The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-02-05
EMMA ABBOTT WAS A TOMBOY.
How She Came to Go on the Stage and How
She Acted When a Child.

Old time theatrical people have
many interesting stories OF Emma Alb,
bolts early life to tell. "She had an
experience on the stage that antedates
anything have ever seen published"
said d. B. Hodges. "The first time
Emma appeared behind the footlights
was with the Hubbard Concert com.
pany on Jan. s, 1873. 1t was in De-
troit," the veteran continued. Drank
Hubbard organized the company in
this city soon after the big fire in 1872.
Frank is dead now, poor fellow, and SO
is John Richie, the tenor, and Tom
Corwin, whose deep bass voice has
filled many concert hall. Franks
wife, Mollie Lumbard, is the only
member of the company alive today.
/ managed the party. AS soon as we
organized we struck into Michigan.
80 10 day, at q little town called
Paw Paw, Frank Lumbard attended
the funeral OF little girl, perhaps out
of curiosity. A number OF little girls
sang after the solemn ceremony had
been said. One OF them had a voice
whose sweetness fingered in Lum-
bard's ear. He asked the girl her
name, and what she was doing. That
awkward girl was Emma Abbott, and
she was then teaching school. Lum-
bard got her to join our company.
She were short dresses then, and her
hair was cropped close to her head,
Altogether she did not present
an attractive appearance. Mrs. Lum-
bard dressed her in better clothes,
and gave her instructions for the
stage, but it was fully month before
Emma was allowed to sing at any of
our concerts. She was not given solo
parts then, but came on with guitar
and sang several little catchy ditties.
Emma's first appearance was not
brilliant success. She sang in Young
Mems hall, in Detroit, and was, as
might be expected, somewhat fright
ened. But the girl persevered. Her
energy was marvellous. The first
time she ever sang publicly in Chi
cago was on July A, 1873, at hall on
State street, near Sixteenth. She still
used her guitar as an accompaniment.
81 recall one incident" the old
manager went on, chat illustrates
her inclination to initiate actresses
that were then prominent. While we
were at Detroit Mrs. Lumbard took
Emma to hear Parepa Rosa. That
evening Parepa Rosa wore large
gold comb in her hair, and the next
night, when Emma started on the
stage, she wore a big comb in her
shaggy hair. Her appearance
was SO ridiculous that
Mrs. Lumbard compelled her to
dress again. But the girl never forgot
Parepa Rosa nor her manner, and it
was plain to all who heard her sing in
after years that she had adopted the
style of that old favorite. For several
years after we came back to Chicago
Emma went about the country giving
concerts with her guitar. She became
acquainted with Clara Louis Kellogg in
1876, but they never got long well,
although Kellogg got her into DIR.
Chapin's church in New York.
Emma was a peculiar combina-
tion," the old man added. "She
acted more like boy than a girl. She
never seemed to care for the society OF
men, and was always Indifferent to
them. If it had not been for many
and magnificent charities and her
willingness to help unfortunate mem
bers of the profession, l should almost
have believed that she had no
heart. l went across the water
on the same steamer with her
once. There were two little
children on board that everybody on
the vessel petted and played with
constantly. Emma never noticed |
them. l said to her, as we sighted
Queenstown, What kind Of creature
are you, Emma? Here are two chill
dren that all OF us have been playing
with for eight days, and you never
gave them smile Her reply was
characteristic. "Oh, don't care for
children. Chicago Herald.
Mr.. w. r. Cavitt, one of the board