Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-28
THEYNEYER CARRY MONEY
PROMINENT ACTRESSES EMPLOY PR,-
VATE FISCAL AGENTS.

Mrs. Langtry Has Pr;vy ChazAberlain.
smithers Keeps the Accounts, Checks
Up the Bills and Gees from Store to
| Store with PccketfuI OF Cash.
| Soubrettes and leading ladies frequently
| lose their diamonds end other yaiuables,
| either by thefsor through carelessness, If the
| reports given to the ptbsie by managers and
press agents are true, bat it Is very seldom
| that an actress loses any money. The reason
is that very few Of the ettTesses Of highest
rank carry envy nncrsy, as g rule. It is a
well known fact that AdsHna Patti rarely
handles any eashexcepting few gold pocket
pieces or charms, aad theft wherever.she goes
on shopping tour her private secretary fol-
lows her with,a pocizetfn of bank notes to
pay the bills
Ii is apparently a pet ambition OF nearly
every leading actress to open spersonal bank
account, but very few Of thrm have any con-
siderable sllm Of money In their pocketbooks,
even when the bank balances ere heaviest.
Insignificant purchases are delivered c. o. D.
The Germans are USUALLY very nethodical in
the matter Of settling little biils. Nine
kalica-Lshrnan generally tases raernoran-
dunn Of what she has bought, saying that she
will forward the n,oneyia tbs course of an
hour or So and within tire time {ixed q mes
senger makes his appearance and cancels the
indebtedness
DON'T KNOW HOW A GRENBAC2 LOOKS.
Mrs. Langtry has business like way Of
paying the many small bills shs daily incurs
for odds and ends. She hes bad thousands OF
dollars placed to her credit during the past
six or eight years, but she has rs little knoEi-
edge OF what a gresnback or 8 national bank
bill looks like as child II is said that she
is superstitious ehout handling money. All
that she pretends 30 casry Is a long, knitted
purse, filed with silver coins, which are car
r1ed mora for ornament than use All her
little bills ere attended to by her factotum,
Snlithers. It is difficult TO define the exact
office SInithers holds. He plays minor parts
in Hrs. Langtry's company and he purchases
all the new scenery, bus he likes TO be known
as The privy chamberlain to her ladyship.
Sn1fhers task IS not an easy one by any
means. Ee has to be CIT Of bed early every
morning to carry out the orders of his mis-
treSs, who generally has planned full days
work for him on fne night previous a long
list Of purchases iseareftdly .iasted down, and
when the memorandum bills have been OBJ
tanned from the stores at which the goods
were bought, and the items gre checked OF,
they are turned over to Smithers Then
comes q tediofs succession Of visits to the
places where Mrs. LaaE,try has called, and
Smithers' geographical knowledge of Man
haitian Island is so complete that it would in
sure him a lucrative position as an expert
guide or courier
During the first week of every month
morning is set apart for ths auditing OF the
more Important accounts, but checks are only
given to reputable tradestuen, and then sell
dom for smaller amounts thaa $3.50. Il is
disagreeable to Mrs. Langtry to be asked, as
she is almost every day, for en- Endorsement
of a face powder or something of the sort,
which she may never Use. She is determined
never to sign check which may be used as
an advertisement of her patronage. This
whiln adds to Smithers' duties. for bis list OF
nigh nightfall Oh pay day" before his labors
are ended.
6nfTHEES on SETTLING DAY.
Its, however, on the eve OF Mrs Langt1y's
departure from the city thai Slnithers is over
loaded with business. Then he is obliged to
hurry around TO get ell the petty accounts
together. He makes his first appeal TO the
newsdealer around the corner, for, from past
experience, he knows that the man is the
most dilatory individual with WHOM he ever
had any business transactions. He tries to
coax, aud then to command, and generally
ends with an appeal: 'sWell, my dear fellah,
hurry up your score, like good chappy, for
the madam is going away, you know, and
you can't get your money, you know"
To which his listener viii reply, Chats all
right, old nan. I'm not afraid: she's good
for any Amount"
Then Smithers goes TO hurry up the milk
merchant IA the same block who has q little
account. Then he must travel 20 Harlem, to
hunt up some market gardener Then he re-
that the bank closes at 8 p. NJ, and
he has 20 make good time to get the currency
for a check be has il his pocket, with which
TO pay the wages OF the servants The sun
hes disappeared below the horizon before
SInithers work is done.
Slnithers is not clone in his calling. Many
other actresses high in the profession employ
personal fiscal agents ard saveihemSelves the
bother of handling money. In fact, privy
chamberlain is tho latest fad for stage people
who can afford the luxury. Smithers likes
his position and SAYS he wouidn't exchange
places with any Of his comrades.-Alpha in
New York Star.