “Now,” said a member of the directory, “who will say’ that ial with us here: actors, but, to vivial for us. air of the cong tlemen for names would surprise you, perhaps.” Its true enongh that Goodwin and Barry- more, while excessively popular personally with our moneyed and jovial town rounders, would find no pleasure at the Players’ Club unless they were permitted to introduce the fun of the Rialt Spring time usually peoples the Rialto with actors just through with their season's tours. The place used to be down in Union Square. Now it is in Broadway betw streets, and today the police are enforcing an order calculated to banish theactors from accustomed outdoor resort. ‘The captain of the precinct has detailed two officers to the duty of making loiterers on the Some of the actors protest their in others try to laugh good-naturedly compelled to obey or be arrested. ways of the numerous dramatic managers’ offices are full of theatrical people, not a few actresses being mixed in among the But the doorsill is a sort of dead-line, outside of which they are not permitted to stand for a spinnin. This sction on the rt e is due storekeepers, who find that the histrionic oon men. posed of pers. Thus once more sordid trade outrages professional feeling ! man whose ex] nearly if not quite all the details of the comic opera and buri what became of all the ok plied: **Why, my friend, they stay in the chorus, A him of cou said the abdon ra ourse.’ “Well, they do get too old to go on at last,” questioner. becomes of the absolutely decrepit? “You've got me,” replied the theatrical man. “Perhaps they retire on their fortunes. I never knew but one chorus on the stage. sung in my companies for about twenty-five art and literature of the stage. Edison Pi at Mow. Edison, the electrician, knows more about pabuium than he knew in other times. A few Years ago, when wholly absorbed with his | electrical experiments, he could hardly be in- duced to eat enough to keep himself goin he could not spend thetime f hungry. The only way he could be made to | take rishment was by leaving | tempting all over his laboratory Jand his on his gwork table, side his 8 redolent with the best trad None but scholarly ‘hat was the original plan jodwin and Barrymore could ti They are excellent put it plainly. they are too con- Ve have rejected dozens of gen- the same reason. A list of the ile r, he would snack of pie, or while engaged in pon- indulge in some fruit, or 2 something else, For years “the wizard of Menlo Park” was thus negligent of himself. But, within the past five years, he has changed all that and now does his duty, at the table, though he en 26th and 32d | the mysteries of elec fms sore The Depth of Meanness, Fron the New Vork Herald. When I met my friend A. Colde the other afternoon he had a curiously disgusted ex- pression upon his face, quite unusual with that ordinarily light hearted and merry young man. “Well, what's the trouble now?" I queried in my kindest tone. “Trouble! Do you remember my uncle Grated?” “Why, yes. Delightful old gentleman.” “Deliglitful! Why he’ blim, bum, blamed meanest man that ever bad an ingrow- ing toe nail while ing through this vale of tears. “Wherefore?” “He's just dead. When he was in health once he made me his sole heir. Gave me all he had in the world, $2,500 in cold “You oughtn't to kick, he—" “Wait. ‘There was one proviso. I was to Day him, €500 a year as long as be lived.” “Well, talk about mean men, that old skin- flint went and lived just five - Colde hurried establishment to fora coffin. eit al tio, all are he door- agencies and ito mo groups, often com- ns rather loud in speech and tends to drive away feminine shop- must have taught we stage was asked chorus girls. He re- iow, what irl who too old to pepe ky it was very difficult to tell But she used to Hel