The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-19
EMMA ABBoTrs FIRST FINANCIAL
LESSON.

EMMA ABBoTTS FIRST FINANCIAL
LESSON.
To the Editor Of the Eagle.
A few weeks since, some one men
toned In your paper about Emma Alb
bolt having made request before she
died, not to bury her remains hastily,
but be sure first that she was dead,
which | presume was her request, as 1t
so often has happened in times passed
that persons have been buried before
they were dead. But some very unchar-
liable, ungentlemanly correspondent
calls her crank, forgetting he himself
Twas crank. He said she was like an
other crank who had requested before
his death that his heart should be cut
in order to be sure that he was dead.
Emma Abbott had right to make the
request she did, also the one for her body
to be cremated at suitable time. Many
children are born of and reared by rich
parents and who get classic education,
and even then never make good mark
worthy of merit But Emma was not
| so fortunate as that. She started on the
lower rung of the ladder of fame, and
succeeded in getting to the topmost
rung, for she was born of very poor par
ents, not able to give her common edu-
cation. ! lived in the same town she
was raised in and my two little girls
went 10 the same school with her. l knew
the family personally, and helped and
assisted them, when they were scarcely
able to make living.
Mr.. Abbott was a musician: he was a
good singer, and a good flute player.
1 We prevailed on him to lead the singing
in our church, the NJ. f. church in
| Peoria, Ill.,, thirty or thirty-tive years
ago. Some Methodists were opposed to
church choirs, but we employed one
mar to lead in the singing. Thus it was
Mr.. Abbott was hired to lead the sing
ing, as some said just to help him and
family, as they were opposed to paid
| singers. Mrs. Abbott was not much of
a singer but she loved her husband, and
admired his musical voice, and previous
to Emma's birth would sit and listen to
her husbands musical voice, and seemed
delighted with his singing; hence the
result-Emma was called "a natural
born singer" At years of age she
sang in public in our Sunday school and
other places of entertainment as the
child singer. The family was favored
and assisted by kind friends, for they
had very little business talent them
selves. Now in order to impress
Emma's young and tender mind while
yet a little girl that she
must lean a lesson Of self-reliance
A plan was arranged by some friends
of Emma's one day in Uncle Jesse
Knowlton's grocery store, down on Wa
ter street, something like this: That she
should go out to country school house
about five miles on plain road, and
there give concert by herself, alone. as
she thought, for she was not told that
there was any private arrangement 10
watch and take care of her. 1t was
long journey for a 5-year-old girl to
make in one afternoon, but she was
watched by her friends, who had told
her the way and what kind of houses
she would pass, what the school house
looked like, what it was called, the name
of the nearest farm house, which was
close by, where she could apply and
contract for make bargain) with the
man to keep her over night, hire the
school house, hire a dOor-keeper who
would be honest and give all the money
to her except his charges. The one who
followed her on horseback saw her ar
rive safe, then branched out to notify a
few others who had not yet heard the
plot for the little singer. The program
had all been fixed up for her by friends
in town a week before, and notice Of the
affair which was to take place, though
she did not know but she had done it all
herself.
There was some fun about the whole
circumstance TO Us, but it was serious
business to her. We all talked serious
to her; more so than if we were planning
for Santa Claus to come down the chin
ney. Then after she had paid her door
keeper and hotel bill, which was after
ward returned to her, she still bad near
81. 10 left all her own money. She was
happy and ready to walk back to town.
but the old farmer said he was going to
hitch up his team and going TO town and |
she could ride with him without charge. |
She was glad of the offer for she thought |
that was long road to walk: she never |
had been SO far before without her mama |
was with her. This was her first bust |
ness lesson. which was worth thousands /
of dollars TO her in after life.
Men of business talent tried in this |
childish mind what the parents had /
failed to do. Mr.. Abbott had tried to
make living by his musical talent, and |
insurance agency, &C.. but did not, for
want of a talent in that line, without
which Emma would have died poor in
stead of supporting her parents and fam
lily, and having six million dollars left
for some one else after her death.
Some two years after her long walk Of
five miles, to give her first concert, all
by herself, Emma being invited to ac-
Miss Frazier, a young school
girl, out to Mount Pulaski in an adjoin-
ing county, on few weeks visit, she
went, and the ladies there soon learned
that she had an extra talent for singing.
They arranged for her to give them an
which she did with great
credit and success financially, so l was
told. After she had learned what she
could in our common school, also of our
best musical teachers there, she was sent
to Chicago and received what she could
there. She soon attracted the public and
kind, wealthy friends, seeing her talent
Tor music, furnished means to go TO New
FORK, where she did the same
way. Horace Greeley, being one
IF many attracted there by her
musical voice, who l think donated
81 900 of the s., 900 raised to pay her way
and expenses to Paris, France, to finish
Ter musical education, after which she
home to America, but retained
her own name instead of madam or
Mania or some fictitious name. Her
generally successful career Is better
Known TO the world than 1 am capable
If telling, and as you so justly have said
n the EAGLE. she sacrificed her life IN