The morning call., 1891-01-06
EMMA ABBOTT.
Sudden Death of a Famous Singer
and Good Woman.
Singular Coincidence Between the DEATH
of Herself and Husband in
Europe Estate Disputes.

is that by her demise the opportunity may b,
considered deferred, II not lost OF putting Eng
lsh opera on firm basis In this country. To d.
this was The darling ambition OF Miss Abbott
life. and the great wealth she possessed. as wei
as her personal devotion to the lyric art wer
her inc entives. For this purpose she encouraged
and aid ed singers and composers to a greater de
gree than any other prima donna before or dur
ing her period in lyric history. In fact il ma!
be said that, much as she was singer, more WA
she woman OF affairs" in her profession.
INCIDENTS IN HER CAREER.
Emma Abbott was born in Chicago, where he
father was local musician. AT an early ag,
she manifested a taste for singing, and wbel
quite young started eastward alone. According
10 her own accountant she was fond of re
ferring to the incden ts-she carried her shoes IL
her hand and went barefoot to save them. A
Toledo, Ohio she applied for work. and also a
Cincinnati In this manner she made her way t
New York, where she sang IN halls, etc., until
she came under the notice OF her benefactor. MIR
Lake of Brooklyn, who sent her abroad In 1877:
to be educated for the operate stage.
EXPERIENCES IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
"Madame Patti told me-" said Miss Abbott
talking TO an interviewer some time ago, "tba
there are two kinds of voices, and that all sing
ers could be classed 10 one OF two divisions.
was visiting her In Paris at the time.
There are voices that are happy and voice:
that are unhappy said Patti. "A voice is happy
when 1t is pleasure for an audience TO hear it.
sit is unhappy when all the pleasure remains
with the singer
"And Patti told me had a voice OF the former
variety. She had been giving me some
very good advice prior TO her famous trip TO st
Petersburg. had just met her and she seemed
TO take great interest IN the young Ameri
caine.'
at was at that time my luck seemed to
change and that success came 10 me to stay.
Fortune was not Kind to me before that year.
YOUTHFUL sTRIvINGs.
"When i was wee thing my father, music
teacher OF small means, removed to small town
III Illinois, III the hopes of lettering his fortune
81 was very ambitious TO become a singer and
was scarcely years old when / made my FIRST
appearance IN a music hall.
Before thai had tramped the streets in all
weather singing TO little groups OF rough but
klnd-hearted travellers. But such life could
not satisfy my ambition nor bring enough cop
pers. which was delighted TO earn TO contribute
10 the support of the family.
"a concert was to be given In town near by
one evening. | left my humble home, carrying
the guitar with which l always accompanied
myself, and trudged YEARLY over the ten mlf6e
OF dusty road 10 lie srhO0l-h0use where the con-
cert was 10 he held. Ii was very Iiresome aud
exhausting tramp, but reached the hall be-
scrubbed a very sun Drowned countenance, ana
brushed away the thick coating of dust from my
garments. finished Just In time TO hear them
stepped upon the stage.
ii was very young and small, and the audi
ence received me with smiles OF curious Interest
l began my little song with trembling tones, but
l soon forgot all surroundings aud threw all
my heart into the action and words. Kindly ap-
plallse rewarded my efforts, aud knew had
not been a failure.
THAT night as 1 walked home over those ten
miles between school-house and home L felt as
though was moving on air and soaring eXult
antly away from the poverty aud unhappiness oil
my HE, ana conhded to my father The dreams Of
4 future OF success.
= Ii did not come as rapidly as wished OBJ
Staces threw themselves In my path Till II
seemed as though could 90 no further, but for
tune finally favored me, and my luck has never
since deserted me.
~ decided, after my first experience. that /
would never forSake the aim OF my llie-to adj
vance as far as possible on the operate stage.
l sang IN several small concerts soon after my
first appearance, and gradually made my way
into The lal ger towns. Many friends came 10 me
then who helped me to carry out my ideas OF
life Oh the operate stage, aud since then have
known no real home except the bottom OF my
big trunks.
wINDFALL.
~ finally managed to reach New York, ant
from there l went 10 Paris. To a little company
| OF Americans in the parlor Of a French boarding
house sang Home, Sweet Home, and knew
| they were weary for that home.
silently woman stole into the dingY room
ana caught the last notes of the refrain.
Sing something else for me- she said II
| quiet tones. Size listened and departed in tn
| silence In which she entered. few DAYS late
| / received summons to sing before the riches
woman in Europe, and the Baroness de Roihs
child gave me $4,000 francs 10 help in my mus
| cal education. 1t was she who acedentall
| heard the old song in the little Partisan board
| lnS-house.
FASCINATED BY PATTI.
81 tried many times TO see Patti while In Paris
| She repeatedly said: 4 do not want to see m,
girl. / do not care for the great secret she say
| she has Tor me. wish no secrets
" But nnally entered her room one day in Z
| little, unpretentous gown with the secret in my
| pocket
"'What is this secret p asked Nine. Patti ii
''Only Ihls, replied, drawing small 25-cen
fan from my pocket. win you write your nam,
| upon il?'
7" La diva WINGED, she frowned, then broke Init
| peal OF laughter as she wrote III delicate Italian
| letters, 'Adellna Patti
Then l suggested that could slug little
"'Well, let me hear you.' and the great SINCE
| OF the world lay back on her cushions ant
listened.
flake these she said, at the end OF the simpl
song, christening some jewels from her ears.
And these she said later, handing me SOM
| letters 10 MapesOn.
The little fan has always had place among
mo break occurred in my good fortune afte
| that meeting.
| ENGLISH AND AMERICAN DEBUTs
| In 1876 Miss Abbott made her debut In Lon
| don as Maria, In " La Figlia del Reggmento
aud was criticized somewhat severely by lii
press. In the meantime some overZealous friend
had been inserting rather iDiudicious account
oil her marvellous voice In the American papers
Public curiosity was widely awakened and de
sire was felt on all sides TO know whether sh
was really all her friends had claimed for her
and whether she would prove TO be tile repre-
sentative American prima donna to succeed Mis-.
Kellogg. But on her appearance in 1877, AZ tn,
New YORK Academy OF Music, in the same opera
in which she had made her debut in London, she
was even more roughly handled by the American
critics than by their English brethren They
universally agreed that Miss Abbott merely
possessed light and flexible soprano voice. mo-
by any means phenomenal one either in point
0f quaiiiy, volume or range. In the upper regis
ter they Insisted there was an edge which grated
unpieasantly on the ear, and was essentially me
tallic Her middle and lower notes were weak
aud OF an inferior quality. This critical estimate
oil the singer was correct, aud might have beer
written with equal truthfulness In December,
1890. after her many years OF experience on the
lyric stage, rs In 1877.
DIFFERENTIATION OF CHARACTER
Miss Abbott was a woman whom no difficulties
could deter. When she carried her shoes In her
hand as a girl on the tramp from Chicago to New
York, she carried her fortune there 1t may be
said at the same time The act was indicative
OF VIII power that enabled the ambitious little
woman 10 leap over difficulties which, to others,
would have been insurmountable. Notwith-
standing the uufavorabe criticisms on boil,
SIDES OF Inc water, she had the perseverance and
energy 10 organize an opera company, sup
ported by William Castle and Others and
gradually became fayoriie with her audiences
In the towns Of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys
combining herself TO the lighter school OF operas
at the outset, but in later years essaying more
important works. such as Thomas Romeo ana
C,uiiS', anu Don " Anue bOleyn'-angll-
elZed versions OF both of which she sang dur
Ing her engagement last month at the Baldwin
III this city. she was associated with &. ID. Hess
In the opening OF her career. AT the time of her
dealb. Miss Abbott held signed contract with
~. Audran, the famous French composer in
volying 60 900 francs, for a new opera, the con-
ditions being that she would only be entitled to
Inc dement, OF II for three years--the proprietary
right revertlng to the composer at the end of that
time.
SINCE MR. EUGENE j. wETHERILL,
The pflma donna's husband died--and the cir
cumstances OF death are siugularly alike in both
cases-Miss Abbott has had more than a usual
amount OF trouble. resulting from estate dis.
putes. The surviving relatives of MIR. Wetherill
were DESTROYS OF acquiring all the property
varying, according 10 different accounts, from
one million TO two millions OF dollars-left at his
death, In which object, OF course they were
foiled. Two wills had been made during the
lifetime OF MIR. Wetheril-one, on his part. Civ
Ing all MS share OF the common property 10 his
wife, and the other, by the Wife of a similar
tenor in fayor nj her bncha,d ua,hs.,iI M