| Show TELEGRAPfllC NEWS Pattis Prices Chicago 17lIhe Tribune In the early days of California when gold dust was as plenty as flour when miners flocked to the diggings and bum up mushroom towns they felt the need of musical amusements and held out inducements in-ducements to sterling singers and to players to visit them They were a happy people for they regulated their own amusements They had unique ways always based on canons of art and were absolutely free l hey had equally unique ways of regulating the compensation paid to artists and stars who entertained them There was no discrimination in the price paid for seats no cS nights They knew beforehand before-hand just what was to be performed and who was to sing There were no season sales or speculation of tickets or deceptive decep-tive matinees no prices of admission The miners went in and took any seats that were vacant If a diva did not please them they simply rose and requested re-quested her to vamose the ranche If she did please them they showered their dust upon the stage If she were a I great success gold eagles and halves and quarters of gold and Mexican dollars dol-lars rattled merilly upon the boards The legitimate diva had no reason to regret her engagement The humbug bad Things are done differently new The audience does not propel its generosity generos-ity to the stage nor measure its compensation compen-sation by the delight afforded It buys guod bad and indifferent in a lump and often purchase its pig in a very blind I poke When it goes to hear Patti sing I through her four acts of opera it metaphorically meta-phorically passes the hat around in each extract and collects 1100 regardless of whether she has been upon the stage tan minutes any other monopolist = charges her own price for the comer She has on a few notes of a certain style The Tribune finds fault with the public for paying such a price as is charged by this operatic bull on the market for her cornered commodities com-modities It |
