The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-02-13

SHE Is 1ETERVIEWED-HER RISE, PRO-
GREss AND HER PROFESSIONAL
PROSPERITY.
From the New orleans Times, Jan. sOth,

ned to his enthusiastic admiration fol
the charming IOtta by crOwning heI
with the title of /" q diamond edition OF
dramatic delights" Others than John
Brougham-and those others may be
alluded to as countless thousands-have
periodically re-echOed that sentiment
intensified to the full measure of popular
favor, as bOuntifully revealed by the ex-
traOrdinary triumphs which have mark
ed her professional career from its in
ceptiOn to the present day.
warmly and heartily esteemed, and her
annual visits to our stage, have been
| felicitous events, attended by such earn
! eat welcomes as must be as gratifying to
| the artist as to the hearts that have ut
tered them.
IN VIEW THEREFORE,
of such recital, it may be fairly assured
| that a brief sketch of LOtta's life will be
of pleasing interest to her numerous ad-
mirers, and in this purpose, therefore, q
Times representative, interviewing the
lady on Thursday, at her apartments in
| the st. Charles Hotel, herewith offers
the result of his pleasant task:
Lolita was born in the city of New York
in the year eighteen hundred and--
something, it may. be depended upon,
| but what, it is not for this chronicler to
know, and even if he knew, it may also
be assured that he would not tell. Pub
lie curiosity may run rampant, and un-
limited quantities of midnight oil may
be consumed in endeavors to fathon5
the mystery, but the subject is forbidden
ground. and public curiosity must con-
tinue unsatisfied to the end.
Suffice it to say that she is yet long
way on
THE SUNNY SIDE OF THIRTY,
erratic reports to the contrary notwith-
standing. When she had reached the
age of three years her parents migrated
westward to California. and settled in
San Francisco, where they lived about
three years, but failing to achieve de-
the mining town of Laporte, in the
mountain country near Sacramento.
Here her father became interested in
mining, while LOtta, charming and win
some in her girlhOod, grew to be the pet
of her village home, and an object Of
loving worship among the hardy sons of
the soil, who daily delved among the
hidden golden treasures of mother earth.
Thus in her
.4...- QUIET AND SIMPLE LIFE
she dwelt for four years, until one day,
by chance, being brought to the notice
of peripatetic dancing master, he
stTHightway discovered within her,
germs of q talent that gave promise of
much attainment. Acting upon this
suggestion, her parents at once gave her
into the hands of the Terpsichorean pro-
fessOr for instruction, and within brief
season, she not only made rapid progress
in that art, but evidenced remarkable
histriQnic genius, and, at subsequent
public exhibition, won such triumph,
that, needing the urgent suggestions of
their friends, her parents resolved to at
once bring her forward on the dramatic
stage.
. IN PURSUANCE, THEREFORE, .
of such determination, they shook the
dust of Lap0rte from their feet and re-
turned to San Francisco. Here; after
giving the youthful genius the benefit of
a stage training, her father formed a
travelling company, and, with Lotta
billed as the chief attraction, toured
through the cities and towns of CalifOr-
mia and Oregon for space oftwo years.
The style of entertainments encom-
passed the representations of light
sketches arranged to bring the young
artist out in her specialties of singing
and dancing.
In the course of time she appeared in
such parts as Gertrude in.
@4@s"THE LOAN OF A LOVER"
and other frOlicksome portravals, and
with each successive appearance, made
rapid strides in the march of artistic ad-
vancement, SO that ere the close Of the
first twelVemontt, she achieved a pro-
nOuneed popular success, and thence
forward to the close of the tour met with
continued and notable triumphs. s~.s
She was landed as the dramatic prodigy
of the age, end ere she returned to San
Francisco her fame had grown to such
volume, that upon her first appearance
in that city she was greeted by a brilliant
and emphatic endorsement of the high
claims that Chat he'd he'd been put forth on her
behalf. Her position was therefore as
sured, and she continued to act in that
city for several years, meanwhile steadily
growing in favor and multiplying her
accomplishments. Is ~.tsrs. 3
Eventually, lured by the promise of
fresh success in the East, her parents
journeyed with her to New York, and in |
that city 4.-. II. sa .sa.sra.
d n.s FIRST APPEARED -..,.-.s.
at Niblois. Owing to improyident map- |
agement, she was not successful but |
rising superior TO the circumstances Of
failure, she nerVed hepself with determi-
nation to seek success In other fields, |
and making tour through the West |
she won It In such thorough amplitude, |
that wien next she returned to New |
York, and appeared at Wallaek's the |
Metropolis shOWered upon her the en-
CouragemeElt and popular tribute that |
she had fairly Wrested from the hand of |
fortune. ts.& ,AEsaa W. - ,ist a4s.@i /
From that period dawned the brightest |
era OF her fame, J, and thereafter her career |
Was adorned by constant professional |
tTiumphs, such as have seldom marked !
the histories of the greatest artists known |
lin dramatic history. The name of Lolita |
became household word, and her. adj
vent the signal for an outponring OF the
masses.
Fortune followed fame, and all the |
honors which the profession could be- |
stow, flowed in plenteous profusion into
her lap.
, six years agp, Lotta 4 first Il acted ste b before
Theatre. Since that period with the in |
teFTegnufar OF last seasOn, she has made |
annual pilgrimage hithers and that tsaeh |
visit has been the occasion of q triumph |
ant episode, need not be set down here
it is faithfully recorded ip 1lle minds Of
the people. AZ the close af her ssasnps;
in 1872, feeling the need OF rest from her.
ARnUoUs LABoRs,
and desiring to perfect her studies In
music and the languages, she went
abroad for an extended holiday, and
ielsrneying through Europe, England
and Scotland, for the space of o twelve |
month, gained refreshing recreation.
Ii was her nriginaI is1fanfinn To enter