The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-11
LOCAL GOSSIP,

l ASssES w. S0"A1 ~s~ V~D
only a clever actor. but a very capable man
ager. He brought Julia Dean Hxyne to
this country. There was the greatest act
ress / ever knew, and I think ] know all.
In emotional roles ! never expect to No her
equal. She has been dead now for over NJ
teen years, but she will live in history as
the greatest artist In her line the world
ever knew. l first knew her in Frisco,
where ! played Wilfred to nor Julia in the
Hunchback. Later Erwin brought her to
Helena, where he opened the theatre on
Bridge" M
"Did / know Sci. Erwin? Well / should
think l did. !" said Postmaster Charlie Cur.
tis who was with the party. II knew him
when he first opened the theatre here about
the time the own was struck and afterwaid
/ became very intimate with him. He was
u royal whole ouled fellow and l am sorry
indeed to learn Of his death. also knew
Julia Dean Hayne who, as my friend Ma
guire says, was a wonderfully talented
actress. One time I'VE got up an amateur
benefit which was held in Erwin's thcater.
/ played Fred in the Boston Fireman and /
remember with pleasure that Mrs. Hayne
came down from the box and congratulated
me on the rendition"
~
The talk then drifted ON other theatrical
subjects.
did You ever hear how Madam Modieska
made hsr success in America? The story
has never been printed but is full of inter
est as I'll illustration Of the American idea
of BOOM" added John Mcguire. Harry
Sargent was responsible for her first sue
cessful appearance. which of course means
her subsequent success. A word about
Sargent for he was a great manager. one OF
the best ever knew. l have not heard
from him in a long time though / learn
that he is now living in London. I first
knew him in Melbourne years and years
ago. He was then the Master Willie to
Robert Heller who was the greatest magi-
clan of his time. and greater than all others
| nave ever seen since. Master Willie was
his accomplish. Well. after a time Ssr-
gent, who was q bright fellow, thought he
had learned all OF Heller's tricks and so he
started out on the road. He made a dead
failure because he did not know 81 much as
he thought. He drifted about and I did
not see him for some years until we met in
Virginia City, New, in 1875. He wassthen
at the head of a minstrel troupe, which the
had organized from a lot Of cheap v6riety
people in San Francisco. Well, Modje1ka
appeared in Virginia City about the same
time n then the bargain was made, which
as l say resulted 80 favorably to the success
Of the distinguished actress
"Let me turn back for a moment to her
arrival in America. Madam Modjeska as l
personally know comes from a family
of Polish actors. She was married to
Count Bozenta one Of the most charming
men ! ever knew and with him came to
America. She had made a splendid reputa-
ton in Europe as an actress Of unusual abil-
ity and came to America to try her fortune.
With a party of distinguished Polanders
Modjeska came direct to lower California.
whore a large tract of land was purchased.
Modjeska az we'll as the others had money
and 80 far as l krow she was never without
the necessary finances. This was in 1872
and not long afterward she decided to 60
upon tho American stage. Her greatest
handicap was that she could not speak a
word in the English language. She opened
on the Pacific coast and made a dead fail
ure, partly because she was under bad man.
agement and again because the people could
not understand her bluff at talking Eng
lish.' Z ~ tsiq9 r
~
I'm 1876 she reached Virginia where Sar-
gent was playing with his minstrel com.
pany. Sargent had seen her and knew that
despite hes ignorance of our language she
was a thorough artist who would grow into
popularity with proper management and
proper confederation for time. He was
bright enough to see that the eastern, peo-
Pile would appreciate her work quicker than
the people of Virginia City. They struck a
bargain and Sargent left the company and
started out to manage the Polish star. They
went first to New York city but found the
season SO nearly closed that a first-class
opening could not be secured, Now then,
here comes Sargent's art. With the knowl-
edge that he had an unknown actress of
great talent who could not speak Eng
lish will huency he commenced working
his wits. One evening while walking down
Fourteenth street his attention was at
tracted by the blazing gas of a theatrical
jewelers. sign. OF course you know what a
theatrical jeweler is. Harry dropped into
the place and in the first case he looked was
a magnificent diamond necklace. The dia-
monds were rs big as thousand
dollar nuggets and in the gas
light glistened like-well like dia-
monds. The whole thing WAS purchased
for fourteen dollars. Here, then, was an
idea to the versatile manager. He imyne-
diately ordered a magnificent diamond
crown, with the Countess Modjeska's coat
of-arms in a diadem in the centre. This
was for her appearance as Mary Queen of
Scots and cost, if / remember Alright, about
fifty dollars. Then Sargent ordered enough
diamonds to fill a big iron and steel bound
chest which cost more than all of the Jew
elry."
III
Gas there was NJ opportunity in New
York he decided to open Modjeska in Mon
treal, a very good place, because it was a
trife foreign. YOU know. They went there
about five days ahead to rehearse and
stopped at st. Lawrence Hall, the
leading hotel of the dominion. Mind YOU
that Sargent in the meantime had said
nothing to Modjeska about the diamonds.
He quietly went up to the police depart
ment and asked for the services of a mi.
vate detective, emphasizing the fact that he
wanted a man accustomed to looking after
VII