The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page
Miss Bessie Abott, the Famous
American Prima Donna, in
an Heroic Bole.
THE Interesting problem of how far
a club member ought to go when,
ho feels his club needs "livening
up" has Just been answered for Arnold
Daly, the very well-known actor. Mr.
Daly, consumed by philanthropic zeal,
ho says, selected "Tho Players" tho most
famous theatrical club in tho world, for
his experiment. Aided and abetted by
Miss Bessie Abott, one of tho greatest
of American grand opera prima donnas,
ho. did. his best. -i
Now Mr. Daly is no longer a member
of "Tho Players." Tho experiment, other
wise was successful.
For months its details havo been locked
in tho breaBts of tho indignantly en
livened members of tho club. Now they
have Just leaked out.
Here thoy arc.
It is a "plpo night" nt "Tho Players"
on a cold night of last January.
A Players' Club "Plpo Night" is equiva
lent to a "Smoker" at any other club.
The Players' Club, it must bo said
again, is without any question the most
distinguished, the most sedate, the most
sensitive, and, according to some, tho
most serious theatrical organization in tho
country. Although primarily a theatrical
society, tho membership is made up
largely of individuals outsldo tho pro
fession. It was founded years ago by tho lato
Edwin Booth. Tho clubhouse was pre
sented by Edwin Booth. Material re
minders of the great tragedian aro em
bodied in a thousand and one souvenirs
scattered throughout tho clubhouse.
Only on rare occasions have Its portals
been crossed by tho fairy footsteps of
woman. Never has a woman been al
lowed to remain after C in tho afternoon.
What it means to bo a member of this
unique organization may perhaps best be
described in tho words of Frank F.
Mackay, one of tho veteran members of
the club and a director. Somo months
ago Richard Barry, in a magazine article,
declared that "very few actors havo
brains enough to think for themselves or
to feel their parts."
Barry was a member of the Players',
Shades of Edwin Booth! Expulsion from
the club was the very least that ho could
expoct after such a blasphemy, and ho
got it. He brought legal proceedings for
reinstatement, and the court ordered his
reinstatement.
It was then that Mr. Mackay was moved
to utter comment.
"Association in the Players' Club," ho
said, "means a mental condition that
condition has been lost to Mr. Barry."
But to return to tho eventful "Pipe
Night" last January.
Imagine the scene in this distinguished
clubhouse.
In tho chair is Arnold Daly, the actor.
ZA
J!
V
dote
Actor Arnold Daly Did It. Famous
Prima Donna Bessie Ahott
Aided Him
But Wouldn't
Have Thought
ACTORS
Would Have
Known She
Wasn't a
Man?
All around tho spacious dining chambov
recllno members Inhaling the proceedings
soporlflcally.
From his rostrum tho chairman an
nounces tho pleasure of introducing
Slgnor Bettlno Abotto, "a talented femala
impersonator, who possess
ing a natural tenor voice,
nlso sings a high soprano."
From tho back of tho room,
a slight individual, attired in
regulation ovening clothes,
rises to respond to the invi
tation. "Slgnor Bettlno Abotto,"
introduces tho chairman.
Making his way through
tho members, the female im
personator approaches tho
piano and renders an operatic
selection like a prima donna.
To any one but a member of
tho Players' Club tho fact
that tho singer's clothing sits
rather tight in tho narrows,
would bo too apparent to es
cape attention.
"A remarkable voice!"
comments a nonagenarian
actor to an octogenarian
doctor.
"Ought to havo boon a wo
man," replies tho doctor.
Similar comments aro
heard throughout tho audi
ence. A vote of thanks is
moved for Slgnor Abotto,
and the Slgnor takes his
place again, and is roundly
roundly congratulated on hlB wonderful
performance.
Later in the ovening Slgnor Abotto
is prevailed upon to sing again. His
white shirt front is now a little wilted.
It is quite an ordeal to sing for the first
time before such a distinguished audi
ence in such a distinguished edifice.
One or two doctors in the audionco
begin to grow incredulous. Whispers are
heard throughout the audience. The fact
that the Slgnor is accompanied by Waldo
Story, who achieved fame as tho hus
band of Bessie Abott, naturally brings
the name of the great American prima
donna into the conversation.
Suddenly a resemblance between the
voice of tho Slgnor and that of Bosslo
Abott is suggested, and finally the start
ling discovery is made that the Signor'a
name, "Bettlno Abotto," is not so very
different from that of Besslo Abott.
Shades of Edwin Booth 1 Consterna
tion begins to crop out all over tho
room. Messages aro carried to the chair
man. 'Mr. Daly shakes his head vigor
ously. Individual members, straining
their eyes, become more insistent Mr.
Story is interrogated. There is no use
denying It any furthor. Slgnor Bettlno
Abott IS Besslo Abott! A "Pipe Night"
of the Players' has been desecrated by
the presence of a woman!
Tho fact that tho woman was one of
the greatest prima donnas America has
produced does not mitigate the offence.
Mr. Daly Is called upon to "explain."
The directors demand that he explain.
Mr. Daly tenders his resignation. It la
unanimously accepted.
1
r
4
X,-
to Play
You
Grand Opera
Prima Donna
Bessio Abott ,
as She Looks
in Men's
Clothes.
Not tho
Costume She
Wore at "The
Players', " bu
Just as
Charming',
-4
Cocyricht 1914. by the SUr Company.
Odd Sketch Designed for Mis
Abott's Costume as "Godiva" in
tho Titlo Itolo of tho
Mascagin Opora.
Great Britain IUir ' Tisrv4
f
Mr. Arnold Daly, Who
Flayed tho Joko on
"Tho Playora."
And this in how Mr. Daly explains his
conduct over tho telophono:
"That BosBlo Abott nfTalr at tho
Players'?
"Itoally, I haven't anything to say, ex
cept perhaps to marvel at tho enterprise
of tho modorn nowspapcr. Why, man,
that incident you rofer to occurred only
nix months ago, and horo you nro right
on tho Job, Just as though It happened
yesterday! How do you manage it?
"Tho story only Just caino out? Well,
maybo that's so.
"Why did I do it? Well, I'll toll you.
Suppose you bolongod to a nowspapor
mon's club. You would want to do some
thing for tho club, wouldn't you, oven
though you woro tho only nowspapor
man In it?
"Well, I belonged to tho Players' and
nil pt a sudden It camo to mo that por
Imps I had been too selfish, too self
centred thnt I had novor really done
anything for tho club and so, out of a
aenso of pity for my follow-mcmbors
yoB, that's It, out of a deop senso of pity
for my fellow-members, I folt that I
ought to do something for them some
thing to llvon thorn up.
"And so when thoy appointed mo
chairman on that eventful Plpo Night
Inst January tho enterprise of you
newspaper mon Is rcnlly astounding I
introduced BobsIo Abott ns 'Slgnor
Bottino Abotto, a talented fomalo Im
personator, who, possessing a natural
tenor volco, also sings Boprnno,' und tho
dead and dying members of tho Players'
woro very, very much Impressed.
"Indeed, thoy woro bo vory much Im
pressed with Slgnor Abotto that my ob
Joct almoBt failed, for, although tho
prima donna was accompanied by her
huBband, who was well-known to many
of tho mombors, and although her so
prano volco was such that nobody but
Curing Toothache Through the Nose
AT last a real euro for tho toothacho declaroa
to ho effectlvo by several, reliable doctors,
has been discovered. It is tho Invention
of Doctor Adolf Schwartz, an Austrian army sur
goon now Btationed at Gravosa, in Dalmatln, in
Austria. It 1b based on tho use of etherlc oil of
mustard which can bo obtained in nearly ovory
drug storo.
Tho sufferer must bo vory careful to follow
tho instructions given by Dr. Schwartz In using
tho oil, otherwise it may causo sorlouB Injury
to the oyes. Tho patient should cloao his oyoH
and lips as firmly as posslblo and with his flngor
atop tho nostril on tho opposite sldo of tho face
from that affected by tho toothache. Ho then
places a tiny bottla containing not raoro than
flvo grams of tho othorlc oil of mustard to tho
open nostril and takes a doep breath. Immediate
n member of tho Playora' could possibly
havo accepted It nB that of a fomalo Im
personator (not to say anything of her
hands, form and foaturcs which her mas
culine attire could not holly concoal)
and although oven a member of the Play
ers' might havo been expected to detect
some Blight resomblanco botwoon tho
namos Bottino Abotto nnd Besslo Abott,
it looked for sovoral hours as if tho prima
donna'B Identity would never bo bus
poctedl "It was very funny. Quito recently I
was asked whether I mysolf know that
Slgnor Abotto was a lady. How can any
ono bo really suro of Uicbo things?
"Didn't I know I was violating tho
rules? As n mattor of fact, thoro is"
nothing In tho constitution which forbids
women entering tho promises. On tho
contrary, for all that appears in tho con
stitution, a womnn might ovon bo put up
for membership. But then, of course,
directors can hardly bo expected to bo
familiar with constitutions.
"And so about a month later I received
n letter asking mo to go down to tho
club to 'explain' tho Incident to tho di
rectors. I JuBt wroto a letter tolling them my
resignation Was theirs for tho taking, nnd
they took it.
"Of course, If I hnd gono down I would
havo had to tell them that, as a mattor
of fact, It wasn't I who oscorted tho lady
into tho club at nil, and then they would
havo asked mo to nanio tho culprit and
all would bo forgiven, and I would havo
boon, expected to say, 'Pleaso, teachor,
don't punish mo, Johnny done UP I toll
you, tho -wholo thing Just boreB mo to
death.
"But ploaso bo careful not to say any
thing to offend tho members of tho Play
ora'. Brnndor Matthews may bo a mem
ber for all I know, and I -wouldn't want
to offend him for tho world. Bo vory
careful, won't you?
"IndlBcroot? Yob, In ono respect I was
very Indiscreet. I ought novor to havo
acted as chairman for tho Players'. That
was really nn Indiscretion on my part
for which I ought to havo been sovc-cly
disciplined. Indeed, I could hardly havo
complained In tho olrcumstancQS had thoy
declined my resignation and mado me a
member for llfo!" .
ly ho will suffer n violent and painful lnflamatlon
accompanied by an abundant flow of tera, red
dening of tho faco nnd temporary stopping of the
breath. This pain lasts at the most ono or two
ralnutOB. When it goeB away the toothacho dis
appears with It. Tho Inflammatory conditions
subside vory quickly and In tho majority of cases
tho toothacho docs not rcappoar within sovoral
hours, if at all. Tho treatment may then be
recommenced and repeated as often as two or
three tlmcB with success.
Tho explanation of tho success of this treatment
Is that the oil of mustard reaches tho main trunk
of tho trigeminal norve through tho noae. Tho
norvoa of tho teeth nro little offshoota from this
mnin nervo. Tho mustard sotB up a temporary
Inflammation In tho main nervo and when tho
nervo reacts against tho mustnrd It drives out
the inflammation from tho little nervo onda In tho
tooth.