The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-03-07
LOTTA'S BIRTH PLACE.
1t Was in Jackson County, q
Few Miles From Kansas
City.
As a Child She Danced in Saloons,
as Girl Sang on the
Stage.
Kansas City Times.


saw Lolita as "B,b" at Coates oper,
house last night knew that the brigh
little actress was a native of jackson
county and first saw the light of da,
in that rough. rocky. billy tract tina
follows the course of the Little Blue a
a point about twenty miles from Kan
sss City. There has always been q
coed deal of speculation as to her
birth place, bat as will be seen below
the matter is settled beyond doubt,
a. her father was Isaac Crabtree. a
resident Of jackson county for many
years. A Times reporter yesterday
started out to obtain some facts re-
garding the matter, and first found
FJLMAN CRABTREE,
Cor MANY wears member of the Kan
sss City police force, who is cousin
Of the charming actress. GAS near
Is I can recollect," said the man of
hlue coat and brass buttons, my faith
ssr kept history of the Crabtree fami
" and was the best of authority on
ghe subject of the family's ramifica-
lions and branches, and would 60
serty miles to see a new Crabtree.
About Lolita, well, she was born down
mere on the Little Blue, aud, | sup
pose, is about 80 years of age. The
old gentleman, her father, had lit
tie farm there and was in poor cir
eumstances; but [ don't know who
.aer m other was. When the gold ex.
citement was leading SO many away
from this part of the country to Cali
fornia, old man Crabtree left his place
and went west. going into the country
where the gold was found. There is
where Lolita first attracted notice, and
at the time she was four or maybe FIVE
wears old. The old man used to take
her to saloons and have her sing and
dance on the table for the miners who
assembled in the place, and, as she
was a cute little thing. the boys used
70 shower gold upon her. This thing
was kept up for some time, till finally
4 troupe picked her up and took her to
San Francisco, l believe. Philip
Johns, the hardware man on South
Grand avenue. can tell you all about
her when she first appeared ON the
stage, as he used to pay in the orches-
ira of the theatre. All the Crabtrees
IN this country belong to one family,
and are the children of three brothers
who came over here from Scotland.
One settled in Western Tennessee,
near GAINESVILLE, another in the Red
river country, and a third in Green
county, Illinois. Lolita comes of the
Red river or the Tennessee stock, l
don't know which, but am certain it
is one of the two. The reporter then
went 10 search of
NR- PHILIP JOHNS,
who was found at his place of business,
and when asked if he knew Lolita,
replied: "Why, ::of course | did. and
she was little sandy haired, freckled
faced girl not more than ten years old.
ThaHwas in:1S56, at Yreka, California,
at which place the Chapman family, |
noted actors of that day, were playing
an engagement. They had good
theater, and played there an entire
season. This little girl was with
them, and the noted Heir Sedlock,
then only plain Sedlock, was leader of
the orchestra in which | was pianist.
Glow did the Chapmans co ne to
get Lolita ?"
They picked her up in some place
where her father had her singing in
a saloon, so they told US at the time.
Another girl was with her and they
used to sing and dance together. The
other girl could beat Lolita. or Gilt
tie Lotta," as We then called her, in
kicking and dancing; but Lolita had
he best voice and musical appreciate
ion. This girl was older than Lot
a, and married a young man of
Z reka, named Wetherell. Lotta's
mother accompanied her, and the
,ther girls father went with her."
Ibid ANY BODY GET FACINATED
With Lolita as Wetherell did with her
ono, she was a mere child then !;
besides, her mother was very strict
With her, but she was very successful
IN the stage. She had one song l
remember about nv
darling bride-to which she used to
lance the Highland fling. Her sue
less was immense, and she used to
,e encored and encored, while the
miner. threw gold on the stage to
,er. On one occaaion the sheriff of
he county threw a whole purse at
aer."
"How did she dress p
"She dressed in the ballet costume.
Il r. q.