The Opelousas courier., 1883-10-13
LOTTA's CORRESPONDENT.

- AVLWSAkVkh3zm l
Tiae Story OF Erlnard zapf who Claanas Her
n mis- SvRfe-A F~ine-l0OEkfng Fellow AND |
Well-Edueafed-He Relates IH0w He BE-
came Acquainted with, Conrfed and
Married the Lady who Now Disowns
MiHa.
Lsan Francisco chranicle.l
Yesterday morning a Chronicle reporter
was detailed to find Erhard Zapf, the
reported husband of Lolita, the actress,
After a long search the one sought for
was found at one of the city front
docks loading lumber from a pile on the
dock to the deck of q scow-schooner
with all the grace and ease of an cid
'longshoreman. The eporter approached,
and in his politics., manner asked, as
this MI. Erhard Z1pfp chat is nv
name, sir" responded the gentleman in
the wooden shirt and overalIs. The said
to-be-husband of the California favorite
is . queer mixture Of the gentleman
and 'longshore rough. One minute his
hearers will be startled by listening to
one of the most eloquent and profound
dissertations on the theological and
political questions, only to have the inn
preston Of a nobleman in disguise re-
moved by relapse intothe characteristic
dialect Of the ordinary 'longshoreman
or stevedore. Whatever his past history
may be or he may have been, Zapf's
education and rearing have evidently
been of a much higher grade than is
! usually accorded to the sons of ordinary
fishermen or 'longshoremen. Zapf is a
man of fine physical form, and his
whole appearance at times betokens that
he is the hero of many a conquest in
which the heart of some susceptible
girl was the sufferer. He is a man of
about five feet seven inches in height,
well built, and with a well-shaped head
ON a pair of broad shoulders, betokening
considerable bodily strength. A heavy
crop of dark, wavy hair peeps from I'M
der q hat of the most approved city
front SLOUGH, while a couple Of coarse
wooden shirts earelessly thrown open at
the throat reveal a skin as white and
soft and clear al that of an infant.
Zapf invited the reporter on board
his floating home, and narrated to him
the following brief biographical sketch
of himself: "My name 10 Erhard Zapf.
| was born in Cincinnati in January, in
1912, and am consequently nearly thirty
eight years of age. lcame to- California
shortly after attaining nay majority,
and earned q living by various ways for
several years. Some time before 1870 1
first met Lolita, who was playing an en-
gagement at the time in Gilbert,s
Melodeon, at the corner of Kearney and
CLAY streets. Our acquaintance 500
ripened into intimacy, and it was with
MANY protestasions Of mutual regard
that we parted in the early part of 1871,
to 90 to Oregon, and she to continue
her career as ar actress throughout the
country. Shortly after reaching Port
land. Oregon, I was summoned to Gin
cinnati bv q letter announcing the death
of nv father. My mother had died
some Years previous. On reaching Gin
einnati I found Lolita, who was about t.
begin an engagement in that city ny
fathers estate amounted to nearly
$4,000, and after obtaining possession o
this I renewed my acquaintance viii
the little actress who had caused mi
such a heartache at parting in Caliior
MIA, The acquaintance ripened into at
, lection. with the final result that W
went the way of ali the earth, and wer
married i'm July of 1872. Some thre
! children have since been the result o
, the union, named respectively Erhard
Lotta and Johnny. The first few year
Of our life were pleasantly spent eithe
in travelling about, I going as manage
, or member of the company, or in gu
= home in Cincinnati. w gradual
!, drifted apart, however, until latterl
. almost ali communication has ceased bs
. tween us. NV financial wants hay
: always been supplied by Lolita When
: have called on her, which has been OF
! seldom. Some two years ago, when 81
2 visited this coast, ! met her on the mos
. friendly terms. / constantly drove an
walked with her, and was recognized .
I many who will not look at me no
Q merely because I don't wear a plug III
y and n broadcloth suit. Here Iapf q
7 livered q long discourse on the different
q between a gentleman in a white shl
and neat suit and enc wearing the gal
: ~ : Iapor1ng mani At that time Lot
: Wished me to go East with her, but
! rafnaed to do 90 because b nor ~
= mother would consent to the latter Lac
y remaining with her husband while
. 4raveled alone ,Eith my wife. fro
= that tins I heard nothing OF her UNI
her late engagement 81 ,ne n ~
: Theater. Immediately ON learning ~
& ahe was In the city l sent her . n ~
! stating my desire to sec her. Some ua
= alter two ladies came down u sse q
y 10 nv boarding house n inquired n
2 was In. On going TO the door ! met 3
. wife I'M company with another LAG
2 Who PLAYED in Musette and mp duril
E INV Wifes engagement. We had GO
20 s;derable of q conversation at-tne tm
dur;no which she offered me any amou
y ~ ,nuney needed. l refused ~ Y
os time to accept any, being in good e
y eumstances from the proceeds VI
yoyage I had Just made. AfterWaru
wanted to zee her, and left q note at =
tbeater. and also at her house. Kecel
Dn inc no answer, I consulted Q iaWy'
% d~afeyn,ined to force her to provide Q
= of her abundance for Y cnhu ,aSasan -
II she gave me any tfouOlg, ~
no claim on my own account.
Lolita treats the entire mater =
ii rst-class joke, as do oil neS lnsin'
st and dramatic acquaintance. 10 =
cd norter of the Philadelphia Times, y
lid called on her Tor an explanation = J
OF lava ago. Lotta stated that 1T was o.
sar one al many similar attempts either
est hlackmsil Or to carry her ear
ces ! torn. II would seem that Lolita
~. ma her full share of persecution y
ige /, ,mnosters and blackmailers, and nj
on are the tales told by her OF husDaI
lovers, brothers and other relatives
gar have sprung up in her path, thong
be0 -sa,id saosn that Int few of them b