The supernumeraries, with their blackened faces, and the Indians with their tattoo marks, caused a great sensation at the railway station on the return journey, as there was no time to think of washing them. We only reached New York the next morning at six o'clock, when again the early morning public were startled by the arrival of these sable gentry under a blazing sun.
We remained in New York for further representations, when I revived Verdi's Ernani, Don Giovanni, Huguenots, etc.
CHAPTER XVIII.
I ENGAGE PATTI—MY MILITARY EXPERIENCE—INFLUENCING ELECTORS—OPERATIC JOINT STOCK COMPANY—OBJECTIONS TO ENGLISH MONOPOLY—PATTI IN NEW YORK.
ABOUT this time I set to work for the purpose of engaging Adelina Patti for my ensuing season, and sent a letter to all the 200 stockholders of the Academy (who occupied free seats) to know what amount they would contribute towards the accomplishment of my object. Mr. Pierre Lorillard wrote to me that in case I should be short he would donate 1,000 dollars beyond the amount he then contributed should Patti sing at the Academy the next winter. I replied that I simply required each stockholder to contribute three dollars a seat for the Patti nights in order to aid me in carrying out this much-desired engagement.
I regret to say that many of the stockholders sent me no response whatever. Others destroyed the value of their consent by adding that it was only to be given if all the other shareholders agreed to do the same.
Another great difficulty presented itself. I was called upon to deposit no less than £11,000 at Belmont's bank as caution money on the signing of the contract. This difficulty I ultimately got over through the kindness of August Belmont, who guaranteed Mdme. Patti's deposit, I at the same time assigning to Mr. Belmont the whole of my subscriptions. The agreement with Mdme. Patti was, therefore, duly signed.
The conclusion of this contract made a great sensation. When it became known that Mdme. Patti was to return the following season, numbers of applications were made for subscriptions, although it was six months before the opening.
About this time the building of the new Metropolitan Opera-house had been resumed in earnest, in order that it might be completed by the following spring.
The season shortly afterwards closed with the benefits of the various singers, I taking the last night, when I gave acts of four different operas, namely, Faust, Daughter of the Regiment, Ruy Blas, and Africaine, with a new ballet.