San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-12
THEY NEVER CARRY MONEY
PROMINENT ACTRESSES EMPLOY PRI-
VATE FISCAL AGENTS.

Mrs. LanGtry Has n Privy Chamberlain.
Smithers Keeps the Accounts, Checks
Up the Bills and Goes from Store to
Store with a Pocketful of Cash.
Soubrettes and leading ladies frequently
lose their diamonds and other valuables,
either by theft or through carelessness, If the
reports given to the public by managers and
press agents are true, but it is very seldom
that an actress loses any money. The reason
is that very few of the actresses of highest
rank carry any money, as a rule. 1t is a
well known fact that Adelina Patti rarely
handles any cash excepting few gold pocket
pieces or charms, and that wherever she goes
on a shopping tour her private secretary fol
lows her with pocketful of bank notes to
pay the bills.
1t is apparently pet ambition of nearly
every leading actress to open personal bank
account, but very few of them have any con-
siderable sum of money in their pocketbooks,
even when the bank balances are heaviest.
insignificant purchases are delivered c. o. D.
The Germans are usually very methodical in
the matter of settling little bills. Mime.
Kalich-Lehman generally takes a memoran-
dunn of what she has bought, saying that she
NN+@
hour or so, and within the time fixed mes
senger makes his appearance and cancels the
indebtedness.
DON'T KNOW HOW A GREEEBACK LOOKS.
Mrs. Langtry has business like way Of
paying the many small bills she daily incurs
for odds and ends. She has had thousands of
dollars placed to her credit during the past
six or eight years, but she has as little knowl-
edge of what greenback or national bank
bill looks like as a child. 1t is said that she
is superstitious about handling money. All
that she pretends to carry is long, knitted
purse filled with silver coins, which are car
ried more for ornament than use. All her
little bills are attended to by her factotum,
Smithers. 1t is difficult to define the exact
office Smithers holds. He plays minor parts
in Mrs Langtry's company and he purchases
all the new scenery, but he likes to be known
as the privy chamberlain to her ladyship.
Smithers' task is not an easy one by any
means. He has to be out of bed early every
morning to carry out the orders of his mis-
tress, who generally has planned a full day
work for him ON the night previous. A long
list of purchases is carefully jotted down, and
when the memorandum bills have been OBJ
tanned from the stores at which the goods
were bought, and the items are checked off,
they are turned over to Smithers. Then
comes a tedious succession of visits to the
places where Mrs. Langtry has called and
Smithers' geographical knowledge of Man
haitian island is so complete that it would in
sure him lucrative position as an expert
guide or courier.
During the first week of every month a
morning is set apart for the auditing of the
more important accounts, but checks are only
given to reputable tradesmen, and then sell
dom for smaller amounts than $3.50 1t is
disagreeable to Mrs. Langtry to be asked, as
she is almost every day, for an 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
whim adds to Smithers' duties for his list of
calls is necessarily increased, and it is very
nigh nightfall on pay day" before his labors
are ended