The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 21, 1904, Page 19

t is alwa ctive—not least it is truc tainly the Russell had prattled the newspaper wo- my intention to when should I e to chat with a cigar label? Poets ers paint, sculptors keptic o doubt Even she the { loveiy woman vhose word goes and one’s stubborn still: remain untouched. I continued cold in the p ed original of a pou- dre de riz Jabel. But when you get her who has been canonized on a cigar lovely phiz has been wel the dusk f the sacred we to bless before of a two-bit nirvana bits, Lillian?)—you may >u have the hing. is only & woman, but a 10t long before I found myself ring whether she would E : i of cigarolatry or tron saint of a racehorse. Bloat- : bant monopolist, she id—but I anticipat d Miss Russell to add n of newspaper wo- Possib! what her to my galle im- ies and -a little curios- The affair was even a little dis- The lions in the e ™ N nes to her d and showed d. “Why, response to my ves, if re- and for the following nged questions as eminent- rviewer to ask on sinfully in- For example, to weight of Isadore when I saw her last year, a laborious and to 114 pounds, sheer cruelty. Con- with Miss Russell, of whom t a handsome ounce too gh a few more than of Miss d be as obvious- I knew, from ny fore-sisters, were ammas. Husbands, he races were open. But we should see. handsome as they asked confidentially as the stage door of the perhaps! as 1 laughed. you think?” he per- per woman—" n me—" ily whispered—*if is at all like the glimpse t night, she's one of the handsome creatures seen—ah, good evening, Miss Miss Rus: f her T got My confrere’s confirmatory gasp as he took the nk aliotted to him amus- ed but did not ariaze me. If Miss Rus- ¢ at long range she is at close range. The night was tside, s sharply a-glit- the n velvet of the but when the door of the 1l dressing-room opened the ef- as incandescent by contrast. Such of round cheek and small, arved ear, thin as a shell! Such red »f lip and palm! Such sheen gray eyves and white teeth, the 1 blaze of diamonds, sad flam the pale luster of pear whiteness of neck and Such glow and shimmer and f silk and fur and lace! And, such sunny laughter—that is le for the only wrinkles that 1 owns. ted herself in the fullest lectric lights with which room is studded, the artist at her side. A tiny snift the conversational ball cle r sky: t set «-rolling That is Moot 1. as a ,” Miss Russell ex- small black and white »d and scantily benosed, ance over my knee on ‘She doesn’t often she laughed. looks as though she had been e nice to the interviewer,” little creature, worth its $1000 pound, nestled contentedly st my furs—“even the female in- 1 added slyly. Miss Russell laughed, “you take me too seriously there. of the newspaper women are among my best friends. But there are people among them, as there sre among every class—and I've met a few of them lately. They always be- gin b asking me how I keep the wrinkles away, and look at me as though 1 were a specimen wriggling on a pin. 1 guess I've plenty of time for wrinkles yet.” “r've heard—if I may?—that the Christian Scientists claim you as an - cxample of the salutary effects of their creed?” “J do believe in Christian Science,” ", Miss Russell owned frankly. “It's good commonsense. We think ourselves into *-most of the sickness we have, and why ained to the so a ow mustn’t stupid . not think ourselves out of it? Every one knows that worry ages. The sci- entist refuses to worry. It's good ommongense.” The actress was even then engaged » “thinking herself out” of a cold. Lilke Voltaire, however, she seems to . believe in “incantations and ointment,” taking @ little phenacetine for the ac- ompanying headache’s sake. It may -haave been Christian Science, or sheer. e, natural sweetness, but with cvory pesky symptom of the grip she ‘s good humor and self-forgetful I courtesy itself. She went out into the “wings later with never a.wrap upon her bared shouldérs, and philosophic- W11y declared she “would be better to- norrow, though she was sorry there w.uld be a matinee as well as the evening performance.” “Now, you know,” she went on coz- fly, “if I were in New York I should just ge up front and say to the audi- ence, ‘awfully sorry 1 have such a cold to-night—you know how it is your- self, with a grippy snuffle that brought tears to my eyes. v it herc 1 advised. “I don’t know you well enough,” Miss Russell demurred. “You see, they know me there when I haven't a cold. “Isn’t this big theater rather uncom- fortable after the little Weber & Fields house?” “That’s just it,” the actress said. “At our theater we can lean over and shake hands with the people in the boxes. Sometimes do. Why, Peter—" “You mean Pete—' “We call him ‘Pete “will say, ‘Hello, Sheriff,” or any other person he happens to see, and make a song up about him right on the spot, under his very nose. You can’t do that with ycur audience half a mile away.” ! —gravely— ‘Mr. Dailey gets no-hinner under it.” ~ and he : has some mnew Ay Miss Russell laughed. She d down a little consciously at her plump shoulders as she added: came just now to tell me he had found a sure cure for one's super- fluous self—a sort of rubber band that you rub all cver you.” The shoulders reminded of the sea- green gown that rippled up to them, and Miss Russell aske@: “Do you like gown: en a female reporter—" 30sh!” she said; and to the smiling id et out the gray dress, Mar- ma garet.” Margaret obediently exhibited a dream in gray point de Venise, then a Redfern creation in winey rgse tints, a white miracle of embroidered silk, and so on. * 1 asked. “Paris? “But home industry—" “Style, my dear—" “They fit as well in New York—" “Better. It is not that. Look here,” and Miss Ruseell's five feet six or so rose royally before me. “This was de- signed for me by the —— Sisters of Paris. Isn’t there something— “There certainly is I acqulesced heartil And there certainly was. The gown was designed in deep sea tints, all clear, cool greens, with a gracile arabesque of strange sea flow- ers and starry-eyed fish, and the cav- ernous green of emeralds as garniture, the whole fitting like the skin of a mer- maiden. “You go over to Paris for them?” “No, Worth, Paquin”—I forget the rest—"all have a model of me. Some- times 1 can put the dresses right on without the slightest alteration. Why, Mootsie!"” I had been using part of Mootsié as a tablet and she objected here. “How did you manage to get Mootsie into the Pullman?” I asked then. “Oh, T hadn’'t any trouble about that”—Miss Russell’'s unconsciousness was all but absolute—"“why, the conduc- tor could hardly keep away from her! Achew! Your nice California weather!” “How did this happen?” I said. “Well—it was yesterday,” the actress owned. “It rained, you know. Oh, I love a rainy day at the races! There's no one there much, and it’s so fresh and pleasant. I was all over the ground at Ingleside yesterday. in the hospital where the little fellows are looked after when they get hurt, everywhere.” “How did you come out?” “Oh, I won,” she laughed, too, $1 “You lost on Gloriosa last Saturday.” I said, darkly. I had had what Miss Russell calls a “straight tip” to the effect. “But T won $100 during the day,” she laughed again, after giving due meed of surprise to my omniscience. “Do you really know how to bet, I mean how to choose a good horse? Or ie it just chance?” ell leaned forward earnest- No one can tell, you know. One follows—I follow—the records of a horse and usually bet according to those. But sometimes I bet just be- cause I like the looks of the horse, or the name of it, and I come out just as well as the rest.” Newly wise, I venture then: “It is only another form of speculation?” “And you have a quicker finish for your money,” the fair speculator main- tained. “If you go in for stocks you never know where you're going to coma out. A race settles it right there.” You're really very fond of racing?” “It's fascinating.” Miss Russell owned. “If you win you want to bet again to make more, and if you lose you want to bet again to make your loss good. Still, if T lose the first two races I go lightly. If I win I what we call ‘force my luck’—bet more.” “What was the most you ever won— “to-day, if T may? “Certainly. Well, I won $6000 once on Princelet. But that was a 40 to 1 bet. The most I ever lost was $400.” “I think you should give me the ‘straight tip,’ for to.morrow’s race,” I suggest. “Did you ever bet?” “A pair of gloves on Fabiola day in Oakland.” “Isn’t that dear?” she laughed. “Well, I think if you wager a pair of gloves on Lord Melbourne or My Order to- morrow” (this was for Wednesday) “you will win them.” I solemnly jotted down the names, but have not yet looked to see if my gloves would have been safe. Then I said guiltily: “We haven't talked art at all,, Miss Russell. Won't you tell me why Lillian Russell's address has been ‘Weber and Fields for the last five years?” “Mostly because Weber and Fields spells New York,” Miss Russell put it. “It is not an inordinate passion for burlesque then?” “Hardly,” the once queen demurred. Of course I like Weber and Fields, they're both the finest of their kind, but one gets very little individual opportunity for shin- ing in the burlesque work.” “Why then—?" “Why then stay in it? Because—" Miss Russell's smile was at its most lazily good-tempered here, her atmos- phere of easy well-being at its most pervasive, her epulent charms most luxuriously in evidence, “because my home is New York, because we leave it comic opera FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1904 19 Miss Lillian Russell Says Christian Science Is Common Sense, and Burlesque Suits Her Because It Gives Her Ease. o only for a few weeks, and I'm afraid because I like a gobd, easy time. Shocking, tsn't it?” “One has heard of such cases before. How long is your New York season?” “Thirty-five weeks. The rest of the time we put in in one-night stands n Cincinnati, Pittgburg, Philadelphia, and so on. The remainder of the time we rest. I go to my own home in Far Rockaway—it's only twenty-nine min- utes from New York.” “Did you begin in comic opera?” I asked. Miss Russell clasped her firm, white hands—languid, womanly, friendly hands, they are—and turned up her eyes as she replied: “No, I began in ballads, at Tony Pastor's. It was he who put me on in comic opera, in an abridged version of the ‘Pirates of Penzance.'! After that I sang in any number of them, ‘Olivette,’ ‘Billee Tay- lor, ‘La Grande Duchesse,’ etc., indefi- nitely.” “You have heard our local comic op- era?” “Oh, yes! And you don’t get a chorus anywhere like the Tivoli’s in New York. such fresh, well-trained, fine voices.” Miss Russell's blonde head, with its snowy feathers and lace, nodded much more vigorously than is its wont. “Thank you,” I said; “we're all proud of the Tivoll.” “Mr. Steindorff was my conductor for five years—splendid fellow!” she con- tinued. I again subscribed and asked then: “What role do you like best?” “La Grande Duchesse,” the actress sald with emphasis. And can't you imagine it? Her chin lifted with a comically regal air as she spoke. “Some day, perhaps, I may go back to it,” she sighed. “Your daughter is on the stage?” “Hardly,” laughed her mother. “You know she's married? Ran away, you know. And just 18. But it doesn't make any difference. We go shopping together, it's ‘mommer’ this and ‘mom- mer’ that, just the same as though she weren’'t married. About the stage? She went on for a week a little while ago with Amelia Bingham ip ‘Olympe,’ but she decided she had had enough in a week. Her husband’s a fine fellow.” I murmured: “I can’t understand how he could see daughter when ‘mamma was around.’” “She's very pretty—at least I think so—" mamma hastily said. And Margaret nodded an emphatic “yes” as the call boy called her mis- tress stageward. We watched her then lighting up the stage with her beauty and big, warm personality, evidently the idol of the whole company, and as evident- ly comfortably and vividly interested in them all. In fact, I have found few stage folk more simply friendly, fewer more innocent of “side,” less self-con- scious than Miss Russell “Well?” I asked the artist as we left. He said: “She’s a wonder. I think she’s the most beautiful woman I ever saw—and I'm going to tell my wife sol!” S gr— THE WEEK PROMISES MANY GOOD THINGS AT LOCAL THEATERS The theatrical outlook for the week is none of the most brilliant. Yet there is the wherewithal to amuse if not to edify very deeply. A large contingent will be attracted to “The Old Home- stead” at the Columbia Theater, in which the veteran actor, Denman Thompson, is to appear to-morrow evening. The “Old Homestead Quar- tet” is said to be of unusual excellence, and the play is sure to draw. R The “Wrong Mr. Wright,” George Broadhurst’s farcical comedy, will be given for the first time in stock by the Alcazar company this week. - e Those desirous of the kind of good time called “howling” cannot do better than take in the Central's bill this week, “The King of the Opium Ring.” K. er's “Human Hearts,” beginning to-night, will be the bill of the week at the Cali- fornia Theater. R The new bill at the Grand Opera- house, that begins with a matinee to- morrow afternoon, will be “The Game Keeper,” an Irish comeey. R “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” begins its last week at the Tiv- oli to-morrow evening. 85 “Roly Poly” is still running merrily at Fischer's. 3 . The Orphenn‘a hl'l a promising bill for the week. S v A Chinese baby girl in the incubator is leading lady at the Chutes this week. il rn NOTES ABOUT ACTORS AND SOME GOSSIP OF THEATER WORLD Those who enjoyed Justin Huntly MecCarthy’s pleasant romance “If I ‘Were King,” as played by E. H. Soth- ern, will b-\ylenud to learn that the writer has prepared a new play espe- cially for Mary Mannering. It is said that the actress hopes to have the drama in readiness for the first per- formance to be given during her forth- coming engagement at the Columbia Theater. e Richard Mansfleld will shortly pro- duce in New York the new play enti- tled “Ivan the Terrible.” The actor ex- pects to produce the play during his Western tour, alternating it with his other production, “Old Heidelberg.” Mansfield,. who is to bring his massive production of “Old Heidel- berg” here later in the season, early last year mapped out the present tour, which is the most extensive he has ever undertaken. The present itiner- ary embraces 16,000 miles, and though there are only nine one-night stands, the larger cities only being privileged to see the distinguished actor and his great success, he will not finish his season until the 15th of June. Up to the first of March only four cities will have been visited, “Old Heidelberg” enjoying long runs in New York, Chi- cago, Boston and Philadelphia. Then he visits the South, New Orleans, the Middle West and the Pacific Coast, playing San Francisco for the first time in nine years. Although more than 100 people appear in “Old Heidelberg,” Mansfield employs no local supers. The great number of people is largely made up of a chorus of men, his numerous working staff to manipulate the heavy settings and the principal artists of his company. Every hour of the tour is now scheduled. Mansfield will live on his private car; there will be three sleepers for the company and three cars for the scenery and baggage. r——— i National Union. San Franeisco Council of the Na- tional Union has removed from the Red Men’s building to the Native Sons’ building, and at its first meeting there, February 18, three candidates were in- itiated, after which there was a pro- gressive whist party. Columbia A Assembly, Ladies of the National Union, at its last held session, which was on a very wet night, had an attendance of more than forty mem- bers. There was a business session, after which the sccial feature was a card party, progressive whist. The members of this new organization are working actively to make it ons of the most attractive social fraterna! as- sociations in this city. % Berkeley Council gave a reception and musicale to its members and friends in I O. O. F. building in Berke- S SRSV Sy 0 ley on February 15, which proved to be a most delightful function. The at- tendance was large and the programra of vocal and instrumental music was most enjoyable. » El Dorado Council, after the termi- nation of business on the 16th of Feb- ruary, had a pleasant evening of en- tertainment under the direction of Speaker Sanders. There was an inter- esting programme of music, songs, story telling, adventure and specialties which kept the m#mbership,in geod hu- mor for two hours. A coilation was served e i Order of Pendo. The councils in Los Angeles and vi- cinity are being visited at this time by Supreme Councilor Tugwell, who will remain in that locality for two weeks. i Supreme Secretary Terry has re- turned from his visit in Grants Pass, Or., where he spent several days in the interest of the organization. A new council, called “Home,” or- ganized by Deputy E. E. White, was instituted in this city in A. O. F. Hall by the supreme officers last week with a charter list of fifty. The new coun- cil has absorbed the membership of Enterprise Council. Berkeley Council of Lorin on the evening of February 9 installed its of- ficers for the current term and then initiated a class of ten strangers. On the following night Oakland Council alsb installed its officers and initiated twenty applicants for admission. The latter were secured through the ef- forts of Mrs. Hanavan, an energetic member of the council. Alameda Council has arranged for an entertainment on March 1. The Fraternals. Oakland Lodge of the Fraternal Brotherhood at its meeting last we after business entered upon the first > a series of ten games of progressive whist. The prizes are a gold watcn for the gentleman who is declared the win- ner and a ladles’ gold watch for the lady winner. Columbia Lodge at its last held meat- ing received six applications, Aurora Lodge received a like number and Mis- slon Lodge received five. All the local lodges are actively at work and each is striving to make a better record than the cther. Progress Lodge will give a Dolly Var- den party in the assembly hall of the Red Men's building on Wednesday. FOLK FTA S PITREAR L MR L e The latest word of symphony matters is hopeful if peculiar. But symphony there is to be, which after all is the question. It is doubtful if Herr Scheel will come this year under the auspices of the San Francisco Symphony So- ciety, under the business auspices, that is. There seems to be a large though friendly disagreement as to the fit and proper fashion of conducting the af- fairs of the society, that will probably result in the symphony concerts tak- ing place this year under the manage- ment of Will E. Greenbaum. Mr. Green- baum has séveral plans for the hand- ling of the coming season. Most im- portant, it is likely that Mr. Scheel will be advised to bring with him some eighteen or twenty men to reinforce the local orchestra. For the consequent expense a series of popular concerts, such as were so genuinely popular some years ago under Mr. Scheel's leader- ship, will probably be arranged. The financial difficulty is the only ome at the basis of the symphony troubles. If such means for obviating this dif- ficulty as the series of popular com- certs could be successfully brought about, the problem is solved. The plan is to make these tributary concerts popular in programme, to give them say three evenings in the week, and to turn the selected concert hall for the time being into a continental cafe. It is a scheme presenting few difficulties and many advantages. One remembers vividly Mr. Scheel's delight- ful Vienna orchestra at the Midwinter Fair. Wjth the visiting artists the pro- posed concerts would be of equally at- tractive caliber, morally certain of sue- cess. We have nothing of the kind here and it is possible that the fact that in supporting the popular concerts the visitor would be giving the most substantial help to the symphony sea- son would prove no small factor in the success of the series. It is un- necessary to dwell upon the improve- ment inevitable in the local orchestra with the importation of new blood. We know our weaknesses, and there is evident a graceful and sensible de- sire to remedy them. The above plan carried through would undoubtedly in- sure us a symphony season of a kind we have hardly dared to hope for, an earnest of what sure'y will be ours, in spite of much discouragement, be- fore s0 many years have gone. & xl e The musical programme of the com=- ing week includes that of the farewell concert of Donald de V. Graham, that will take place on Saturday evening next at Steinway Hall. There has been a very interesting programme or- ranged, in which the following artists, with Mr. Graham, will take part: Mme. Camille D’'Arville, Mrs. M. E. Blanch- ard, Mrs. H. M. Gillig and Nathan Landsberger. The engagement of the Scottish Band, called the “Kilties,” begins Tuesday night, February 23, at the Alhambra Theater. Concerts will be given every night until the end of the week, Sun- day included, and matinees on Wednes- day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, when special rates for children will be made. The following selections will be played the opening night: Overture, “Rosamunde,” by Schubert; Scotch fantasia,“Robert Bruce,” by Boinnseau; ballet music from “Sylvia,” by Delibe: “Moorish Intermezzo,” by Arnold; in- cidental music to “Nell Gwyn,” by Ed- ward German; selections from “Prince of Pilsen” and other popular numbers. Besides these numbers by the band the choir of sixteen voices will sing “Annie Laurie” and other part songs, and the tenor will sing “The Bonnie Lass o Ballochmyle.” The Johnstone troupe will dance the “Reel o' Tulloch, “Irish Jig"” and sword dance. The programme will be changed at every performance and a comparison with any band pro- grammes ever given here will result in a verdict for the Kilties. Prices for the engagement will be popular. e o * The second novelty concert by the Kopta Quartet and Mrs. Oscar Mans- feldt will be given this afternocon at Lyric Hall. The novelty for the occa- sion will be a string quartet by God- ard, the brilliant French composer. Mrs. Birmingham will sing a group of songs, including compositions by Al- bert Elkus, the young Californian composer, who will play the accompani- ments. The titles of the Elkus songs are “The King of Thule” and “Al Raschid.’" THe final concert of the first series of these concerts will be given on Sunday, March 13, when the Richard Strauss Piano Quartet will receive its first production on this coast. . N Great interest is being takem in the concerts to be given by Harold Bauer, the pianist, at Lyric Hall on Tuesday and Thursday nights, March 1 and 3, and Saturday afternoon, the 5th. Bauer originally appeared before the public as a violinist, but always evinced great pianistic talent. One evening when in his company Paderewski was so delighted with the wonderful tone— color and quality of the young aftist's touch that he strongly advised him to forsake his career as a violinist and make a specialty of the piano. Bauer did so, and the result is now known all over the world. At his first concert here, Bauer's programme will include the ¥ sharp minor sonata of Schumann, a work rarely attempted in public, al- though all pianists know and study it. Other important numbers will be “The Fantasia,” by Chopin, and Lisat's “Mephisto Waltz.” Seats will be on sale next Saturday morning, February 27, at Sherman, Clay & Co.'s, where com- plete programmes for the three reecitals may be obtained. —_——————— Order of St. George. Empress Victoria Lodge of the Daughters of St. George will have a leap vear social and dance in its hall in the Red Men's building on the even- ing of February 30. Mrs. Ethel Flack has been selected as chairman of an able committee that has been appoini= ed to look after the details of this af- fdir. Many of the members of the lodges of the Sons of St. George have signitied their intention to be present.