The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-12-01
PATHS CHILDHOOD.
She Played ut Opera Singing in the West
chester Village of south MOnnt Vernon.
Es,s Y,rk r,,u

She Played ut Opera singing in the West
chester Village of south Monnt Vernon.
Enr York fun
Thirty years before Adellna Patti be-
gan to live in Welsh castle her homo
was an ugly. though substantial rect
anguiat red brick house in q village oil
Westchester county. The village has
since changed its official name from
Washingtonville to South Mount Yer
non, though its sole railway station, on
the Harlem division of the New York
Central, still retains the former name.
Tho confusion arising from this double
system OF nomenclature is increased by
the fact that the vi1lage 10 known TO the
postohice department &c Wakefield.
When Patti was little girl Of 10 or
thereabouts there was no such con-
fusion as to the identity OF the village.
1t had Just been laid ont and called
WashinglonVille, in order to be patriot
ically even with the neighboring village
OF Mount Vernon. The village then, as
even yet, although the New York City
line is within halt mile OF its limits,
was thoroughly rural in temper and
habits. Farms and old farm home
steads lay all about it, and when the
wandering PATHS built their big ugly
house they set it upon a slope overlook
ing the Bronx valley, with it's back TO
the White Plains road, now the priDci-
pal street OF South Mount Vernon.
PATHS father brought to his country
home his second wife and three sets OF
children-those 10 whom the wife
was stepmother, those to whom
Patti, the husband, was stepfather, and
those to whom the pair were both
father and mother. The variously re-
lated parents were already old to the
stage, and even the elder children had
begu1 their life work. Carlotts was
singing her earlier songs, and Nicola
was already well known on the stage.
The PATHS found themselves amid an
oddly unsympathetic community. But
they came and went with small thought
OF their nsighbors, now going upon long
professional tours, now idling ut the red
brick house. Nine. Patti, the wife,
seems to have left an even more vivid
impression upon her former neighbors
than Adettna, the daughter. The wife
was n somewhat stern, dark-eyed wom-
an. who impressed the villagers as o
person to be treated with consideration.
As to the little Adelina, she is remem-
bered as a plumb, goed-natured little
girl with foreign hair, eyes, and COM
pleXion. The younger villagers OF to-
day say as they pass the Patti house,
"Adelina Patti, tho great singer, was
born there" but the Older folk who
were local contemporaries OF the PATHS
know better. Adelina, while living at
Washingtonville, went to school in New
York; but one OF her amusements was
to gather tho village children into the
red brick house and set up singing
school. Another characteristic amuse.
ment OF Adelina was to play opera, and
the Widow Brown, a neighbor OF the
PATHS, still cherishcs the toy theater,
made Of copk, which Adelina owned.
This, q few chairs belonging to the
widow, and great kitchen table, are
the only relics OF Patti left in and about
her modern home. According to local
tradition Patti, while living in Wash
ingtonvitle, sang in public at Beck's no.
lel III u1Ouub NGAhOIlI uuh h9l III hVA
neighbors will have it that this was her
first public appearance, though the BIZ
ographers Of the diva tell different
story.
The Patti house was cold last year by
the man who bought it from the PATHS,
and it is now occupied in the summer
By German fancier OF plants and veg
etables. 3 He has painted the red bricks
u light lead color, and has transformed
the terraced grass plot into a blooming
flower garden. The house now faces an
unimportant street, and stands many
feet above the sidewalk. It's front door
is reached by high flight Of steps lead
ing to large voranda. Within are
dozen rooms, most'of them large, but
plain. The present owner declares that
Father Patti built well, and that the
house is rs sound as a house can be.
Tho surviving members OF the Patti
family will take an interest in the house,
and Nicola has visited it within eighteen
months. The village is stirred period
ically whom Patti is singing in New
York by the rumor that she will revisit
the old place.