THEATRES, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY. 153 



praises and names appear in big letters and they are the 

 heroes of the day. 



Of course these institutions are supported by many 

 philanthropists, and gifts of all descriptions are occasionally 

 sent to them. They are very useful bodies of men, and it 

 is considered a great honour to belong to one of them. 



Of places of amusement, there are about forty between 

 Theatres, Music Halls, Hippodromes and others, the princi- 

 pal being the Grand Opera House, Fifth Avenue, Lyceum, 

 Metropolitan, Olympia, Niblo's Theatres, etc. The Niblo's 

 Theatre is attached to the Metropolitan Hotel, so that you 

 can go from one to the other without going out. The last 

 time that I was in New York, I went there and saw a very good 

 comedy, entitled " Our Poor ; or the Poor of New York." 



It is needless to say that Americans are very fond of 

 theatres, and they manage to attract in their country all the 

 artistic stars, which they pay liberally. Patti, Irving, and 

 many other artistic celebrities have made long stays in the 

 United States. Americans are also very fond of lectures, 

 and a good lecturer is certain to make a rich harvest. 



One of those who has been very successful that way is 

 the celebrated du Chaillu, the well-known African Explorer. 



They are also great readers of newspapers, and all sorts 

 of literary works. The large number of daily, weekly, and 

 monthly papers that are printed in the United States is quite 

 astonishing. In New York alone they exceed one hundred, 

 among which are the well-known Evening Post, the Daily 

 Express, the Daily Tribune, Daily Times, Daily Sun, and 

 the famous New York Herald, so well-known in Europe 

 since Mr. Bennett, regardless of cost, sent Stanley in Africa 

 with the special mission of finding the great Livingstone. 



As to Commerce and Industry I shall say little, because 

 it is a well-known fact that that it is so enormous, that all the 

 other nations do not know what to do to keep their supremacy. 

 The Americans are so industrious, and so quick in finding the 

 merit and utility of new inventions, that no time is lost in the 

 manufacture of new machines and their application to 

 industry, and they will soon contend successfully with 

 similar articles of European make. Even at this moment 

 Paris and London stores are crowded with American machines 

 of all descriptions. As to natural products, Europe would 

 famish if it were not for the corn sent from that country. 



Cotton, sugar, pork, meat, are amongst the principal 

 articles of exportation. In consequence of its great area 



