The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-25
Tho Members OF tho Wilbur Opera
Company Remember Each Other
on Christmas...A Custom OF Homo
Faithfully Followed Every Year. 4

last night by y member OF tho Wilbur
opera company. 1t was on, the stage OF
the Grand Opera House, Just about an
hour before tho performance was
to begin. The curtain was down,
but behind tho curtain there
was tho liveliest kind Of
performance going on. A few min
utcs before the remark quoted was ut
tered, II long table, stretched tho full
length OF tho curtain, was literally
groaning under tho weight OF pile Of
packages two feet high. For tho past
twelve years Miss Susie Kerwin. tho
prima donna OF tho company, and Mr..
Wilbur himself have made it u point to
furnish us much enjoyment ut Christ
mas time TO tho members Of the COM
pany MS it was possible to get.
Travelling theatrical companies know
what it is 10 be far away from home ut
Christmas and to have tho holiday re-
called to their mind only by the extra
work they are called upon to perform.
For that reason the scene last night
was unique, and it would have done
any ones heart good to SEQ the enjoy
mGnt the members ofthe Wilbur COM
pany got out OF the custom rellgiously
observed last night.
The company is composed OF 4G mem
ters, OF whom the great majority are
girls. There they stood in crowd in
front OF the table that bore their pres
ents. The five ladies distributing the
presents, Misses Susie Kcrwin, Bello
Hamilton, Edith Daniel, Maggie Bolton
and Lille Taylor couldn't work fast
enough to suit the Impatient girls, and
several times the crowd almost broke
down the fence which protected the Ia
bic from being upset.
The five ladies soon made the pile
dwindle, and ina short time the girls
had their arms loaded with packages,
and were hunting Il place to put them.
Miss Dorothy Morton was especially
popular with all the members OF the
company. Every now and then disap-
pearing with an armful into her dress
ing room, she would return for fresh
supply.
"Oh, Mr.. Wilbur" she cried to the
manager, who was standing in the
wings talking to the newspaper men,
I've already took four, loads upstairs
Miss Morton caught the sorrowiul
glance the reporters cast upon her, and
continued:
81 said, L have Took Mr.. Wilbur.
Did you catch onto it,"
Miss Morton received 4 sixty-two
presents from the members Of the COM
pany, and had already received the day
before by express four; handsome
diamond rings and magnificent dia-
mond bracelet.
There was not a member OF the COM
pany that did not get several presents.
Everybody had remembered everybody
else, and many were overjoyed atreceiv-
ing presents from home, which had
come by mail and express.
Pm already dressed for the perform
ance," said one young girl, pirouetting
about the stage in short dress, and
with an armful OF presents, ''but / don't
know whether / can play tonight. Pm
so excited"
Miss Kerwin's dressing room was SO
full OF articles that it was almost i'm
possible to turn around without upset.
ting something. Sand they're nearly
all from members Of the company, too,
and value them the more" Eight or
members ofthe company had dubbed
together and presented the popular
prima donna with - magnificent silver
mounted alligator skin travelling bag.
Mrs. Tredenicks offering to Miss Susie
was lovely lace handkerchief, entirely
the work Of her own hands, and on
which she had been employed since last
august. But Miss Kirwin not only re-
ceived presents, shoals gave, and all
the employees of the theatres the COM
lany playsin, from the hiGhcstattache to
the call boy, will receive from her n
Christmas token, she having sent out
$50 presents. Mr.. Wilbur presented
her with a $500 diamond ring.
=. r.