The San Francisco call. [volume], October 27, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
The San Francisco Sunday Call.
Magazine Section
Part I.
LOTTA QUEEN OF
THE TURF
ON THE STAGE 'for the ; first 7
half of Jicr/Jifc— pe^ticd: : hdore4, "
ovations. and aUultatibn show- ;
ercd apon t her; t lie v darling ' of 3
\ the gods of "49. \ \u25a0•..':; \u25a0. •.
' \u25a0 In -the -•serondr;the;riclfest ; -ivoman--;
on the stage;. racm^ ? ir<^tJmig;,h^'it^'-"
optimistic, sure of '^ctt>ry ~t^e,:owTter;'
of the winner ' of" 1 Ihc ; - Trarfsylvi'iiia
stake. .- . ' ' \u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0\u25a0; V \u25a0.:• {'. >~ \u25a0 \u25a0 ; \ •i- \. ". \
This is Miss •Lbtta'Crabtfce's life*,
epitomized. •• • , ,'•%.' .
It was more than halt a^ century ago ;
when fairy, ;, like - 1
little girl; found herself faltfcrlfe?Sj and '}
dependent! in .'the- mining:/ caiups _ ? of ]
California". The heart? of the^westfern •
miners provcd ! as.fuH| ; ks their'pockets ]
v.hen a lucky"stake had made, \<o>
a conclave was 'held; to 'decide what ;
should be done fprVthe little' -.girl /of;
the "hard luclc' * pa'rd ; who had died.
Some' sturdy rainer .made .the' sugges]- \
tion that shcmisht.sing.for them. On
this slight tarn jn'the wheel^ fpf fate
fcung Lotta's brilli.ir.t- stage career. •
The idea' was , carriecl. out. . /.Every
evening when: the miners, tired and .
grimy from their, day's /work /in /the '
mines, sat in, the. glpw : :of the ;camp-/
fire, leaping arid springing -like 'a .
thing of life, the fairy, like little /girl '
darced and sang her ,\vay into, the big,
bluff hearts. .Such grace,';such\wiii
somencss, such . charm.! , The miners '
couldn't express . it, but ' th ey ,'feltf elt I it.
Never was there such, a little Vpardl",
declared the rough mc;v as the golden
r.ugsets flowed^toward her in'a seem
ingly interminable stream. ;.» Then'hcr
fame spread. | "Mart" .Taylor, an actor •
of those days, took : charge •. of -her. '
"Jake" Wallace taught -lier' : the -banjo. -.
She came to San Francisco; the grow
ing town, where emotions • flowed' as %
freely as nuggets," and, thanks to her
mother, a .woman , of remarkable char
acter and shrewd business '
made "big ' money."; r Gilbert's .me
lodeon was the' scene/of , Lotta's night
ly triumphs in 'civil- war-days./' She
used to sin g-"When \u25a0 This *Crnel,--War
Is Over" in . a ,v.-ay - that^wjanid.' bring ,
bags -of nuggets \to < her.- feet. '
Others were .there, too, -but] Lotta Lv&s
the star of .them all. I \*\ -. ;•; ----- \u0084 L
; For 10 " years * Lotta r continuedn tin'ued ito
charm and delight -her. minjrs "with
fcer inimitable ' rbguishness ? nd Virbjl
cry and her. pathos, .which, never, iailpd
to res.en its r mark.'* -Then 1 she sought
new fields. VNiblo's |, garden}, ln: 'New
iYork saw. lier debut in-tlu; ..cast, where
*he scored "_a /splendid'/ success" before:
starring on la .western tour. %*. , /- . -/.'/
fc The next ; years 1 saw • Lotta* ';.- a.
Ifamiliar ' figure! in': allj parts-;, of/* /.the
'LUnxted States ' and" England.-: She-\vas;
[wise in s electing/, her "characters; jl\- '
i.ways choosingMiminuUve^ones to.suit
her own dainty * personality. •'• It : was
\u25a0 jjjohn Brougham, jwhV after; seeing" her
ki %z% the MarchionessVin -"Little- Nell,"
JTopsy in Uriel e^Tom's, Cabin," t'Firc-..
fly," "Musette/'' "Kitouchc"^-and t her
famous impersonation^ of^Fanchohiin
jthe radiant, ; ;p*ctitc/.attr ess!'Vdramatic
jcocictairy : [\ \ ./ / V;- : /:(r;
| Her- nioth er- ' mVe^etf^sA&isftMi£!
c^r>a^e^d^^igpjSl^p|
in \u25a0 real ;_^cs^e^pjjduwsTfi | So*"^ao«|
Lotta. c "Perhaps J *thtt •: is't orie^Vcaso'n,:
why *he* is^ttfe */ richest S a^tress^'in
'Anicriea •' -The' i«sults : bf ''the! real es
tate -belief are \ property,! holdings '". \n
ings, in XewjYorkj^aildlyarious'othcrv
place?,' aiui \u25a0 actable j of^2o 'racjrfs.-,. in- ;
fcluding tlie no\y famous" winner of ' the
Tran^ylvaiiia— -SonornaJGirl. . .
Her' Horse Philosophy ;
; -From out j~of ? the^million- |ahd/f a
half p'bpularlydstimated^to* bclori'g'to
Miss Crab tree,* has •risen* the gratifica
tion/of * a which ''she, is " proud '
and i glad to , acknowledge.- - V' .• ; < •
: "Yes;vinoye ; r hbfscs;':shc;will^cll :
you. > -'.'They - are -my - great passion,
although i'--I ? have ; . several minor ones.
J p particularly.^ love . a .., fine racehorse."
I know something atTqut trptting,'and
I love tb" : see/the .beautiful things 'flash
by ; so ' swiftly, mile after ' mile and = all
.without/apparent; effort. -l i don't'. see
how. they. do it. and-rni-sure.the'pub
lic half: appreciate "^how/won
derful'it. is. *..\Vhci\ 'I -.-bought Sonoma
Girl \\ I i loved [ her. for 'her bcautj-/ al
thbugh- If felt sure } there [ was speed
there too. - Yoii'scerriv judgment lias
been vindicated;!- and ? -Lotta ' laughed
-blithely : in spite ? of -her i6O years. ' .•. •
. ; / But • Lotta' has* patience ]a l nd f aithVas
•well -as - the 'prophetic : pQ\ycr. • \u25a0 . I'or
"Sonoma f Girl ;> ; broke on'-fthe ~ tVn cR* *at
the two-big;-raceSiat.tßeadviHc'jajcly..
'Miss. Crabtree t.wasi puzzled.' but 'not
'a'nnoy^ed.*^ .She^felt" that \u25a0: .there was
some.inscrutable^rcaspii'.foruhc.mxircy,
KchavioV/.'andijlier^'faitlCiiV'h'cr' ;Vacing'
powers .remained fit yon ' a iter
thrcc*trials/with/.the?rn'arc; i a: bad Mo? cr
in each'one^L'btta 1 ! only v s"ini:cd/and ai
Uhetlast>race,f descending^ from .her
automobile, /*sbe'{!wentr~Over ."f. to ' the
•vcinner— a>beautiful 7che«tnut^ mare-—
'"and^stoo'd^patting '"and^carcsVirig .her
,whil e.the^wreathbf, 'flowers Vas •placed
'about fc fthe \u25a0*. victorious i'^ariimai/s^meck.
'"Wap'j t ;^a ctin gr " •V* fjCjW.^ \u25a0", Some'
bf.us'inight have jtp.-act\tb -wiUiCßi'lhc
(discomfiture of -a : S26,tKK) 'animal 'with
a .sir.jje.; \u0084?- ^m--;^.;,*;.':;.^\ "--:t \u25a0\u25a0-.-* -i--.fi
I' \u25a0Then fcamc"the^Tran?ylvJtnia*. stake
p. t '[ Xoiiis vi 11 c d^Sonpnia. . Girl^ \vbn.
L'otta; the -richest 'actress -.in/ America,
. is L'nbv/ si'iTcVn;' 'of^tlie 'V turf ;r as '"twell."
-There '% arc;; 20.- trotters^' mV her
arid cafcb .one\o.'f ,*th'e^ celebrated*' bVvy
'' Icri [o \\s[ th e rri i s t r e si^-an d ; ri uzzl es *a , si 1 k>
nose •into^heri hand; when *shej makes
'.her. moirhingT founds."' f v -TheVcJ arc;- bV
sides;Sonoma*'Girl,' Stella Oakes, ; Roan
: Wilkes,/My .-.* Star, j t the. tfastesti' green
' pacert. of this' year ; -HaJl " Dircctj ' con:
ceded- to" be/the best* bred.staliibn 'in
;-theX'worjdJsJenityVand^M T aV^
*EramVj-D/fLqrd/Autograph;^Natrßby
andlGentryj Star.*//", \u25a0*,/.'", l\*> / r , ! .', '.';*.
\u25a0--\u0084 "Our.:fav r orite7iof; course,' is- Sonoma
; thatfmaWes flier ;: seem '!stafllin jly3jikc
tlic;. wirff««ie^stage*.T;ptta^fof old' A
.';SKc ;is": as^'gentle^as^aj^itten •andja.-|
,beaiitifiijlyi,mannercdi'mare.:'* I'^ain!"
very [ proud j rtbf own *hef. : srii!haVe\been
pfi.ercd :inore th'an^lip^idffqr.Jher.ibut':
;lvani\^crsohalfyJattachyd'rtVj:S^
-Gi r -I : *i] ind'? hopeT toj kcept. JTcri'j'with^mc'-j
"the'-'mj'ste^
did' at jthe fraces,^Ve,;feel<;StVre'riitn^nv
ever-/ tlia'tcshe 3 Is/* Sestined^fbr^'grjeat*
* things. {.; You * v see's h e -- was? run r into • v t -;
; B uffa 10:1 0: on ? one /of ? t he/ 1 ur n s,|a nd^ t lie ':
.;^driver ran'; away.'-,-;
!/She :>'^jas'-;: > '^jas'-; badly^irightcned^a'njdgher?,
;pafnfuiUh f at;nowfwnen^shcVriears*;tJie?
' place V where.- it^happehexi'v she .' .thinks ,
. she !S f going<tO;be}run;into,agam:-5-B.uU
-.'i •- •.;,', -^•V's : v^^: -\u25a0";•.' r.i"", ..->(..:\u25a0'
-^bc^will'forgetMni'timelfandiithenishe*
>\v»l!nbe r ( allvnght:>?- I^.ain-so sre'icTcd^
.'toVKUow^thatMtfisjsomctmngjshc^willv
: gv-t, over.'! -"-/.- ''''-,-;..'.;\u25a0; '*"•-\u25a0•' _.-* -- 1 -'
; -'-^SiuceSononia'GiHihas|brougjittlieri
;.. --\u25a0-\u25a0••• * \u25a0\u25a0•-.'-\u25a0 -;'* .•^.-^•:-i-.'----,tfi.-c«.v> 4 -.---'*r;-^f..-»'a--5
. into;pro:nmencciagam. i 'Dotta?nas»becns
.--.:'•.;..,; , \u25a0.» *-4 \u25a0.fij.^.'w*j-':-.;'','v-'' !i "->':. c '-'«'- ; *:'- '^" ;
-compelled '-to join ; the !eyer^gro\ying>
:j: j
:new •' experienced. to^her^". for.;' in-J the;
/d/aysTof/* iicr^; stagV^
j'nqtTso'^numcrpusvas -now; :.and-?:the;
• r^dangcr/:Of4.h"a\ih%*.bnVsV features Kre*^
• produced/ intjjlU sorts of. distorted ._ ways,
/was ', not > so ; common.*'-- Hbwever,*rsh'c >
. takes^ i tV'good 'Mtur&dly/TarVd . ; t el ls'^b'f ,
' the (time' sheitrieditbVdbdgcv her; sister
tinvlaw.' -."If.had^been^ keeping.' away"
rfromVasfmany,*asrlf;could,ir she jsaid/j
'•«« "' \u25a0 V- ' -"\u25a0\u25a0 *\u25a0''\u25a0 --'-'\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 '""-' '\u25a0-"\u25a0'\u25a0\u25a0-' t-'-^A-v'-v-^.-. ?:. :
•; '.when jsaw^aH.nrDinan, approaching j
*rmeiwithv\vhatfr4houciiH\v*as'iifcamleral
. n ox." i ; I nY/a si Jn9t t'rea Jy 'i to} run wp en
; :Iy recognized s'my^6isteTAin^law r v^w
tolbeVw^aring.^a fgown^ l4had**;
seenx' bef ore.^.We^ ? had i"a good';/
" laugli^ over '* thie;| incident.' l .-' 'jh-^l'-.yr- . .^
;No}l^ngmgifigA^
V'i''ily ' lif : e' i.v.tbo'full;f oivnie^t'olchensh^:
v. any j ; hidderfv longings^for Vthe^stagerp
11 1 -have : nin ; cr/dcsire^stb^return>Jo|itS
\u25a0jToscohvTeffersbn! about* this t'once^ and?;
?: noti c x is^Tfwi thqu t ?th c ; appl au *s e ; of^Jtlt c '%*
public. " ' - •- \ ' *./> '•/ ," '
j.i'-.'lvcnJoyV the .theater ;f and jam'.veryv'
| f oml fforAf r A cornedy • ; j that' is;l ifi it f isjbr ight g
(it ¥ plays well f,
'* \v ri t ten ;•; a n cl : ? well g act ed t f or> genuine^ ,.
| pleasur c'j tbjbeibbteined^ Perhaps that^
wi><" a'sfongtatgbi^
£ naivery.'; ;•:*: i-i.~.'?-°£:j~c;*'j;:?: f A; s' ' \-t ;
.f;. f ; -"V. ; rethink' my^ ihappiestsremembranceS'V.
of^my/s^gerdaysTarje/.th^
lw^tl?^rlJmember 9 :i hb'w^ foiidHthel
\u25a0\vonVcnt ahd^cnjldren^used^to^be^of^
ymc^Oc^sibnaily*l:^iremind^th^^
I- tiieretis Va fnew/ge'neratibh^n^wj going \
itoytbrejth^a^
mothers^Haveinot forgotten jne^OftenV
she^remenibejs^seeing.p
'' daughters ;could ; see ;seeimenow.-jThat>
nj s - ja - compliment, ? isn't < it ?••' t -At rr
I lealt'f Pfind*it?so "'" '- :: ''\u25a0 \u25a0 >: ' : -"' * -^ "' S"*>--^*
" .'; Acid- wcll-'Shce may;/ for jof ; all ! ."the:;
s actresses "on the" stage,i none Jhaslm6re*4
|rjM^n|^bj||^o^|cf|her|fa^raeltb2^
Lutta^nSli=;has ? b'cen>fe^^(ihied;Tre-^
£elved/tuiiaii : hh)i>^^^
.byfthet^owners of
NoneihasTre'cVlv^edlmqreihori
|ias~ ?^v¥rjj^
: Not % vwprd]_ha \
\u25a0iienliShe? has-JtheJrcputation 2of ; being
an? actressf for;/ wliom *, eycrjvjone^ 'had \u25a0
ra^'d?has^^jl^^goodiwgfd.*<fHer^rly]
; life •! was -watched* over, 1 by '*lfe/--* mbthcr'
[=?a%v/ i's ela n v | >j: c c 111 1 e n t M g ua r <1 vt v? : o r \u25a0
||l(|||pl^^(j|»:: ;
p||il|||K|i||tli6
filpCiorni|iifii||ia
iffliiiiiiiiii
ithe rrc^d^whoj^was *to twin j men's 1
andfup.tofthV'dayibfihct^with
;<faltei£d.\;WTh^
rFrancis co '". wHo > ; knew' L'o ttatwell *as ?a
i^ild^iand^-aij^
\u25a0fp?aise*^N6w-! that^she] is? oncefnioreHrV
* t^yjmejight^q^^ub Hqity^'p^'plel are
recalltng|anecdotesf of RGaKfornia
3days.%: i Tncrc*are < ,rnany:of < them- ; --acts<
i-i-.--**^-*^'--" \u25a05; i rr»,'.rrfv-j- -.i-i-.* t- .-« :* -~--..v ' \u0084.-^ • .
Corir^antyih'.dd'tt from the: world.'acts
\u25a0 Vv.fi":;'S.,'>'-.-*V p : v .l-'''." 1 - 1 s'! iv -'¥-">> il ; r :-*\u25a0 ?--" . '^-.-.'
:of f . ; kindness *-of * wficn"~the '''}. benefi ds
rHesVpealc "with ; trembling^ voices! And
'thY/sweetest drop I ; in • Lbtta's*; cup 'of
.'fame : and " pleasure^ is t . the , knowledge
j^tb'at fallj wef ; the » wdfld,*; when her;fa
; tnous^ [horse, .Sbnqrha ~G»rl, ; A is, . : pitted
iagaini t'other^ **of*her.'ki»id^ there are
: thc(se (who 1 waiti t * eagerly/ for,* the ; news
Lthat;thei'f ayoritcibd"'rse*p£ ftheir ; favor
;ite^?bldtifh'e?actressih'a3; - been pro
• claimed *' a'iviaJMJv^f or^litr . « ke.