Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, May 04, 1890, Part III, Page 17, Image 17

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    /PART HI. THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE. PAGES' 17-20
SSSS& &
NINETEENTH YEAE. OMAHA , SUNDAY MOKNING , : MAY 4 , 1890-TWENTY PAGES. NUMBER 313.
0 H R HAGGARD TRANS H H R H H
VAN' : COMPANY !
WHAT WHAT
WE DO : WE DO :
We arc prepared to come We move the entire contents
into your house and take entire of an eight or ten room house
charge of your packing , if you in one van load.
are going to move.
We employ none but the most
We pack and unpack your courteous men to assist in packing
furniture and household goods. and
ing removing your house
f x We take up your carpets , TRANSFER FURNITURS VAN Co. hold effects.
clean them , and if ,
necessary We and household
GOODS pack crate
we mend them and put them MOYINGHOUSEHOIJD
. hold goods , also pianos , organs ,
down in your new home.
pictures , etc.
After cleaning and laying .
Orncjt AT M/uc MEYER feBRO. We handle all kinds of
general
your carpets we then set your
furniture into position , and eral freight to and from the
then you come into your new depots , as well as safes , boilers
home without having either and heavy machinery.
packed or unpacked a single We contract with merchants
thing. for all their hauling.
TRY US. TRY US.
0 TKKEF : > HOMK i * 1059
Transfer and .OLIVER 1KBBIRD TRJfflSFER . Transfer and
- T
Tc
Furniture Van Co. o c
Office at Max Meyer & Bros.'cor. 16th and Farriam Sts. Telephone 1559. Furniture Van Co.
A MILLION AND A MAMMA ,
4 With These Lotta is Satisfied and Don't '
Want a Man.
THE PET OP ALL THE MINEBS
Debut of the Petite Sonbrcttc In Call-
ftiriilii The American School of
Comedy Not Tired of the
Stage.
1SPO liy Frank G. Carfxnter. ]
WAMIIXOTOX , May 1. [ Special to THE
BnK.J The charming actress Lotto , whom
John Brougham immortalized as "thodrumatio
cocktail of America , " has this year spent the
quietest winter of her lifo. The sprain in her
ankle which she received in Jumping from a
runaway carriage in Boston has kept her in
doors nud out of society and she has devoted
the winter to art , She is delighted , she says ,
In thodispovery that she has anew talent ,
that of painting , and Washington artists tell
mo that her work is very creditable indeed.
She has picked up all she knows herself , and
without a lesson , she has painted n half dozen
pictures all of which are of moro than ordinary -
ry merit. I looked at these last night , Some
of them nro country scenes , nud the air , the
sky , the fields and the log cabins carry ono
back to Lotto's early days in California , and
the scenes look ns real as though they were
painted out of doors. In portraits also , she is
doing very well , and I took a sketch of n little
negro model who stood for her as Topsy.
Lotta's painted Topsy is as black as ebony
and sbo has as bright , dancing , mischievous
eyes ns those possessed by the character made
famous in Undo Tom's Cabin. The figure
has real lifo and It glows upon tha canvass
with all the vivacity of Lotta upon the stage.
Lotta had expected to have rested this
winter and to have gouo much Into Washing-
j. , -ociety. She is ono of the few actresses
vvuo can afford to take vacations and she is
by all odds the richest actress in America.
Sbo is sold to bo
Worth at Least $1,000,000
and her mother is one of the shrewdest finan
ciers nnd Lotta says one of the best man
agers of America. It was through her that
the Park theater In Boston was bought nnd
the International hotel in connection with it.
For this Lotta paid IAOOQO , in cash and she
paid $25,000 additional for the furniture
which It contained. She has Investments
scattered all over the United States and she
told mo that she nnd her mother bad lately
planted some money in Kansas City which *
eho hoped would grow a good harvest. She
has investments in California , is said to have
1100,000 In New York property , and she has
1400,000 in United States bonds laid aside In
ca o of a panic. Her mother manages all
'
money matters for her and she'defers to her
in everything. She is hero with her this
winter and she has taken sueh good euro of
her that Lotta will bo able to return to the
stage next fall.
j When I called upon Lotta last night at her
'jorno on Fourteenth street above Newspaper
Kow I found that she hud dUcared her
crutches. Her eyes were as bright as they
have ever been upon the stage , her skin was
us fresh and clear as that ef a baby's and her
plump , round form accorded with the state-
went that she made to mo that she was In
berfect health and that * he weighed 125 j
pounds. Strange enough the conversation
first turned to money-making and acting , nnd
I asked Lotta the secret of her financial suc
cess. She replied :
"I owe nearly everything to my mother
and I really know very little about our money
matters , but I think one reason for our pros
perity has been in the fact that wo have not
been extravagant. Wo do not care to pay
anything for pure show , nnd when we are
making a tour we do not take all of the best
rooms on the ground floor of every hotel wo
stop at , ride out in a coach-and-four nor give
great dinners. I do not wish to make u
splurge and I prefer quiet rooms higher up
where wo do not attract so much attention
and have more rest. Besides , the profits of
my acting have been well invested , nnd my
mother Is a shrewd business woman. The
trouble with many actresses Is that they
always spend ns much ns they make and
never learn the philosophy of interest accu
mulation. People on the stage receive very
good salaries. The public has been very kind
to mo and I have been very successful In
pleasing them through a longserios of years. "
"You began to act almost as a baby ! "
said I.
"Yes , " replied l.otta , "my first acting was-
so long ngo that I can hardly remember it.
My father was , you know , a book-seller in
New York , and ho had a store on Nassau
street when gold was discovered in California.
After a few years ho got the fever and went
west , and three years later my mother and I
went out to him. Wo lived in a Httlo log
cabin at the mining settlement of Laporte ,
but times were not very good and uiy father ,
though ho got some gold , never struck It rich ,
as they say. When I was about seven years
old a dancing school was opened in the. camp ,
and I there
Took Mj- First Lessons in Dancing. .
I learned the steps easily and they tell me
developed at once some musical talent. At
the close of the term a performance was ( rot
ten up a little theater of the town , and after
much urging my mother allowed mo to take
part. I both sang and danced and I was a
great success. The miners you know were
especially fond of children , and they went
wild over me. When I came out on the stage nt
the close of the performance
I was received with a shower
of silver half-dollars and dollars
which the audience throw at mo. Our
funds were rather low at that time and this
ovation was quite accoDtible , That night de
cided my career ns an actress and shortly af
ter this I started out with my mother and
traveled over California as u star. I was
known as La Petite. Lotta and my name was
the biggest ono on tha billheads. This was
in the days of mining excitement and mining
profits and this custom of throwing presents
to the successful actress was in vogue. I re
ceived all kinds of things from twenty-five
dollar gold pieces and ruby rings to sets of
Jewels nnd diamond bavkod watches. I re
member two elegant diamond-studded watch
es that were , given to mo In San Francisco
nnd I was everywhere received very kindly. "
"But was not the society and the life a
rough ono ! " I asked.
"As to the life , " replied Lotta with a smile ,
"there were a few hardships. Wo bad no
modern conveniences In the shape of
railroads , gas nnd theater arrange
ments. Thuro were no roods and
we bad often to travel from mining camp to
mining camp by bridle paths among the
mountains. I had a suit of. boy's clothes
made for me and I used these on these trips.
As to the society , ladies were as well treated
by the ulcers u * they are treated in any ol
the drawing-rooms of the world. I might
say even better , nnd among the miners were
ns well-bred men nnd as well-rend men as
you will find in any of our cities. The gold
excitement drew all classes to the west and a
graduate of Uairard or Yale , with the
bluest of Mayflower blood in his veins , might
be the driver of your mule team or the supo
at the theater. Mother traveled with me
and she was very careful of both may man
ners and morals. I was more polite then
than I am now. I remember it was a custom
at Laporto for the children to go about on
Christmas to the stores nnd ask for Christinas
presents. I was never allowed todo this and
the merchants evidently appreciated the fact ,
for they sent mo presents of their own ac-
cordnnd _ one Christmas I remember I re
ceived seven new dresses. "
"Do you ever get any such presents now } "
I asked.
"Not in the way of having them thrown
upon the stage , " replied Lotta. "That has
gone out of fashion , and the best we get are
flowers. You may remember an incident
which occurred while I was playing
"Musette" at Philadelphia a few years ngo-t
A lady sitting in n box was so delighted with
the acting that she *
Threw 5Ic n Most ncntitlfuf RUiR. t '
It contained two large diamonds' and ten
smaller ones and these were set about two
rubies and two saphires. I noticed the lady
in the box while I was sitting on the stutap
chatting with Blly Br.idshaw. She was
pointing her finger at the stage nnd thrusting
it out again and again in a way which I
feared would attract the attention of the
audience. I wondered what she wanted nnd
was considerably annoyed. I told Billy to
look at the woman. Ho did so au'd his eyes
followed her finger nnd saw this ring lying
on the stage. Ho handed It to me
and I was of course delighted to receive such
a beautiful souvenir. Billy remained same
time sitting on the stump and 1 a&kcd him
why he did so. He said he was waiting to
see her throw him a ring. After the play
was over the lady cnmo behind the scenes and
I had a very pleasant talk with her. This ,
however , was not the end of the story. About
two years after this I received a letter from
the family of the lady asking for the return
of the ring. At the same. Umo the lady
wrote me that she had given the ring out of
of pure admiration for mo and she did not
want It returned , I could not keep it when I
knew that tier family did not like it , and I
sent It back to her. "
The conversation hero turned to Philadel
phia and New York , and Lotta told mo tbo
story of her first success in ttio east. Said
she :
.
j.
"I was playing In Now York when I was
fourteen years old , and my great hit there
was "Tho Marchioness , " which was written
for mo by John Brougham and from
the acting of which he dubbed mo the
Dramatic Cook lull or America. *
The play wag a great success and I nave
been playing It-for years. You ask mo for
my favorite characters. I huvo so many that
I can hardly say which I like the best. I am
perhaps best known as The Marchioness ,
Topsy , Sam Wllloughby , Musette , Bob and
Zip , and as to the Llttlo Detective I have
played It season after season and year after
year until I am really ashamed to show my
face in it upon the stage again. That play
bus always been a great hit and it has brought
mo in no end of money. We paid just 25 cents
for it , the east of the book from which it was
adapted to me , and wo have made thousands
upon thousands out of it"
"How about your future ! It has been re
ported that you will soon retire from the
stage. " ' "
"There is no truth in any such report , ' ! re
plied Lotta emphatically. "I expect to have
three new plays next year , and Mr. Ford of
Baltimore will be my manager. These plays
are now being written foi'ine , and I expect to
upend next summer by the sea at Nantasket
studying them. Two of the plays arc adapta
tions , from the French and the German and
the other is an' Americans play xvritten for. ,
mo by Mr. " KlOder , " " { the man who
wrote "A Poor llclition" for Sol
Smith Russell. Thi play is entitled -
titled "Mischief , " the German has
the name of Doctor Lol anu it is the trans
lation of n German comedyfitted ! for me. The
French play is entitled "fflcurette. " I cannot -
not say which I like the b s'i * I think all nro
good and out of the threewo will probably
find one that will bo a hit. The public , hyjv-
ever , always -fixes the success of ft play and
you can never predict anything in regard to a
new comedy with certainty. _
"As to retiring from thq sljagc , when I get
ready to go I will not makojigrcat fuss about
it I don't bc'liovo in making n farewell tour
again and again. I waijt tij keep before the
public as long as the public , wants mo nnd
when I do take a notion to retire it may bo
that I will change my mind i ifter I have had a
few months' vacation and ivant to go back
again. The report of my ret ivment probably
came from the fact that I h id set aside this
winter ns a vacation. I findmy ; lifo upon the
stage , ns much as I love it , i
An Unnatural' ' One
and the atmosphere is different from that of
real lifo. During these periods of real which
I take I am able to pet acquainted with my
audience and I believe that J act all the better
for them. " (
American acting was thd next topic , and
Lotta expressed her opiulonlof the American
school. Said she : . (
"I think we have a dlstric [ school of Amer
ican actors , and this. especially in comedy.
You will find no where clo in the world
comedians who hare the same vein of humor
as ours , nnd American hunjctr is , by the way ,
a thing of Itself. The English do not under
stand it and there is as in ch difference be
tween their Ideas of fun and wit as there is
between Puck and-Punch. , Itbink ( the Amer
ican stage Is improving iti lespccially in the
detail and in the setting ofthe , plays. Ameri
can audiences are , I think ; more polite than
English audiences. The English allow more
freedom of expression of applause or of the
reverse than wo do and anything new is
almost , sure to bo hissed. Henry Irving's
Macbeth was received with a storm of hisses
by .the pit when it was first presented , and
you remember that my exigence with tbo
English was not tbo most pleasant though I
afterwards got along with them very well. "
"What do you think of the stage as a place
for young women ! "
"J think , " replied Lotta , "that there Is no
better field In the world for tbo young woman
provided she possess talents "and bos a guar
dian to watch over her as a balance wheel.
In this cose the serpents that now 'and then
hang around the stage cannot sting her and
she will find in her work a field for tbo de-
velopement of all her faculties , and one in
which she may find both profit and happi
ness. "
I hero showed Lotta a paragraph pretend
ing to give a resume of-her lovers and asked I
her whether she was still among the ranks of
tbo single blessed and whether she intended
to remain so. She raised her hand as Bbc re
plied and brought it down with emphasis ,
saying ;
' ' Yes , thick heaven. J It 1 $ all that I can do '
I tojnauage myself with the aid of my mother
' ; nud I can see no reason why I should under
take
J The Management of n Husband
j. ; or accept a husband to let him manage me.
4-1 : am satisfied with my present condition and
I expect to continue in it. "
Speaking of Lotta's early career reminds
me of a talk I had last nipht with ono of
Paul's fii * > t managers. This man is now a
; little white-whiskered clerk in the treasury
department. His name is Widdows and he is
j the most noted chime-ringer of America.
Patti was thirteen years old when she
L starred the country in a concert troupe with
Ole Bull under him. She then got $100 a
i week instead os $ . " > .OOD n night. I under
stand that Pntti will spend the summer at
her castle in Wales , and it way bo that she
wl'l ' devote her time to writing her rem
iniscences. Not long ago Harper Brothers
offered her n thousand dollars a letter for a
series to be used by them in Harper's Weekly.
Patti agreed to write the article , but she was
not satisfied with the way her manuscript
was treated in New York and she threw up
the contract. The price had , I think , not
much to do with the matter , as an article
which would take n week or so to construct
is a bagatelle at a thousand dollars to a woman
who can make S OOO every night she chooses
to open her mouth.
The death of Marquis do Cmix in Paris not
long ngo brings to mo n bon mot which Patti
made while she was in Chicago last winter.
Sbo was taking a night off and was listening
to the roaring farce entitled "Wo , Us & Co. "
As she saw the title on the programme , she
said :
"It used to bo Patti and Caux , but now it
has become We , Us & Co. " '
FlUXK G. C.UU'EXTr.R.
rno.M THE SLOPB.
A WcII-Known Onrihn Man Writes n
-Vory Interestlnfj Letter.
S .v Jo n , Cala. , AprilD5. [ Special to Tan
BEE. ] Early yesterday morning I "exper
ienced" for the second time n California
caithquake , being awakened about 4. o'clock
by n sudden rattle nnd general commotion of
a very startling character. The house shook
nnd swayed violently for several
seconds , and the sensation produced
was ouo long to bo remembered.
A fw days slnco I talked with Mr. Whit-
ton of this city , who in company with James
King and Mr Gubborlng , established theSan
Francisco Bulletin In Ib55. Ho related some
interesting incidents of early days on the
coast. The capital upon which the Bulletin
l > egun operations was on even $1,000 , but it
Jumped into u paying business at once and
soon the three partners were drawing fSOQ a
week each , cjcar of all expenses. In May ,
lS.Vi , Mr. King was shot down on the street
by ouo Casey , a gambler , death resulting a
few days later. The [ murderer was arrested
and the organization of the famous vigilance
committee whoso doings are BO graphically
described in General Sherman's Mcmoirs.wos
at once effected. This committee marched to
the city Jail in strong force , the arms each
member carried being supplemented by a brass
cannon , nnd demanded thosurrendcr of Casey
and another prisoner who had killed United
States Marshal Richardson just previous ,
The demand wag complied with. As the
funeral procession bearing the body of Mr.
King to the cemetery reached the gate of his
late residence a man posted on u hlfth buildIng -
Ing across the street dropped a white bund-
, kerchief , the signal previously arranged , and
j at that instant the two murderer * were hung
In the room where they had boon held under
custody by the vigilante * .
Mr , Whitton showed my a bound volume ot
a weekly paper , the Oriental , printed by his
firm in 1665' for a man named Speray one-
half of which is in Chinese characters and the
other in EnglUh. He f aid that ! n those days
the Chinese had no stores of their own and
that their trade was much sought after by
American dealers in supplies , On the Fourth
of July and other festive occasions the celes
tials were rather lionized , being given places
of prominence and distinction in 'processions
and at public assemblages. They were toasted
and feasted. Times have changed in this rc-
g ird , however. Last week there w03 n c't.v '
election hero and it was seriously proclaimed
by one of the local papers that if n certain
candidate for the position of chief of
police should bo elected ho would at once
take active measures to suppress gambling
nnd other vices among the Chinese. A few
days since a Chinaman cook in n restaurant
was killed by a white waiter belonging to the
establishment and when the latter was ar
rested he expressed a good deal of disgust at
the fuss that was being made about the mat
ter , as the one ho had killed was "only a Chi-
namnn. "
The months of rainy weather experienced
in California last winter were clivencd by
cheerful press comments upon the good the
win was doing the orchards. It Is now being
discovered that it is possible to have too much
of a good thing , for from various sections of
the state coino reports of fruit trees dying
from the excess of wet weather , in places entire -
tire orchards being ruined.
A friend of mine , n young man aged seven ,
was presented n few weelcs since , with n rub
ber gun. Shortly afterwards ho reiwrted
that he had hit therewith ten birds , though
not all in ono day.
' How many did you hit the first day ! " I
asked.
"One , " was the ready reply.
"And how many the next ! "
"Two. "
"How many the next ! "
"Three. "
"How many the next ! "
And then ho turned questioner :
"How many ate leftl" ho asked.
asked.J.
J. T. B.
SI.\G VI * A JIITJKS.
One day last week Atlanta policemen had
the unusual nnd exciting experience of a wild
cat hunt in the streets. The cat had escaped ,
it is supposed , from the ' -Zoo" at Grant park.
The twelfth shot killed it.
A Kent Island , Md. , farmer placed twin
orphan lambs in the care of n female New *
foundlaud , whoso pups be had sold. Sbo took
kindly to the lambs , and treated them with a
motherly caro.
Philip Henscn. a planter residing near Cor
inth , Miss. , is believed to bo tbo possessor of
the longest beard in the world. Ho is a man
of unusual stature , standliiK nearly six and
one-half feet in his stockings ; this notwith
standing , his beard reaches the ground when
he Is standing erect. This remarkable growth
is but fourteen years old.
A queer \yblte and red robin astonishes the
fishermen pf Quonocliontaup , H. I. It has
built Its nest in a shaggy reach of pasture
near -the thundering ocean breakers. The
bird's body to pf a snowy white , even to the
tip of its lull , except its breast , which Is or a
rosy red. An albino robin is very rare , but ft
rod and white robin was never heard of bo-
foro.
foro.Tho
The statement in an eastern magazine that
"butterflies have gouo to the remarkable
height of 600 feet In the Alps" bos elicited
from Mr. Maxwell of California a letter to the
Scientific American , in which he pronounces
the trip not at al remarkable. He writes that
lost summer he encountered numerous butter-
files on a peak of the Sierra Novadas , 13,000
feet high.
Between the Ural and the Okhotsk seas
tbere Ls a spot half as largo as the state of
Michigan which is frozen ground to the depth
of ninety-four feet. That If , it has never
thawed out tlnco tbo world was created , and
probably never will , and even if it should no
body would have tiny UMJ for it.
Ono of the largest boars ever killed in
Wyoming was fchot a few days ago by a
ranchman near Laramlo peak , Bruin had
been playing havoo among the cattle , Ho had
killed a cow. upon which he had feasted once
or twice , but when ho returned again to take
another meal ho found t-crious bubtnebs ahead
el him. Dressed the inontcr weighed I,0i0
pound" . From the noje to the end of its tail
It measured nine feet.
A petition is lieing circuhitcd among tbo
students of the Georgia state university , the
object of which is to change the custom of
making Saturday n half holiday nnd cany on
the regular recitations through that day nnd
make Monday n holiday instead. As it is now
student nro compelled to study on Sunday in
order to prepare for their Monday's recita
tions.
J. M Fuller , n chicken fancier of Asho-
vllto , has struck a bonanza in n hen that lays
six eggs n day. Mr. Fuller first noticed this
enterprising spirit in his fowl about thrca
weeks ago. nnd nt first ho would scarcely bo-
Hove it. To make sure of it ho put the hen in
a separate coop , nnd at night the customary
six eggs were waiting for him.
A calf that was born on William Lippin-
cott's farm , atTipton Falli , Pa. , Is ono of the
greatest freaks ever known. Its head , shoul
ders nnd front feet are like tho--o of an ordi
nary calf , while the remainder of its body nnd
lt hind legs nro hairless. Instead of hoofs on
the hind feet there nro two prongs or toes ,
each about four inches long , nnd these end
with s-harp-poiiitod claw * . Its tail is covered
with long hair , and id spivad out like an open
fan at the end ,
1311'IETIES.
Consider the lilies how very cxpensivo
they nro.
Even the rat has some idea of the value of
bolo-incss.
Pastor ( with a sigh ) Well , we've all got
to go sooner or later. Luyman Yes , yes , and
the later the better.
PhariMjo I thank God I am not as other
men. Publican And so do they.
Preacher My fricna , you ought to stop
il rlnt < ini In ilin otnl It , ( ! / > , HVn nn n.1.1. .
Boozy Thash why I don't hthop. Can't bo
any end till I do.
Editor You see , Mr. Pulpit , we have a
Hi bio in the office. Clergyman ( examining *
the Bible ) You keen it nlco and clean , don't
you ! There nro no finger marks on it.
"Do with your might , " the preacher said.
"WhaU/cr you find to do. "
The miser nodded his rich old head
"Thai's my opinion too ;
And I don't think It would bo right
To give you more than all my mite. "
Clcrxymun ( stonily ) Do you ever expect
tojolnthu angello chorus ) Jlotibs ( howling
drunk ) Shcrtnlnly , I'm practisbiu' to'peur
at the Cashluo nex' week.
Sunday School Teacher Yes , the wicked
will go to the evil place , where they will burn
for ever and ever. New Pupil Well , I call
that all-tired tough.
Evil communications corrupt good man
ners , as any ono may learn who listens to the
remarks of the man who has received u dis
agreeable letter.
By the waters of Babel wo sot oursclls down ,
We sot oursclls down for to croy ;
And as for our'arps they were wringing o"
wet ,
So ' 'em trees for .
wo 'ung on to droy.
An' them us had copt us , they arsked us to
sing
The ( .ones of our country , so dear ;
How the deuce can wo sing the Lord's songs ,
say we ,
In a bloomln' rum place like this 'crol
"Do you believe In the later theology con
cerning socialism ! " asked a young man of
Mrs , McGudlcy. ' 'Of course I do. Socials
is really all that has held our church together
for the last six mcntbs. "
The Hev. II. II. French says : "You can
not dam the progress of religion , " Is It j > os-
slblo that Dr. French bus never read the
writings of one Ilobert called Ingcrsolll
Like heaven's halo in the pastor's fuco
The sun shines through the windows ,
stained and old :
Tbo people gathered in tbo bolypRco ]
Heo him enshrined In u frame tit gold ,
But soon his eyes roll back ; with lltn apart
Emotion brings him to his bended knees.
And ere his people from their seat * can start
The pastor wildly perpetrates - a snecio.