Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1873-12-11
FORTUNES VAGARIES.
once Famous London Actress Pick.
ing Coal in Kansas City.
From the Kansas CITY Times.

From the Kansas City Times.
The recent arrest of number OF poor coal
pickers in West Kansas City resulted in the
discovery of the identity and the present
home OF once very popular actress, who
made her debut in and for the season drove
the play-going public of London wild over
her beauty and power of delineation. Mrs.
Caroline Whlttlesey, or, as she was better
known, the brighton PEARL" appeared on
the Stage in Drury Lane about twenty-five
years ago. and after brilliant season of
favor and popularity, suddenly faded from
the London stage, and for several years was
lost to the public gaze. When she next ap-
peared before the footlights it was as Mrs.
Whittlesey, in the Theatre Royal, at Hull,
Yorkshire.
These brief outlines of this woman's re-
markable history were given by herself to a
neighbor, who has by kindness and attention
to the child of this gifted and eccentric wo-
mana little girl of thirteen years, who was
caught in the act of filling her little basket
cific Railroad-won h, confidence Mrs
Whittlesey appeared in behalf of her child,
and her calm and lady-like manner, and pale,
careworn face, were, all the eloquence re-
quired to release tine little girl from the watch
man 8 grasp. This man, to test the woman s
words as to her poverty and destitution, WIS.,
tied her shanty, rude, upholstered hovel in
the bottom near the railroad track
The contents OF the house of this once bril-
liant woman are vivid contrast to her pala-
tial residence, furnished her while the mis-
tress of Lord Denbigh. A clean but humble
bed, few chairs, table, number of relics
of the STAGE such as play bills, portraits, etc.,
and sewing machine, comprise all her
earthly possessions. Although poor and
pinchcd by poverty, this woman preserves all
the dignity of Queen Elizabeth, character
she has no doubt filled to perfection some
day, long, long ago. She came to Kansas
City about five years ago, and has lived here
since the death of her husband iii 1870, by
her own eXertiOns as seamtress. She wears
upon her finger handsome ring with the
Denbigh coat Of arms engraved thereon. She
says when she left the stage in 1853, she did
SO to become the wife of Lord Denbigh, with
whom she went, as his wife, to Geneva, and
thence to Florence, where they lived in re-
tirement for several months. On his death
her claims as his wife were set aside, and
having neither money nor friends, she aban7,
doned her claims and again returned to the
stage, and for several years was popular
provincial favorite in England, Australia and
Canada. While in England in 1860 she mar
ried a young Englishman named Whittlesey,
with whom she lived many happy years in
domestic quiet She says she has been COM
PEELED to send her child to gather coal to
assist in eking out the scanty support won by
her needle. Among the curious mementoes
of her early life, Mrs. Whittlesey preserves
nothing with such Jealous care as folio of
play-bills giving her 81 cast" in plays for sew
eral years in England, Australia and Canada.
This lady still retains some trace of that re-
markable dash and beauty which made her
the favorite star of the London stage twenty
years ago.