The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, December 11, 1908, Image 7

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    cntortnlned bohotnln, whore It Is com
monly snld Hint her lively personality
was first developed In lier "Wild Hoso"
days.
But tlio most famous of nil the
young women who bloomed upon tho
"Wild Hobo" bush Is Evelyn Nesblt
Thaw. It was not a boautlful (lower
thnt grow from her connection with
Hint compnny. Wood and shnmo woro
on Its petals, sorrow nnd dishonor nto
out Its henrt. While, posing behind the
footlights of tho Knickerbocker Evelyn
Nesblt Required tho fascinating wiles
which since hnve sent ono mnn to his
grave nnd another to a madhouse, for
It was In those days that sho formed
tho acquaintance with Stanford Whlto,
Wild Hose" company l olden-haired
actress met Its librettist, Hnrry H,
Smith, whoso prolific pen has produced
numerous successful musical com
odles. He was mnrrled nnd so wns
she, but the divorce mills obligingly
ground out tho desired decrees, nnd
wedding bells scon told the world
thnt the mystic "Wild Itoso" had uni
ted its lending Indy and Its composer
Ada Lonsdale and Elklns.
Last hut not lenst comes Ada Loulso
Lonsdale, who recently Rlnrtlcd not
only Washington nnd Now York but
Italy as well by bringing n $100,000
breach of promise suit against lllnlno
Elklns, son of tho Virginia senator nnd
brother of tho reported flnnceo of tho
Did Fate Ever Play Such Pranks
with Any Group of Young Women
as with Gay Garden of Beauty
in This Curiously Famous
Stage Piece?
THE TROUBLES
AND ROMANCES
OF A WILD ROSE
mm Chma cm
iuiut ii ill iwmi iiiiwiiiiiiiiBwMmMMaBnBiMMawMWBgW
N
EW YORK. Tho marriage
of Edna Goodrich nnd Nnt
Goodwin, while still tho
echoes of Ada Lo.iise
Lonsdale's breach of
nromlso mill ncil-iut
Dlnlno Elklns were rovorberatlng
through the theatrical world, recalls In
a rather startling way tho production
of "The Wild Hobo" ut tho Knicker
bocker theater in 1002. For it ndds
ono moro to the strnngo blossoms in
thnt garden of romances, tragedies
nnd scandals which has grown up
uround the'moii nnd women of "Tho
Wild Hoso" production.
It sconis ns If soino fatality must
havo hung over that company of ac
tors and nctresses, nnd thnt It has pur
sued them Inexorably ever slnco those
days when they were first nss?mbled
together. True, n few of tho romances
havo the pure lint nnd the sweet savor
of tho "wild roso" from which they
sprang, but they aro rare bright spots
In a wild, rank gnrden, In which thero
aro fow roses thnt havo not a canker
worm In their heart.
A wonderful human roso bush wns
that production, and blossom after
blossom hns since bomo fruit In dra
mas of renl lire. Evelyn Nesblt Thaw
tho theater-going world snw her at
her prettiest there; May Mackenzie,
Ada Loulso Lonsdale, Mazlo Toilette,
Edna Goodrich, llnttlo Forsytho, Mar
guerite Clnrk and Irene llontley enn
you picture fairer blossoms from a liv
ing American Heauty roso bush? And
gardener of that pnrtorre, tho manager
of this aggregation of charming wom
en George W. Lederer even he roll
under tho spell which marked "Tho
Wild Hoso" as tho bush from which
grow matrimony, dlvorco nnd, some
times, tho trail of sin which In moro
thnn ono instance led to criminal
courts.
Made Trouble for Manager.
Angered by the attentions paid by
her husband to the chorus girls of tho
comic opera, Mrs. Lederer sued him
& Lome -lo6Mr
for divorce, naming Evolyn Thaw as
ono of tho co-respondents.
Some nlno years previously Adolo
Itlco. a Baltimore beauty of note, had
Html lud Manhattan and southern thea
trical circles by marrying tho theatri
cal mnnagor, George W. Ledorer, a row
hours nfter his release from former
marital fottors. For many years tho
LedororB safely sailed tht- domestic
sens, steering clear of mntrlmonlal
breakers In tho form of chorus girls.
Whllo Mrs, Lederer managed matri
mony. Mr. Ledorer managed ninny n
musical show. Chorus girls would
como and chorus girls would go, as far
as Georgo Lodotor wan concerned,
until ho found himself toudlng this
"Wild Hoso" bush and was bewitched
by the spoil of its uncanny bounty.
The world nt large" was not long In
learning that tho manager of tho suc
cessful musical comedy had fallen a
victim to tho strange Influence exor
cised by "The Wild Hoso" nnd through
his connection with It had earned only
a divorce dpcrce, says tho Now York
World.
Praised by Stanford Whl.te.
The brunette beauty of Edna Good
rich wns ono of tho richest blossoms of
"Tho Wild Hose," ami whllo In thnt
compnny sho attracted tho attention
of tho fnnious nrchitect, Stnnford
White. Ho wns a good Judgo of roses
and he spread tho fnmo of tho beauty.
From the ranks or show girls Edna
Goodrich was soon plucked by Nat
Goodwin, who wore her, ns It were, In
Ids buttonhole us n leading lady. Thoso
who went to the theater to scoff re
mnlned If not to pray at least to
gasp nt the beauty or this leading lndy
who had tripped tho light fnntnstlc In
"The Wild Hose."
Not content with becoming a lead
ing lady, Edna Goodrich ngnln stepped
into tho international spotlight by
playing tho leading part In u trlangu
lnr love nffalr. Whllo buying a trous
seau In Paris at the closo of the last
theatrical season, presumably to be
come tho brldo of a mllllonnlro mine
owner named McMillan, tho ox-chorus
girl led Nnt Goodwin a lovo chase
from Paris to San Francisco. Tho
world looked, laughed nnd gasped
again when with perfect equanimity
the Ilcklo foot light lady broke her en
gugcnient to tho man of the mines nt
tho same tlmo that tho noted comedi
an was divorced from America's most
benutlful iictress, Maxlno Elliott. Nat
Goodwin nnd Miss Goodrich woro mar
rlcd and, prcsuinnbly, tho former show
girl Is blessing "Tho Wild Hoso" bush
rrom which she bloomed Into fnmo and
fortune.
Beautiful Mazle Follette.
Tho effervescent spirits of Mazlo
Follette, who now occupies nn acknowl
edged position In tho gay world, at
tracted masculine nttcntlon when first
if i
she Hhono in "Tho Wild Hoso" com
pany. By tho bouquet of beauties who
were destined to win notorloty or fame
Mazlo Follette was looked upon as a
gonial, joyous young thing, nnd her
rare good spirits led her Into many a
do rill? escapade. Even ns nn obscure
clionn; girl sho acquired fame, for her
nimblenes and grace and Inability to
make her eyes hehavo brought hor
quickly to tho front. From bolng an
obscuro bud In tho chorus of "Tho
Wild Hose," sho has blossomed out
Into the position of dansouse. Sho
cinno conspicuously Into tho limelight
when at tho fanioiiB Thaw trial It was
reported that sho had turned ngalnst
her erstwhile chum nnd was threaten
ing to aid tho prosocutlon by tolling
nil sho know. Slnco then Mazlo Fol
lotto's hilarious eacapadoa havo ofton
which led ut last to his shooting by
Harry Thaw.
Stood by Evelyn Nesblt.
Standing In tho light of reflected no
toriety Is May Mackenzlo, tho chorus
girl chum of Evelyn Nesblt, who occu
pied a prominent place at tho Thaw
trial as the dally companion and
stnnch friend of tho defendant's wife.
For tho sake of tho "Wild Hoso" days,
when tho two shnred tho same Hp pen
cil nnd borrowed ench other's powdor
puff, May Mackenzlo unconcernedly
braved notoriety to lighten tho dark
hours in tho llfo of her atlllctcd friend.
Her nunio wns on every lip, her jaun
ty appearance causing utmost ns much
comment as that of tho "angel child."
And ngnln this sprightly llttlo per
son has appropriated the limelight,
now being hulled ns the possessor of
tho "wickedest oyes In Now York."
Not thnt May Mackenzie really likes
to havo her orbs thought nnughty.
Dear me, no! It's dreadfully distres
sing, because, as she plaintively ex
plains, "I can't Just mnko my oyes be
have." Hut by metropolitan theater
goers It Ik readily renicnibored that
In the "Wild Hoso" days thoso eyes
were not of the unmuungeublo brand,
nnd It Is only slnco sho budded in Hint
garden of scandal t hut May Macken
zie's optical organs hnvo become tho
"wickedest In nil Now York."
A llttlo wisp of n girl, with n tiny
face, enormous eyes nnd a lithe figure
Incused In a cadet uniform, sung u sol
dier song in "The Wild Hoso" nnd
cuught tho public's fleeting fancy. Sho
wns Marguerite Clark, the dainty
comedienne whose clilld-IIko charm
has endeared her to tho hearts of
theater-goers. Before her advent In
The Wild Hoso" tho youthful actress
had appeared in several road compa
nies whobo tours lnvnrlnbly ended dis
astrously, but onco under tho pecullnr
charm of that rose-garden, fame gave
tho llttlo girl a helping hand, which
she found to hold fortune as well.
The small petnls of tho inconspicuous
.--oubrotto "have grown Into tho full
bloom of n musical comedy star, nnd
who shnll say that "The Wild Hoso"
was not Instrumental In Marguorlto
Clark's success?
Left the Stage's Glitter.
Success, but of a slightly different
kind, has crowned tho career of Ilaltlo
Forsytho, whose charms havo hecomo
tho toast of Paris, London nnd Now
York. Slnco her nppenranco us a show
girl in "Tho Wild Hose" llnttlo For
sylho's rlso has been rapid and radiant
and her brilliant beauty has not shone
behind tho footlights for several years
Instead Palm Beach, Paris and the
Hlvlera havo gaped at the gowns anil
Jewels or the former show gird, who
has won admiring attention or Russian
princes, Italian counts nnd rich Ameri
cans. To Hovorul persons or high de
gree Miss Forsytho'H engagement has
boon rumored, and it Is roported Hint
hor latest nsslduoiiH ndmlrer Is a
young son or tho Plillndelpliln Drox
els. Though Hymen lias Hum far failed
to ensnnro Hutllo Forsytho, Irono
llontley linn boon busy changing part
ners In tho matrimonial bouqiiot.
Whllo playing u loading rolo in "Tho
nuke of the Abruzzl. To "The Wild
Hoso" must bo credited this latost sen
sutlon, for It was while playing n mi
nor part In that plcco that the young
nctress, who bolongcd to a good rnmlly
or Memphis, Tenn., first beenmo Inter
ested In Dlnlno Elklns, then a college
youth. When on .Innunry 28 laHt young
Elklns eloped nnd murrled tho daugh
tor or tho late Senator Kennn nothing
was heard rrom his former sweothonrt,
Ada Louise Lonsdale. Howover, sho
chose a psychological moment when
the uuuoimcement or another interna
tional engagement wns expected, and
startled tho world at largo by tho
$100,000 suit. But tlio suit is mild to
hnvo been dropped.
When Miss Ionsdnlo recently dlsup
poured the tongues or tho gossips woro
let loose nnd they begun counting up
the sensations thnt hnvo nlroudy
bloomed rrom that "Wild Hoso" hush.
OBSEQUIES OF PRINCE DAVID.
How an American Royalty Received a
State Funeral.
Tho recent death of Prlnco David,
heir presumptive of tho old lino of
Hnwnllan kings, nnd tho brother of
Prince Jonnh, tho present delogato at
Washington, wns nn event or grent
Interest In Hawaii, says tho Youth's
Companion.
Never before, surely, was a state
funeral accorded by ordor of the
United States to a person of royal
blood resident within tho national do
main. 'I'he native llawallaus, still deeply
attached to the ancient dynasty, found
grout sntlsfnctlon In tho honor; nnd
the state fuuurul or an Aiuorlcnu sub
ject became In nil Its detnlls tho roynl
funeral or u Hawaiian sovereign.
The body of Prlnco David lay In
stnte In Honolulu. At midnight, with
no light, tho colllu with nil tho royal
regalia was borne to (ho throneroom.
The approaches to tho capltol were
guarded by the mllltla, nnd nil dny
long u continuous procession of nil
natlonnlltles poured In nt ono door
inn out ut another.
The room Is bountiful nnd It wns
filled with wonderous kahilis tho
"fpather trees," permitted only to roy
ulty, graceful, foiintalnllko iiiubhos of
feathers, thousands in onch kahili.
and la all exquisite and vivid tints of
tropic plumago; soino nil scarlet,
some white, soino lavender, somo yel
low nnd some brown.
Over tho blur of the dead prlnco lay
n priceless groat feathor robe, soil and
glowing, of yellow touched with scar
let. By his sldo stood native Ha-
wnlliuiB, in deop black, with shoulder
capes or yellow rcathors and black
and whllo 'kahlllB; they woro as mo
I tailless us bronzo stntuoH. Beyond
them woro moro guards, thou u lino
or mourning women or roynl blood.
At tho end or tho room woro flowers,
loved or Jlawallans.
In the deep recess or n window woro
groupod the chanters, reciting aloud
tho deeds or tho prince's nncostors
and walling for his death "a sound.'
says ono who was there, "to mnko
'ho creep run iIqwii one apluo."
PHA? Oft irt: Atr OFTi dN
ciyrov, chinam oreat e
COMMERCIAL CITY
A cynic has said that our mliidfl nro
ruled by catch-words, and thero la
certainly this amount or truth In tho
statement, Hint oho'b mental imago or
a placo Is usually based upon some
telling phrase which has stuck, onco
heard, in the memory, nnd become In
separably associated, rightly or wrong
ly, with the locality to which It os
tensibly rcrers.
Tho Greenland or my fnncy, thanks
to u mind exceedingly retentive of
childish lessons, hns for Kb natural
reatures Icy mountains and very llttlo
else. Thnt a coral Btrand, ot a deli
cate pink shnde, encircled tho conti
nent or India liko a fairy 7.0110 wna a
cherished belief only shattered when I
first traveled fo tho east and wondored
why It wns called shiny.
But thero nro limes when tho tn
miliar phrase Is more thnn Justified,
ami preconceived notions nro startling
ly Indorsed by llrst nctual Impressions.
Every schoolboy knowa Hint China Is
Inhabited by "(coming millions," nnd I
dory tho most felicitous of phrase
makers with two words moro succinct
ly (o siimmnrlzo such a llrst glimpse
or 11 Chinese city as Is afforded, lot us
say, to tho traveler from Hongkong
who approaches Canton up tho Clin
Idling river.
In tho west tho ovor-crowdlng of
cHIcb Is a problem which linn como to
bo regarded us amongst the most
pressing ami perplexing or nil that
con f 1 out tho social reformer. But
compnred with cities or the cust, and
of China especially, those of the west
mny nliunnt bo rogurded as depopu
lated. Only those who hnvo penetrated
the Innermost purlleuii of 11 Chlncso
city can conceive the degree of con
gostlon In which It Is possible for n
human community to live, In the
grent Chinese towns It Is literally true
that the population overflows Its con
lines, tho result sometimes being, as
at Canton, thoso oxtrnordlnnry flouting
slums which choko the riverside and
form nt onco tho most picturesque
mid most pestilent feature or the city's
aspect.
Stand beside the Imperial custom
houso nt Cnnton nnd let tho oyo
range down tho river towards Hong
kong. As tar as Iho sight can rench
lln boats, boats, ami again boatH.
These aro no ordinary crurt, mere von
boIh or transport plying hither and
thither, but tho countless homos or
myriad Chinese, In which millions or
human beings hnvo been born, havo
lived, and hnvo died. They are the
dwellings or tho very poor, who live In
them practically heo fiom rent, taxes,
and olhor bunion or the ordinary citi
zen. The Tnnklu (which means boat
dwellers), uit tho denizens of llioso
floating housoH are called, form n sort
of caste apart from tho rest of Iho
CuntonoHe. The shore dwollorn ro
gurd them us belonging lo a lower bo
clnl ordor; and Indeed they have
many customs, peculiar to themselves,
which murk them us 11 oparato com
munity. How the Bwnrmlug masses of
thorn contrive to support existence Is
u mystery, but their chlof mode or em
ployment Is In carrying uierehnnillBO
nnd passengers- rrom place to placo.
In Home cukom the daughteiB of the
family go ashore to work In factoiles,
iim do Iho ttlrla of other countries; but
tho year' earnings of n Chinese fnc
lory girl would ucarco sufllco lo buy
ft slnglo hat for her western sister. It
OY 70URMT & tro
Is of course hardly noccfisnry to point
out that, as against this low rate of
pay, tho standard of living Is corre
spondingly different.
The "houses" which mnko tip these
vast float lug slums aro or all sizes.
Some aro but IB rcet long. From theso
cramped dimensions, howover, they
range up to a length or CO nnd CO reel.
A boat large enough to nccomniodnto
n rnmlly of mnderato size can bo ob
tained for $20, nnd slnco the anchor
age Is free It Is obvious Hint tho
Tankla effects many savlngB Impos
sible to tho shoro-dwellcr. For a hun
dred dollars u boat that Is (compara
tively) luxurious In It n appointments
can bo obtained; nnd not lnfroquontly
European travelers who wish to make
a prolonged sojourn in tho vicinity or
Canton, and do not euro to pay the
high prices charged in tho ono hotel,
hire a coinfortnblo lioiiBo-bont, at a
cost or about ono dollnr per day. In
that case tho nntlvo owneiB occupy
a small space In the bow, where all
cooking la dono for tho traveler with
out extra cost, with tho additional ad
vantage of free transportation to nny
point on the river.
Most of tho bonts, howover, aro
sninll. A thatch or palm leaves,' or n
cover or inntllng, over a part or each
boat fiorvoB to protect tho occupants
rrom sun nnd rnlu, and serves an nn
ontlng nnd Bleeping plnco. Tho In
terior presents u cuiIoub plcluro or
domestic economy, hcsldo which tho
urrnngomentB of nn Irish cabin or it
crofter'B cottago in LowIb nro palatial.
On ninny or them pigs nnd chlckeim
nro reared, and rrequejitly, when tho
smnllnesB of tho boat doon not nlTord
dcck-Bpnco Tor such slock, n box or
cugo Ib suspended rrom tho Btorn to
boivo ns n pigpen or chicken coop.
Nor do Btlea nnd honnorlcB, In addition
to the apart inontB or tho rnmlly, ex
haust the accommodation of tho tiny
craft, for on many flower gardening Ib
carried on, a consldorublo spaco bolng
sot npnrt In tho hows for tho flower
pot it.
How llfo can bo ondurcd In nuch
quarlors, cribbed, cabined and con
fined, well-nigh pnsiieB comprohonslon.
It has been esllinuted Hint about Can
ton there nro not less thnn 815,000 In
habited craft, and Hint of this vaBt
millibar soino 10,000 nro pormnnontly
located JfiO.OOO to 100,000 human
Uvea, that Is to say, dally rising nnd
fulling with tho tldo. Births, donths
nnd funerals nil tnko placo within tho
nnrrow limits of tho bonta, and many
are tho Inhabitants of tho floating
slums who novor sot foot on Innd
throughout tho whole of their Htrnngo
exlBtence.
Not nil tlio boats In tho donso mnsB
that blocks the rlvorsldo aro squalid,
however. Thoro nro somo ns gaudy
and resplendent iib tho mnjorlty nro
wretched nnd poor, and thoso aro ta
miliar to ovory ono who hns visited
CnnUm. "Have you boon to tho flowor-i
boats?" Is a question continually heard
In tho hotel, and ho Is Hiiro to bo a
recent arrival who answers In tho neg
ative Tho "llowor-boata" aro, In brier, tho
pleasure resorts or Canton. Wholo
streets or them nro moored in rows
that oxtond rrom mid st renin to the
Bhoro, nnd ovory night they aro
thronged with neokors nHor pleasure
and recreation or n Bort. For It can
not bo protended Hint tho nmuBomontn
lo be round thoreon nro or u vory high
moral order. Concerts, or rnthor sing
songs, aro hold on some, but most
cntor to that gambling instinct which
Is the national vice or China.
Vision of Husband Drowning True,
Boston. In a vision In which nho
HayB it seemed ns though sho wub
vlowlng uclunl happenings, Mrs. Lot
Ho Johnson of Benchmont at midnight
biiw hor husband, George Johnson,
clinging to an ovorturnod boat In mid
ocoun, hoard him cry ror holp, nnd
finally, with one despnlrlng Bhrlok,
throw up his hands nnd sink.
With tho cry of hor husband ringing
In her ears, Mrs. Johnson nwoko nnd
ran screaming lo her niothor. Hor
husband had started curly In the ovu
nlng with u rrlond in a power boat
ror Gloucester.
Early tho next morning tho power
boat was round wrecked on tho north
shorn about twonty-llvu miles bolow
Bonchmont. With ordlnnry speed tho
boat would hnvo reached thoro about
midnight, Tho body was picked up
nt noon, ami tho medical examiner
said ho had been doad about 12 houro.