The Dickinson press., 1890-12-27
STORY OF THE GowER-NoRplcA
ROMANCE AND ITS SAD END.

opened for her to visit Europe. and
more complete musical education.
Accompanied by her mother she went
to Italy, and was placed under the dis
cipline of the most accomplished musica
teachers of Europe. Having finished
her course of study and become notable
for her power Of song, she received a,
invitation with liberal salary to sing il
the Royal opera at st. Petersburg. She
went with her mother to Russia.
The manager of the Grand opera Of
Paris was SO pleased with her singing
chat he gave her an invitation to become
the prima donna of the highest seat Of
song, and by liberal pecuniary rewards
sought to obtain her release from he,
st. Petersburg engagement, but the
Russians preferred her voice to the
money offered. After she had completed
her engagement in the north, she &C.
cepted the overtures made her in Paris
and made an engagement to sing in the
Grand opera.
II MARRIAGE.
During her residence in Italy her name
was changed to Lila Nordica to suit the
Italian style of pronunciation. It was
during her appearance as the great
American singer in the Grand opera
that she became acquainted with her
second cousin, Frederick Allen Cover,
grandnephew of Campmeeting John
Allen. He said: sit was not a 8 of
love at first sight, for it was full seven
minutes before became enchanted with
the lovely singer"
The history of this young man is fully
as romantic as is the success of Mime.
Nordica. He was the son of the Rev.
81. B. Cover, a Baptist clergyman, who
died in Pennington, Me-, leaving a
widow and three sons, the eldest 10 and
tho youngest 6 years old. AS the fam
lily were left in destitute circumstances,
Frederick, the second son, was kindly
received and freely supported for a year
at the Abbott family school. He had
given proof of his activity as an infant
by leaping from his nurses arms, before
he was a month old, through an open
window without breaking his neck.
AS a scholar he was more noted for
viyacity than quiet study.
After n years s%ojourn at the family
school Frederick and his brothers, by
the energy and ability of their mother,
were gathered into a family home in
Providence, r. l. The two elder broth
ers were fitted by their mother to enter
Brown university, and were supported
by her at college till they graduated.
George, the eldest brother, became a
lawyer, and has served by repeated cleo
lions as clerk of the Rhode Island assem-
bly,.
Frederick entered upon the profession
of journalism, and became city editor of
The Providence journal. He wrote to
Professor Bell, the inventor of the tele-
phone, to deliver a lecture at Providence
on the new invention. By invitation
young Cover went to Boston to assist
Bell in the preparation of his lecture.
Mr.. COVERS SUCCESS AND END
His active and ingenious intellect be-
came intensely interested in the new in
vention. He contrived to simplify the
machinery and to increase the intensity
of the magnetic power, using one instead
Of two batteries, and introducing cir
cular instead of horseshoe magnets, with
other devices now used in the Cover
Bell telephone.
Having obtained patents and estab-
lished the Bell Telephone company,
Cover went to France and formed a
telephone company there, of which he
twas president, with a salary Of $25, 900.
He also obtained patents in Germany
and England. In England q company
was formed, but the English govern
ment took the telephone, as they had the
telegraph, as a parto Of their postofice SER
vice, purchasing Of the company a mill
ion dollars worth of telephones for their
use.
After a brief acquaintance these two
American celebrities were united in
marriage, and Nine. Nordica was re-
leased from her engagement at the
Grand opera. She came with her hus-
band to America.
Their married life was not q happy
one. For sufficient cause Nine. Nordica
sued for a separate maintenance, but
never for a divorce. While the suit was
in progress he left suddenly for Paris,
where he had been deeply engaged study
ing out an invention to employ magnet
ism in the control of balloons. This he
considered the greatest invention of the
age, both for military and commercial
purposes.
To test the efficiency of some of his
plans he undertook in a balloon, alone,
to cross the Straits of Dover. Since his
disappearance from the view of the
spectators who witnessed his ascension
he has never been seen.-Lewiston Jour-
-