The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-05-16

ROber Laing, was born, tnlrCy-Cniee
years ago, She early evinced a fond
ness for music, and her liking for the
was accompanied by a voice OF a
quality far above the ordinary. 10
her attractions of art were added that
of a petite figure, graceful c rrlage'
general intelligence, p.quancy
lovable disposition.
A BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED GIRL.
The gratifying advancement she
made in her studies aud the marked
improvemeut that was perceptibie III
her musical training induced the
orophecy, from which none who
knew her dissented, that she had a
brilliant future before her. The pre-
diction was right in a measure, and
vet the disclosures of a few days have
shown how terribly wrong they wee
as well.
During her childhood, and when
she was perhaps not more than six
years of age. her mother died. Her
father was subsequently married to a
woman who survives him as his
widow. Following the birth Of
Sal!ie came two other sisters and a
brother, who, together with her step
mother, still survive her.
The widow, a mild rannered old
lady of sixty, together with the son
and a daughter still occupy the ele-
CANT old home, No. l ,O21 Washington
street, in Sandusky. Another daugh-
ter, who is the wife Of Frank A.
LYMAN, one of the proprietors of the
SanduskyJomndI, livestogether with
her husband at the Sloane House, in
that city, and the youngest daughter,
Alice, is undergoing training for the
operate stage in Columbus, Ohio.
MISS REFERS THEATRICAL DEBUT.
Six years ago Sallie made her first
appearance at the Grand Opera House
in New York, IN "The bohemian
Girl" She subsequently scored a
great success as the Princess in Fat
inilza," at the Fifth Avenue Theater,
upon the occasion Of the initial pre-
s~entation of the opera in New York.
She afterward Travelled with n of
D'Oyly Carte's companies as Mabel
in the Pirates of Penzance." Later
she was connected with one OF John
McCaull's companies. Her final con-
nection with the stage was at the
Standard Theater, in New York, as
Phylis in "Iolanthe," during the
season beginning November Is, 1882,
and ending February "a, 1888.
Sallie Reber became acquainted
early in the year 1880 with Franklin
r. r. Laing. Their acquaintance
ship began in a clearinghouse on
Th%irty-eighth street, New York:
Laing's parents were wealthy and
lived in great style in Brooklyn.
They were bitterly opposed to the
marriage of their son to an actress.
When Laing and Miss Reber were
married in 1880 the parents of the
young man we'll nigh cut him adrift
and displayed great enmlty toward
his wife. Soon after the marriage
Mrs. Laing discovered to her sorrow
that Laing was a confirmed drunkard
and be failed to provide for her.
They removed to the clearinghouse
of Mrs. Nugent, at No. 135 West
Thirty-fcurth street, where Sallie
lived while fulfilling her theatrical
engagements.
Laing was a small man, genteel-
looking and wore eyeglasses. He
became so dissipated that his family
took him to the Inebriate Home at
Fort Hamilton, where he remained
for a period of three months.
In the spring of 1888 Mrs. Laing
made a three-months' tour OF Europe,
spending her time largely IN Paris.
On the 22d of October her husband
died from alcoholism. The funeral
services were from NO. ]35 West
Thirty-Tourth street.
Three weeks later Sallie returned
to the home of her step-mother in
Sandusky, accompanied by the
younger sister Alice, who had spent
some months with her in New York.
| After a sojourn here of several weeks
Mrs. Laing returned to New YORK.
For three or four weeks sue stopped
at her old clearinghouse, then she
engaged rooms for q few weeks with
Mrs. MOffett, on Forty-ftth street,
and subsequently occupied an elegant
suit of rooms at the Hotel Vendome.
JAMES d. FISH APPEARS ON THE
SCENE.
Thence she went to gorgeous apart.
ments in a new flat near Tenth
street and Broadway, her expenses,
it is said, having been borne by
James d. Fish. At this time Sallie
was no longer on the stage. Mr..
Fish frequently called at the house
Of Mrs. Nugent, on Thirty-fOultb
street, before Laing'S death and took
Sallie and her sister Alice out to
dinner. Fish was a constant visitor
at the theater where Mrs. Laing ap'
peared, generally occupying front
chair and sending floral offerings te
her on the stage.
Sallie made another visit to San
dusky in the fall of 1884, and it is
said it was a matter of general re
mark among those who knew hel
that she was not the same Sallie OF
the year before in point of heallhful
appearance. During the time she
was at home Military Company B
of Sandusky, determined to give I
benefit performance of Patience" al
the Opera House. The performance
was given OH the evening of August
9Th.
The register of the Sloane House
Sandusky, on that date exhibits thu
name of FLAMES D. Fish, of New
York." as an arrival before break
fast. He remained a guest of the
house until after breakfast Oh Au
gust 8th.
FISH TELEGRAPHs THE DEATH OF
SALLIE.
In the latter part of Septembel
Gilt ,,+,rcod IN Nou VOrE Moth
ing more was heard of her save, per
haps. an occasional letter to mem
bers of the family, until March 1911