MAIL ITEMS.

Evening Star, Issue 4123, 15 May 1876, Page 4

MAIL ITEMS.

AN INTERESTING TRIAL having a - direct bearing on the great skilled labor question has taken place at Messrs Ransome and Co.’s works, Chelsea. A complete set of patent automatic machines for nmking beer and wine casks Without tbe aid or skilled labor, were exhibited at work before a large number, of master coopers and members of thd Press. The merit of the machines is not only rapidity, but casks can be - turned; out by their, aid at less than half the-cost fer labor. When it is stated that one. of these machines, when worked by a lad, will joint in the most perfect manner six staves in a minute, while another will turn, level, and oval a head with mathematical accuracy in less than a minute, the great economy , effected will be 6nce apparent.' 1 Great satisfaction was expressed at exhibition. A BALL ©’OPERA IN PARIS. 'On Shrove Saturday the doors of the Grand Opera were thrown open for the only masked ball'‘that has been given there this yfeaE Prices of admission were double what they used td be in the old jovial days, or rather nights, of the Rue Le Peletier, and

theconseguence naturally followed that the i assemblage was rather more select. But this 1 Improvement in the. social status o£ .those present did not tell in favor of the hilarity ( of the entertainment. Still,' the brilliancy | of the scene compensated in a great degree I for the absence of that “roaring fun ” that was the great characteristic of a masked ball when given in the old Opera House, There was not,-on the present occasion, such a preponderance of black coats as rendered a similar festivity in the same buildii .g last year almost sombre; but, unfortunately, the' .director was economical of his r - in many parts of the house, •a as in the Corridors, and this - laU y acted - . as a check to gaiety. had been boarded over level w’"' pit and the latter was formed .»■ it; h the stage,by a roof of crimson and • a ball-room ings, and by walls of ir' - white satin hangwas placed the orch- -drror.. At the back ship of a r - dstra > hhder the leaderCO b’ if the liveliness of the apt.- 4.v,„ p impart animation to the . - ae . r jal de I’Opera of 1876 would not <Tv 666 surpassed by the m diablee dance ef . the 0 f Kirk Alloway. The public allowed to pass, behind the orchestra, and could look down into the ballet dancers’ foyer or greenroom, a charming saloon which was transformed for the nonce into a veritable flower garden, the whole floor being massed thick with rare plants and beautiful

blossoms —-a most delicious sight. The doors were opened as usual at midnight, but it was quite, one o’clock before the aspect of the immense building really became festive. Half-an-hour later the file was at its height, and the scene most fairy-like. In the theatre Itself the boxes on every tier were tilled by femmes du mo de, closely masked and muffled. They looked down with curiosity on the diversified and animated picture beneath, where crowds of “characters ” —most of them paid for their absurd antics —were manufacturing amusement for the benefit of the. on-lookers. One opera ball is very like another in these respects, but nowhere in the world could so gorgeous a building be found for such an entertainment as the new Paris Opera House. The dazzling foyer was not, strange to say, by any means much crowded at any time during the evening, and the elegant marble staircase seemed to he the general rendezvous for* ; all. those intrigues with which such occasions abound. Still one felt that tbe company ;was too select to be, jovial. The men seemed starched and solemn. They knew not what eyes might be closely watching, them ffom under the folds of Spanish' mantillas and domino-hoods, and were consequently on their “ good, behaviour. ” ’ The’ fashionable ladies could not conceal their, rank and bVeeding under the most ample dominos cr.

of lace mufflings, and a-glance ai^^coii^^jr ( darii)g > tlie • first two hours stowed mkfenlrnes du monde predominated. Actresses and cbcotes there were in plenty, Iwfrthese representatives of the demi mnn e were among the notabilities of their order, and could not condescend to any rollicksome exuberance of gaiety. In fact, they were apeing their betters. For these reasons there fcwaa little or no fun. The ladies’ toilettes were on the whole sombre. Very few fancy costumes that could be called really pretty, and to the five or six hundred

paid dancers seemed to be left the duty of furnishing all the kaleidoscopic waifs of color indispensable to make up the brilliancy of a masked ball. The ladies generally wore black. There was not a uniform visible. Still, in spite of the decorum, the ball was a splendid sight, and enjoyable enough for a couple of hours. Most of the fashionable people had disappeared before three, and then champagne began to flow and there was more noise and rattle. But at no time during the night could I perceive any signs of that amusing intrigue and genuine merriment to which we were accustomed at the old balls, consequently I have hot an incident to relate that would bear transmission across the equator. As a financial success the entertainment was remarkable, M. Halanzier, the director, having netted over L 3,000; so that probably next year the opera-balls will, as formerly, take place weekly during Carnival, and not at intervals of twelve months or so.