New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-06
OLIVE LOGAN.
A Sketch of Her Life.

Miss Olive Logan's history might be
woven into a novel which would prove
anew that truth is stranger than fiction.
She was born in the village OF Elmira, New
York. Her father was celebrated come
dian. who Joined to a comic power of the
highest order the grace of a gentleman, the
retinements of a poet and the cultivation of
scholar-a man who could set audiences
in roar, or rite poems OF a beauty which
awakened the enccmiums of Blackwood, or
discuss metaphysical question with an
erudition most rare and forcble. His reply
to DR.. Beecher in defense of the stage ire
Gently published in Sol Smiths volume, is
sued by the Harpers) is one of the few illus
tratiOns of this power which is now eXtant
At the time of Olives birth he was play
ing in Elmira. and a few days later Miss
Logan had left the village an infant never
to see it again until she should return to it
Just four years ago 10 lecture before the
Young Mems Christian Association of FL
mira. The events which have been crowded
into the years which have elapsed since
that day would fill volume with strange
and varied experiences. With Miss
Logans girlhood, before she struck out in
the sea Of life to win her own way, we have
but little acquaintance. 1t is easy to i'm
agine, however, from her "reminiscences of
the old actors. and her anecdotes of the
stage contained in her lectures and maya
zine articles, what he childhood must have
been.
With father whose chief delight it was
to drill his little daughter IN language and
poetical utterance, and with the strange
life of the stage always about her, the
basis was laid for the superstructure of
literary culture and dramatic elO4uence
she now illustrates. A woman who re-
members being carried on the stage in the
arms of Kean or a Macready, in the play
OF "PizarrO," has a treasure in that
memory alone. 1t is known that her girl
hood was passed in Cincinnati till she was
fourteen, and that while there she was
educated at the Wesleyan Female College.
At the age OF fourteen we find her support
ing herself by, playing on the stage in
Philadelphia, her father having died, leav-
ing large family. From this time for
ward, until her departure for Paris in 1857,
we get traces of her at different theatres in
this country, where she was chiefly known
for her extraordinary beauty and her purity
and sweetness of character.
She remained some seven years in France.
residing in Paris all that time, but making
FREQUENT trips to London and the French
watering places. In London she was the
guest of various member of the English no.
blity at different times. including Lady
Palnerston the Countess COwley. etc. In
Paris her own house was the resort of num-
berless shining lights in the worlds of art,
literature, and fashion, and she was in con-
slant attendance on those imperial festivi-
ties which made Paris SO brilliant and daz
cling to the votaries Of pleasure. There
she met Thackcray, who was one OF her
most enthusiastic admirers speaking in
glowing terms to many OF the lady's friends
IN praise of her beauty and wit. There the
Prince Poignac, Count Gurowski, Edmond
About, the novelist, Michel Chevalier,
the political economist, Rothermel. the
artist, Greenough, the sculptor, Gardoni
and Tamburini, the celebrated operate
tenors, Mcllenry, the capitalist, and other
distinguished men rallied around her, with
a liberal sprinkling Of lesser lights, such as
the Chevaler Wyckotf and George Francis
Train. There the Princess Metternich
openly expressed her admiration OF ia belle
imeric0i,se," saying, If had that face
would have the world at my feet''-a mot
that was buzzed about the salons. There
the Emperor's cher de cabj,,ct. the cynical
old Mocquard, awaited himself of Miss
Logan's intellectual culture and dramatic
talent for what the playwrights call con
struction." This is modestly Swallowed
forth bv the lady herself in her article in
HarDer with the celebrated chctS name for
title. nc. NJ.
Logan did not neglect her literary tastes;
but wrote profusely for both French and
English Journals, besides getting out two
volumes entitled, respectively, photo
graphs of Paris Life and Chateau n FRS
Sac. or Home Scenes in France. These
books were published in London by Inns
lev. and in New York by the Appletons.
On her return to this country, MISS Logan
Welded to generally expressed desire 10
see her on the stage. After orle1 starrlIs
soasnn Of WaIIack's Theatre, in New York,
She made the round of the Larger cities; but