The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-12
Correspondence of the Press.l

CHATTANOOGA, April 10.-I lived for
two or three years in the same hotel with
Minnie Palmer and was intimately ac-
quainted with the winsome little woman,
When | first met her she was playing
Dorothy, in Daniel Druce," with Law
renee Barrett, and a sweeter personation
was never seen than rosebud Minnie in
the staid and somber Quaker character
and dress. 1t was my complete satisfac-
ton with her performance that led me to
approach her charming mother and ex-
press my admiration of Minnie. Mrs.
Palmer, fascinating and cordial woman,
met my advance in such gracious way
that it led to long and pleasing associ-
alton.
I soon met Minnie, and continued to
see her frequently. She was quite young
then-an apparitiou of girlish loneliness
rose bloom and grace and dimples
Nothing could exceed the modesty of
her conduct in the hotel. She was al
ways attended by her bewitching mother
(now Mrs. Kate Palmer Stern, SO well
known in the movements for the help of
working women), and was as free of
vanity and as simple as any ordinary
schoolgirl of seventeen. She usually
dressed IN dark colors; short skirts up to
the tops Of her shoes; her lovely nut
brown hair falling down her back in a
thick braid. She was always bright,
amiable, friendly. She was blest with
high spirits, but never crossed the bound
airy line of refinement and good breed
ing.
She was a hard student, and gave
many hours to the study of music and
dancing, giving careful attention to
every branch of her art. She learned
her parts rapidly, aud was rarely idle,
doing plain sewing or fancy work when
nothing more urgent engaged her time.
While l knew Minnie Palmer she filled
various roles-Dorothy, a leading part
in Engaged" supporting Agnes Booth;
the principal part in "Baba." in Balti-
more, Philadelphia and elsewhere, and
afterwards the charming creation in my
Sweetheart" which has added SO much
to her popularity. She enjoyed her
stage triumphs and successes, and loved
her profession, but was exceedingly in
different to the personal admiration and
attentions of men. They annoyed her
no little by their inpertinent and per-
sistent efforts to meet her, and she not
only snubbed them right and left, but
whenever possible brought them to open
ridicule.
remember her telling me with great
glee of how she once silenced a young
aspirant. She was acting in some opera
bouffe with Fortescue. One young man
in the audience tried night after night,
by notes, gifts and every known means,
to gain her favor and acquaintance.
Finally he sent, in note, three violets,
begging her to wear them on her left
breast if she would meet him after the
performance. Fortescue, as was usual
in these burlesques, took the part of a
woman, and to him Minnie gave the VIC.
let's. He pinned them on his ample Boz
som, and when he appeared in front
found occasion to say: 81 will meet you;
OIL will meet you." 1t is useless to
state that there was one crestfallen
young swain in the audience that even
ing, and that, as his friends soon learned
of it and nicknamed him "the three
violets," it was some time before he tried
his destinations upon another actress.
The last time saw Minnie Palmer, in
public and in private, was during her
tour through the south just before she
went to Australia. She was performing
in my Sweethert," supported by Ora
ham. Since then she has made her trips
to England, Scotland and Ireland, where
her successes, both social and artistic,
have been pronounced. She has merited
all her triumphs, for she is gifted, con-
scientious in her art and in character a
sweet woman, devoid of professional
jealousy, high toned and generous. am
sure, too, that amid all the enticements
of the stage she has kept "herself I'M
spotted from the world" and the heart
of her husband may securely trust in her.
M. r. G.