The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-31

DDGfo49e U1&c9tUs
~oex a. me- STORY or sux TROUBLE BE,
8 rre~x xes- xsLpA ssouJx.wALLAcs AND
,esas xrnA ABBoT1 a. TOLD By TnE foR'
- z roux INTERESTING REVELATIONS
a NV tIkss ego an Item appeared ~ me
rndlSnspolis journal stating That MT.
xejis Segulu (Mp. David Wa'iacel nao ei'
the Abbott Opera Company ana wou'u re- 9,
main Ia that city duripE tne remainues ~
the winter. Since Der Withdrawn sro - .ae
eompaBy there have been numerous 'n ,H.,
views published IN the papers % sne 'esu.
jng western cities regarding the Ieasons'o'
hfr conduct, none OF the statements, now.
ever. coming from her. No'iceapse smouS
these we're interviews WHO mr. Iss
fEmma Abbott's husband) ~ Tue Sn,vas 1885,
Hnrr,ssev. the Understandings In the
81. paul Pioneer. Press.
IN order 10 ascertain her reasons Tor
leaving the Abbott Company journal re.
porter called upon her, and, after ihe usua'
formsJiiles. stated the object OF bis visit.
Mr.. seruin said "When left the COM
many / decided to make no statements re-
rsrdinv nv reasons, nor have Done 80
ontiI now am compelled, by the constant
MISREPRESENTATION In the papers, 10 speak
Ia nv own behalf. do not desire news
n,uer publicily In connection Wild my PIT,
yafe ssialrs. but / do desire fair treatment,
"From whss time does your engagement
with the Abbott Company da'ef
"sluce the beginning OF the season o,
fe-o-se0.v was the reply. Before that i
had received several very fiatiering oilers
from Sshs ga %ans sen;a a@ aees ms.
Miss Abbott came 10 me personally ana
begged me to go with her, saying that .neir
object was 10 build ups company OF urst'
class American artists for the presentation
Of English opera, and that by JOINING tnem
nav PROFESSIONAL reputation would be greatly
enhanced. A similar offer was made my
husband, and, yielding TO bis solicitations,
decided to sign contract with them"
aWhs, were the terms OF that contract! "
asked the reporter.
et was scstch' contract, nothing
more" was the emphatic reply; sand l
will tell you by what disbonorab'e means L
sbecame bound to them. The contract was
fba same in substance as those had been
used To making. but when came to read IL
over, Mr.. MorIissey, who was the business
manager. said: Never mind reading IT.,
II nroyides for g. week, you TO sing fve
times. ana Is In the usual form for contracts
for one season.; so l signed without ex-
aminjuo II CLOSELY. Instead OF being In the
usual form. rs Mr.. Morrissey said, 1t con.
taiped clause which bound me for three
wears II the management chose TO keep me,
hus left me no recourse In the matter Of
course only intended to bind myself Tor
the coming season." 49,,
"When did you discover your mistaken =.
"Not for some time, and then when
expostulated the management OF the COM
pany assured me that there would De no
fronble about the matter, and so paiu no
more attention 10 it. After We bad peen
cut few weeks Mr.. WetbeTali INFORMED
me that owing to bad business tbey wouiu
be obliged 10 reduce my husband's salary
$50 week. knew that would won"o n,s
,,rosess;onsi tsride deeply, Tor be was very
xsensifive, add so l told Mr.. Wethtrall TO
leave bis salary as il was and reduce mine,
which was done, Mr.. Scguin, OF course,
knowing nothing OF thetransaction. After
nv husbands death, which occurred few
weeks later, they refused 10 pay me my inil
salary as provided for by the contract
.Wby did you remain with the company
after those traDsactionsr
..Because l felI bound to them for that
wear, and | did not want to do anything
dishonorable. /, however, began to look
around for the ensuing season, and con-
suited my friends as 10 the proper manner
10 secure NY release. Mr.. Rapley, manager
OF the National Theatre, at Washington,
and Judge Macarthur and others gave ma
ADVICE on the subject; ana right mere ue.
sire TO SAY something emphaticaily, ana tbat
is that The statements made by Mr.. Morrissey
and Mr.. wetheral that ny b%soa ana Y that
would not have desired my release had 1t
not been for him, are totally and maliciously
false. Long before ! met MIR. Wallace |
was determined 10 secure my release il l
could Go so by honorable means, and bis
irfiuence has had nothing to do with 1t, as
ne has only done " bateyer he could to pro-
tect my interests"
"But why we're you SO DESTROYS OF Sc
curing your release in the middle OF the
season 2"
alt was simply because felt that was
hurting my professional reputation by re-
maiuIng with such company. Last year,
besides Abbott and myself, We had Castle,
Karl, Marie stone, Ellis Ryse, and Mr. Nc
Donald-all excellent artists. When L
Joined The company this year | found only
Castle, Brignoli, Abbott, and myself as
principals, while parts formerly taken by
Karl, Ryse, and Miss Stone, and Mcdonald
were done by chorus people, and, OBJ, how
badly! felt that we were not keeping
faith W .tb the public. We advertised re-
perf0ire Of o dozen or more operas, but
could only do three or four at all satisiac-
toriiy."
"In what manner did this affect your
reputation?"
ssSimply in this way: appeared in
operas with such people and the hewspa.
pers could not consistently commend the
performance, 1t was so bad. Consequently
suffered by their criticisms on other peo-
pie aud the company got the reputation Of
being very bad one. My friends where
We appeared advised me to leave them, but
felt q hesitancy about doing It,"
"Wnst was Mr.. Wetheralps object In not
keeping bis company upto its former stand
ardfn
81 suppose be intended to travel on the
reputation already made, and did not care
what Kind OF people he had so they were
cheap ones. Frequently was so mortified
by the performances given that felt like
refusing 10 go on. At our closing night at
81. Louis we did the Chimes of Normandy
In 4 manoer that would have disgraced al
company Of amateurs. Everything was
done for cbeapness; and TO illustrate this
l will relate an incident When we closed
at Grand Rapids. Mich, we were to go TO
Nuskegon. Before starting, tue man
ayers said to the chorus-singers: I'VE
can't afford to pay for the transportas
ton Of your baggage; wrap mp Your cos
tunes In bundles and carry them, and
those Door women were compelled To, al
though Il greatly mortified them. and made