River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-12-20
4 Belle Of the FOOtIights.

From the Kansas city Times.
Some three or four years ago, when the
Oh Walnut Street theatre was in full
blast and each night welcomed a new
star and added to the attractions of the
theatre, there came from the east charm
ing. wild laughable female vocalist with
a banjo Ella Warner was the favorite.
and night after night the Walnut street
theatre shook and trembled with the APP
plause awarded the young ami vivacious
blonde from Cincinnati But there camc
about an ugly meeting It was one
which might have spoiled a play in or
binary life. but with two well-trained
actors the surprise was profound secret
until after the curtain fell. Ella Warner
and her husband, George Franc, were
cast for scene in which a new man
from ST. Louis was to take part. The
new man had failed to reach the city in
tim, for rehearsal, and made his first
appearance after the curtain went
up. When Ella Warner responded TO her
cue and came upon the stage she met
her first husband, George Gulick, from
whom she had been divorced. The sur
prise was mutual, but neither pretended
to recognize the other. They had been
lovers in a bright suburban town in
southern Ohio, and two little children at
tested The felicity of their married life.
Manager Williams. who then had the
Walnut street theatre under his control,
found it impossible to keep the divorced
and wife, and in due time George Frame
and his wife, Ella Warner, went to Joplin,
and from thence driftcd to Cincinnati,
~. Z -
fortune.
When Mr. and Mrs. Frame arrived IN
Cincinnati after their western tour, they
were in pecuniary distress. They had
letters to a well-known variety theatre
there, and soon after their arrival they
made application for positions. When
they were introduced TO the stage man
ager, trey were surprised to find in him
the discarded and divorced husband,
Gulick, whom they had met at Kansas
City. The stage manager listened grim
IL and exultantly TO their story of distress.
and responded by offering Ella Warner,
his former wife, position on the stage;
but for her second husband, Frame, he had
nothing. Ii was hard, but the husband
and wife accepted the proposition. Ella
became star under the auspices of her
first husband and girlhood's love, while
her second husband wac a loafer, half
starving on the streets.
While the old Kansas City favorite was
winning favors and fame az a banioist
and sOngstress, her second husband was
being distracted with jealousy and
despair. Ella Warner, thrown constantly
into the company of her frst husband and
her children, seemed to forget her later
love. who was out of work and a wander
er on the street. She made her home
with a rich aunt Of her first husband, in
Cincinnati, and became one of the family
Then Frame. the second husband. left in
a fit of jealousy and despair, and Ella APP
piled for a divorce for the purpose of
marrying the first husband. But cloud
shot athwart this sunny sky. Just when
Ella had secured her divorce from F-ine
her first husband became infatuated by q
new face and married another just when
his first wife was ready TO marry him.
Then her fond hopes were blighted; her
bright picture of domestic happiness oh
liberated; a barrier was thrown up be
tween her and her children, and she again
launched forth into the world.
In her travels this favorite Oi the foot
lights met and was courted by Stickney,
the famous circus clown. They were
married, and retired TO rural life in Kan
sas There this heroine Of the footlights
gathered about her the children of GulIck.
Frame, and Stickney, all hers, and all
well cared for and equally beloved by her.
She was in this city few days ago with
her husband, Mr.. Stickney, both of them
retired from the stage, and each happy in
a mutual love. The ups and downs of a
variety theatre girl are many, but few
have borne them as well as the once
Kansas City f4yorite, Ella Warner, the
baBjoist.