The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-07-06
SALLIE RFBER LANG.


With beauty, youth education and genius
she had the world in her grasp. Nature and
fate could scarcely have done more to provide
her the possibility of a brilliant future. She
accepted engagements in the popular light
opera and soon became a star. Six years
ago she sang in the Bohemian Girl in the
Grand Opera house, New York She was
the Princess in ''Fatlnitza' at the first pre-
SentatiOn of that opera in this country, at
the Fifth Avenue theatre. She also appeared
in the Pirates of Penzance," and in
''Iolanthe.n In all these she scored a great
success. Her last engagement was at the
Standard Theatre, New York, and ended
February, 1888. In 1880 she married a fash
ionable young man of Brooklyn named
Laing. With marriage her star began to
wane Laing proved hopeless drunkard.
He failed to support his wife. Although de-
vOtedly attached to her, his attachment to
alcohol was yet stronger. He was so dissi
pated that his family finally took him to the
InebriateS' Home at Fort Hamilton. 1t did
lid not reform him, however. He was too
far gone in drunkenness to attend to any
business, and their living was chiefly paid
out Of poor, pretty Sallie wages. The beau
tiful Princes" in Fatinitza sang like bird
nightly to the applause of 1miring hundreds
She took the money they paid to see her and
settled the board bills Of drunken husband
But that was not the worst. The goddess of
the stage often went home to meet abuse and
cruelty. LANG sometimes went to the ex-
tent of driving her from their rooms at
night. In October, 1888, he did her the
greatest kindness of his life, and died His
death was caused by drunkenness. Mrs.
Laing did not again go upon the stage. She
lived handsomely, in apartments 1t was
known that a prominent man was an &C
quaintance and friend Of the beautiful young
widow. This was James D. Fish, president
of the Marine bank whose name has come
into such unenviable nOtoriety in connection
with the failure Of the banking house of
Grant, Ward e. Co. Both Ward and Fish are
now in Ludlow street Jail, in New York
city. The failure of Grant & Ward occurred
in May, 1884 At that time The Tribune
said of the president of the Marine bank:
Mr.. Fish is a warm patron of the drama,
and fond of music, especially of light opera"
But nothing more was heard of Sallie
Reber in a public way until, on March 19,
1885, this notice was printed in The New
York Times:
Mrs Sallie Reber Laing died on Thurs
day, March -, at Rutherford Park, n. ].
For some reason very few of her acquain-
tances in this city are yet aware Of the fact.
Miss RebeT had been i'll for some time with
gastritis, and, by the advice of her physI-
clan, went TO Rutherford Park for change
of food and air. She was improving, but
she yielded to the craving for rich food,
caused by the disease, and was thrown into
commissions, which terminated fatally. The
body was brought to this city and then
taken to Sandusky, where the funeral was
to have occurred yesterday.
She was of an affectionate, sunny nature,
and made many friends. But out there, in
a lonely little house in the Jersey flats, with
out solitary friend or relative near her,
Sallie Reber died.