Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-07-08


Blanche Melbourne is the daughter OF a
character we'll known in Missouri and st.
Louis as Major Melbourne. The Major
came from some place or other, nobody
ever seemed TO know, to Missouri at the
close of the war. He brought the title OF
major with him, and claimed a record in
the federal army. In those days cheek
would tell and the man who pushed him
self to the front generally managed to stay
there. The ma ior attached himself to the
McClurg retinue, and secured the posi-
ton of Assistant Adjutant General.
His Family
lived in st. Louis, and there were four
children, three boys and Blanche, VINO was
the eldest. When the rule OF McClurg
was over the msior came to st. Louis, and
was frequently a guest of the Laclede
Hotel lobby, which has ever seemed to be
the resort of unemployed gentlemen OF po-
litical influence and interesting histories.
Then Eugene Weigel took the major into
the office of park commissioner as CLERK.
1t was at about this time that blanche De.
gan to attract attention. At II years Gt
age, when she was forming, she gave prom
ise of beauty that was more than realized
At the age of l. her matchless figure was
set of by costly apparel, which her father
paid for il he could and which was paid for
if he could not. The major, not to put too
fine point upon it, was known at the
City Hall as always being in financial
trouble, and his creditors held mass meet
ings on the lst Of every month In the cor
ridors OF the great barn. Blanche was oa
the street great deal, and she attracted
great deal OF attention. 1t was not noticed
that she was ayerse to tiirtation.
She Wrote
charmingly sarcastic replies, which soothed
as they stung, to the fawning epistles OF
sighing swains. To some she granted the
privilege of taking her for drive. Keepers
of fashionable resorts recall that she han
died the bill of fare with the grace OF Hal.
let Kilbourne. She was ayerse to wine,
and rarely drank it. Children who play
with edged to OILS generally get cut, and, In
the midst of her career OF wild Irritation,
the beauty found herself in love with a
Young man of high social position. They
perhaps quarreled, and one day the story
of how Blanche had fallen from window
of her fathers house, near Lafayette park,
and broken her arm was current. Ii was
said that she lost her balance in striving to
gain farewell view Of handsome young
man who wore spectacles and drove q
blooded trotter to light road wagon. 1t
was also said that the fall from the window
was
A Deliberate Attempt at Suicide,
which The spectacled owner of the tiotting
horse was resnnnsible for. The matter BILE s;
over, and then Blanche came 10 the front
as an aspirant for histrionic honors. She
Contided her ambition 10 newspaper man
OF this city. She longed to tread the stage
as Juliet, and, rather than be debarred the
privilege would withstand the ordeal Of
the journalists Romeo. As beautiful as
Nelson, and with elocutionary powers of
nc mean order, and thoroughly stsgestruck
the newspaper man now regrets that he
damped her ardor. She had society friends,
however, and through one OF them she
managed to secure an introduction into
the Mccullough Dramatic Club, and made
an appearance at the Pickwick theater in a
minor part in one of the old English COM
edies. She attracted general attention by
reason OF her great beauty Of form and
face.
Her Stage Presence
was pronounced perfect, and the male
members Of the club were congratulating
each other upon the valuable acquisition,
the society reporter wrote ecstatic notices,
but the lady members OF the club got to-
gether and resolved that they could not
afford to speak as they passed by the de.
butante. The star arose to tumble for a
night in the armament of amateur theatre
Gals and then sank to rise no more in that
quarter of the heavens, but to reappear
two years later very planet in the great
system of adventureses that revolve around
IL. tra1C haf hn hno,, tf,,1
blonde daughter of Weigel's clerk, the fas
Cinating young lady who could purchase
Enormous Bills Of Dry Goods,
and have the bills sent to pa, and who had
such a brief career in society .heatricals
and disappeared leaving score of hearts
aChing and pair of spectacles dimmed ~
The bitter tears OF parting, is the Mrs
Bush OF the Sartoris scandal, there is no
question. The brother.in.law OF Fred
Grant admits that he Knew her name was
phlegm but what does that matter, she
had to have some sort of name, you know"
In Chicago interview, she referred to the
fact that George Alfred Townsend was her
cousin. DR.. STEPHENS, who knew the Mil.
burne family well, confirms this state
ment. Tine identification is complete.
When they left here they went to Wash.
ton, where Blanche seems to have taken
matters in hand, and secured her father
comfortable berth in the Var Depart.
ment, which he is now holding.
BIanche's Stay
was quite brief in Washington, but she
managed to be seen in public several times
with a prominent Senator Of the Mississip.
pi valley, and shortly afterwards she is
said to have departed for Europe, literally
supplied with funds Word drifted back
that she was married. Blanche only re-
mained in the memories OF her st. Louis
adorers and her Washington admirers as
beautiful dream, when, 10! she bo6s up
serenely in Milwaukee, more beautiful
than ever, q self-possessed,
Dangerous Adventures,
holding in her talons the spouse of General
Grants daughter. She travelled as Mrs. AL
sernon Bent Bush. Mr.. Bush was repre-
sented to be an elderly gentleman whom
she had married in England. From the
inception OF the scandal to the present
time nothing has been heard from or seen
Of the aforesaid Algernon Bent Bush, and
the reporters up by the lake begin to think
that he is Mrs. Harris and that there
amt no such person."
In all OF Blanche's wanderings
on two continents, while mixing with
United States Senators aud susceptible
of means and little discretion,
she seems to have entertained a kindly
feeling for her old home, and at least one
Of her old associates. In her prosperity
she has carried with her an English maid
whom she calls Louise" and two fright
fully ugly, but finely bred, English pugs,
y hich guests at the various hotels learn to
call by their pet names, Ernie" and
Bell" While Mr.. Sartoris had gone up
10 Green Bay, Wis, to attend to his lumber
business, and, perhaps, on search for the
spocryphal Algernon Bent Bash,
in whose wife he had taken such a deep
interest, the lady took trip 10 St Louis,
making the run by daylight in a Chicago
md Alton parlor car, accompanied by her
ward and the two pugs.
The Keeper OF a Resort
sid to a reporter this morning: II knew
Slspche Melbourne when she lived here