The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-07
rVNA ABBOTB LIFE.
SHE BECAME N ACTRESS
y" ND HOW sHEFARED

r;re1,v Won sccss by Her
s-S r+Forts and Mae Fortune Of
$4,000. ,.,,,,. ..,..
rrma Abbott's life WI rmarKauie' says
". rk Times, irmny particulars.
qss born in Kline street, chicago
s-ut forty years age al altnougn she
y:nad to trace her 70 eaogy oacX 70 tne
s'ill5 lend Abbot o 1910, her child
~, uss spent in cOHaptive want.
hol We -. ras an fiat her father re-
-o,sd to Peoria, Ill. ,In' earned a pTecari-
!, G7slihood by teacni music As Emma
~ into girlhood 81 eVeloped talent
~" Her faith taught her to play
!, ~ 1ai.ar and to sill, and it was their
-,rt to give itinert parlor entertain
w. vs. the revenue On which was OBJ
...s5 by the girl pasrg around hat for
H4''- .,iIaction of 3nan moneys. In
ts U u-y she alined considerable
ils rotoriety, an finally attracted
gs w. Who broug her to New York,
As,'gs snesdad in obtning for Miss Abbott
s1l - If nrincipsoprano in DIR. Q APP
ps pL,,rcb al the eorner of Forty-hfth
VI - Fifth ave1e. While there she
ST. IT.. 60 nopular 18th the congregation
pei 81 messed DR.. dapin's parishone- so
81 -lPi, with her usical ability that the
~, 'f Si0 600 was attributed to send her
s- r, ~ 10 complet her musical educa-
H-'' GaorCe Lake othe firm of Lake q
,,.1;.aerv Nas the leser in this movement,
". Nv III tfrongh his Ii he was the earnest
w o lla friend Miss Abbott.
~ A. mis- mis- time Eugte Wetherell was a
1obsr If d.. Chapis congregation, and
'Tos selected to lok after the money
llss,,r;buted for the sorano's education. He
"a an additional ine est in the young
L 5arer They lived the same boarding
80 in Fourteenth street, and their &C
,1sntance ripened quickly into a mutual
vocation that vase nething more than
oyGl friendship, althogh no declaration of
I've iov,' had been made L Mr.. Wetherell at
ibis time.
rocsl music under Iarchasi and acting
rrd4r Charles Fechsr. She progressed
andy. until one da she found that her
voice lad lett her. she could no longer
zinc and could scarcek speak. Her money
vss nearly all gone sad she was in despair.
me dsy in desperation she went to the
Baroness Rothschi d and related her story.
That charitable lad listened and finally
cave her 81, QUO. With this money she was
enabled to secure ppper medical treatment
And 10 recover he voice. At this time
sbs also telegraphd to Eugene Wetherell
70 come to her in Paris If he still enter
tanned his old friendship for her. He was
then IN the drug hsiness in John street,
but lie did not wat to settle his affairs or,
even pack his wardrobe. With only a grip
he took the next seamer to Europe, and
shortly after his arrival in Paris he aid
Emma Abbott werl married. The marriage
was kept d secret tbr several months, and
might have been guarded longer had it not
been for Ernest rye, the famous London
impresario.
After the recovery of her voice Miss
Abbott had made such progress in her
chosen profession as t. obtain an engage
nenU with eye il London. There she ade
her appearance n THE Dau liter of the
and sang with success in one or
two ether operas and in concert. Finally
eye cast her for the role of Vio.etta in LA
Iraviata.n To Ii g impresario's amaze
nent the young American refused the role,
N what was to him at le st the extraordi-
larry e. Ound that the opera was immoral,
md that she could not consent to be con-
lected with a representa- ton of it. Gye
formed but it was of no use. Emma
Abbott was firm in her resolve to have
10Th ng to do with LA Traviata," and in
ibis Eugene Wetheren warmly seconded
her, eye demanded to know what Weth-
sell had to do with the matter, and the
after replied that he had everything to do
With it, as he was Emma Abbott's husband.
The general particulars Of the row occa-
a0nad by Miss Abbo It's refusal TO appear in
La lravlata' were telegraphed all over the
world, and Gated a sensation in Amer ca.
Tie members Of DIR. Chapin's church were
delighted with the stand taken by their
potege, and with the pluck she had mani
Tested They were not so well pleased, how
ever, when they learned that Miss Abbott
iad marrl d Eugene Wetherell, and they
in something akin to an indie-
nation meeting. All this discussion of the
question, however, was an excellent adver-
fsement for Emma Abbott, and VIXEN she
soon afterward returned to America and
gave series of concerts there was great
curiosity to see her.
der success in concert, however, did not
aUSiI her ambition, and about fifteen
years ago she formed a combination with
y y, u. Hess, which was known as the Emma
AOoott and c. d. Hess Opera Company.
heSs furnished everything, and gave her a
certain percen age of the receipts. She
empoyed at this time as her individual
manager James W. Morrissey. The scheme
was 70 present English opera. Miss Abbo, It's
a ~ operate debut was made at Col.
w. L. Sims Brooklyn Park Theater as
marguerite in Faust" There was a large
4lehoance of her New York friends and the
ssu l was voted a success from the
H'H 10 the c asst with her on this occasion
oere William Castle, A. E. Stoddard. Ellis
eaySe and Zelda Seguin. Her husband.
iugehe Wetherell, was not interested finan-
,ally IN her management at this time. The
atuSnlps OF her early life made Miss Alb
w, ~. Keep to see and appreciate business ad-
= u'eses' ana she was not s bad manager
Z Ier { own affairs. She sang in "Mignon. -
. me Ne bohemian Girl" "Martha.n "Chimes
- normandy" and 'Rigoletto" that season,
~ n, made some money.
!: tue next sea on she made her first oper-
sc appearance in New York at the Grand
pera house, which was managed at that
,a Oy Poole & Donnelly. She opened the
~, ,ason there with Paul and Virginia. and
i4 We! sensational hit. one powerful cause
nav @ n.ic was the exploiting of what subse-
~ became famous as the Abbott
.s1i Miss Abbott always said that she
pe'ty alo not kiss the tenor in this scene.
~ created an optical illusion by plac-
5 4 Ger closed lips just below his lips and
o.ta Tue II there. This busine was sug-
f'ogu by the well-known picture of 9
n;SL1t lovers. paul and Virginia"
, ,ts became Miss Abbott's piece de re.
,se and she made money so apidly
rG' uer husband sold out his drug business
= assumed assumed her management in person. c.
r0.t less retiring. Associated with Mr..
,o.tereH In this venture was Mr.. c. 81.
NIL w who continued the copartnership
H. " etnerelps death, and who is now
NON nom the beginning of her second season