The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-10
THEY NEVER CARRY MONEY.
Prominent ctresses Employ Private
iscal : gents.
From the Ne,o York Star.

From The Neto York Star.
Soubrettes and leading ladies frequently
lose their diamonds and other valuabes,
either by theft or through carelessnesS, II
the reports given to the pu' lie by managers
and press agents are true, but it is very sell
dom that an actress loses any money. The
reas n is that very few of the actresses Of
highest rank Car any money, as a ule. 1t
is well-known fact that Adelina Patti
rarely handles any cash, excepting Few
gold pocketpieces or charms, and that
wherever goes on as lopping tour her
private secretary follows her with pocket
| full of ba notes to pay the oils.
| 1t is apparently pet ambition OF nearly
every leading actress to open personal
bank account, but very few of them have
any co siderable sum of money in their
pocket books, even when the bank talances
are heaviest Insignificant purchases are
delivered c. o. d. The Germans are
usually very nethodical in the matt of
settling little bills. Nine Kalich-Lehmau
generally takes a mem rardum Of what
she has bought saying that she will for
ward the money il tie urSe of an hour or
so, d within the time fixed a messenger
makes his appearance and cancels the in
debtedness
| Mrs. Langtry has a businesslike way of
paying the many small bills she daily in
ours for odds and ends. She has had thou
sands Of dollars placed t her credit during
the la tsix or eight years, but she has as little
| k owledge of what a greenback or a ma
tioual bank bill looks / ke as child. 1t is
said that she is superstltous about handling
money. All that she pretends to carry is
| long, knitted purse, fillel with silver coinS,
which are carried more for ornament than
use. Ali her Ii tie bills are attended TO by
her factotum, Smit ers. 1t is difficult to
define the exact office Smithers holds. He
PLAYS minor parts in Mrs. Laugtrys COM
| pany and he purchases all the new scenery,
but he likes to be known as the privy cham
berlaiu to her ladyship.
Smithers' task is not an easy one by any
| means. He has to be out of bed carly
every morning to carry out the orders OF
! his mistress, who generally has planned
| full days work for him on the night pre-
vious. A long iSt of purchases is carefully
| jotted down, and when the memorandum
| bills have been obtained from the stores at
W lich the goods were bought and the
| items checked off, they are turned over to
| Smi hers. Then comes q tedious succession
of visits to the places where Mrs l. ngtry
| has called, ard Smithers' geographical
| knowledge of Manhattan Island is SO rom
plete that il would insure him luo. alive
position as an expert guide or courier.
| During the first week of every month
|
more important acclu SHUT Iec S are only
| give TO reputable tradesne and tn N sell
| dom for sma Ter amounts than $3.50. 1t is
| disa greeable to Mrs. Langt y to be asked,
as she is almost every day, for an indorse-
ment OF face powder or something OF the
SORT, which she NAV never ne. She is de-
ter mined never TO sign check which may
! be used as an ivertl iement OF her patro
age This within adds to Smithers' duties,
| for is lis of calls is ecessarIly increased,
and j. is very nign nlghtfall on pay day"
| before his labors are sdded. 1t Is, however,
on the eve o. Mrs. La gtry's departure fro
tile city that Smithers is ov, rloaded with
business. Ten he is obliged TO hurry
around to get all he petty accounts TO-
get or. He makes his first appeal to the
| newslealers ar uld the c)rner, for, from
pa,t experience, he knows that the ma is
| the most dilaoory l dividual with whom he
ever hid any business transactions. he
| tries to coax, and then to command, and
generally ends with an appeal:
wen, my dear fellah, urry up your
scores, like a good chappy, for the mad am
is going away, you X ow, and you can't get
| your money, " know"
To which his listener will reply:
That's all right, old man. I'm not
afraid; she's good for any Mount"
hen Smithers goes to hurry up the milk
merchant in the sa ne block who as little
account. The he must avel to Har EN-,
to hunt up some market gardensr Theu
he re neber, that the ba cioses at 3 p. m,
an he has TO m ke good ii ue to get the
cur ency for a check he has IN is pocket,
with wnicn to pay the wages of the SER
wants. The sun has disappeared below the
horizon before SmitIers' work if done.
Smlthers is not a one In his calling.
Ma other actresses high in the professio
employ personal fiscal agents and save
them elves the bother of handling money.
In fac, a privy cha nberiaiO is the latest
fad Tor stage people WHO can afford the lux
ury. uithers likes his position aud VS. he
would t exchange places with any OF his
comrades.
| MEDICAL.