Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-03-04
LEONIDE LEBLANC
Death OF the Most Beautiful Woman In
Franoe-Her Career rs an Actress.

Death Of the Most Beautiful Woman In
Franoe-Her Career rs an Actress.
PARIS, February 20.-The most beau
tiful actress OF France is dead. Half
the people-the older half-are saying,
What? Was she still alive? We
thought she died years ago" The
other half-the younger-are asking,
who was sho?" And such is fame.
Leonide Leblanc was not, however,
an old woman, who had outlived her
comrades. She was born just NIFTY
years ago. One could scarcely imagine
more humble origin. Her father was
street-cleaner and member of pave
ments, and spent his petty earnings
at the wine shops. Her mother,
therefore, being compelled to earn
something for herself, took to
begging. She pretended TO be
blind, had q dog to lead her and carried
little Leonide in her arms, showing her
to the public TO accentuate her plea for
aims. Yet the beggsr'S brat came TO be
the most admired woman In Europe,
the sweetheart OF kiRgs and princes,
wore a hundred thousand dollars worth
of diamonds and then died in obscuritY.
And all in fifty years! Verify, we live
at rapid pace!
1t was through a girl friend that she
got on the stage. That friend had a
cousin who sang at the Opera Comique.
He gave the two girls tickets for that
house. Leonde was stage struck at
once. The singer, observing her mar
vslous beauty, thought IL alone might
give her some success. He, therefore,
introduced her TO the management OF a
cheap theatre in the Sums. There
Deiazet, who had become bankrupt,
saw her and went 20 ThioouSt
and said: The most besutifu,
woman and the finest actor in France
is PLAYING there. Go and see.' Thi-
boust went. saw her and was entranced.
lie engaged her on the spot 80 play
elsewhere at q firSt-class theatre. She
did so, and carried everything by storm.
The managers OF the best theatres ia
Paris fought with e2ch other In their
easerness TO secure her. Meilhsc aud
Haleyy wrote an Operetta for her. Sar-
dou wrote LA Patrie" for her. Victor
Hugo saw her az Brussels and begged
permission 20 write play for her But
then be found prince was making love
TO her, and that angered him and he did
not write the play.
The money she mads-or get In some
way-was almost beyond counting.
She had pearl necklace worth $780,
900. The crazy Duke OF Brunswick
gave her ring containing diamond
almost rivaling the k0h-i-nOOr. On the
stage she wore slippers entirely covered
with diamonds. She also went ia for
costly books, vases and other objects OF
art. With all this she was never reck-
less 10 her expenditures, not even ex.
travagant. But she gave freely TO her
friends and TO the poor. She also made
some bad inyestments-as ia the Pan
ANA Canal, in which she lost half a
million dollars. She has not, therefore.
left . great fortune.
Her stage career. despite her dazzling
successes. was disappointment TO her
She wanted to get into the Theatre
Francois, but could not. she played al
ali the other leading houses, but that
one kept its doors resolutely closed
against her. Why? Because Of her
origin, or Of her fraDkness IN confessing
II. There was no question as to her
merits as an actress. The director him.
self conceded that she vas the peer Of
any in France. But beggar's child
No. really, il would not do. The mem.
hers Of the Theatre Francois Company
would not endure IL And 50 the lead