The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-11
MoDJEsKA's ROMANTIC LIFE.
She Achieved High Reputation In Spite OF
Many Adverse Circumstances.

From the Buffalo Express.
Helena Modjeska's career has been
strikingly interesting one. She was
born at Cracow, in Austrian Poland
about 81 years ago. Her father, Mich
ael Popido. a musician, gave her
Greek name on account OF her small
Greek head. which pleased his artistic
sense. He died when she was child,
a great fire burned their house and
brought the large family to poverty.
Two brothers became successful &C
tors and helped her to ind humble
work on the stage. For years she met
with no success. She married her
guardian. much older than herseiI,
named Modrzejewski, the real spelling
of the name which we have shortened
to Modjeska (the "a the usual femi-
nine ending) 1t was not until 1855
that real success began to be hers. AL
WAYS an enthusiastic student In her
art. she made such progress under the
guidance of the Polish director lasin-
ski that her growing reputation spread
from Poland to Germany and France.
She has always been devoted to Po-
land, and 1t is related that on one oc-
casion, after she had accepted pro-
posal to play German tragedy in Aus
trian Bukowlna. her patriotism got the
better of her ambition, and she gave
UP the idea of playing in Germany on
hearing a band play Polish national
airs the day before the first perform
ance. ut was at the time when the
Polish instruction broke out, and TINS
music made her feel as II deserving
the Polish stage at such a moment
would be equal to betraying the ma
tional cause"
In 1868 she married Charles Bozenta
Chlapowslxi. a young Polish patriot
and Journalist. on the day OF her mar
rage she first played in Warsaw,
where "her triumph was the greatest
ever known in the annals OF the thea
ter" She remained in Warsaw seven
wears. the period of greatest advance
ment in her art. In 1876, with her hus-
band and a party OF friends, she visit
| ed the centennial, then went 10 Call
| fornia. bent on founding a Polish COM
munitv. 1t was a strange experience.
| They bought land, built house, pur-
chased cattle. hens and chickens ana
other necessities and then swung ham,
Knocks under the trees, laid in a stock
| of cigarettes and waited for the crops
| 10 grow and the cattle to multiply. AS
long as the money held out they lived
a delightful life. Unfortunately, there
| Is a limit to money, and before very
long IL was all gone and the little col
ony had to turn TO and work. This was
too prosaic entirely for some OF the
1
in the hammochs and smoke cigarettes
while the others worked and waited
! upon them One of the hardest work
ers was Mime. Modjeska. She not only
cooked and scrubbed, but she milkec
the cows and made the butter, her nus
band and SON doing all the hard worn
| o. the farm. while their companions
| looked and chaffed and oneered b,
turns. Even with the strictest econ
omy they could not live, and Nine
Modjeska determined to learn English
and act at a San Francisco theater.
This she did, after six months OF study
Her first appearance there. as In war
saw nine years before. was as Adri
enne Lecouvreur. Her success wal
immediate and has never since beer
broken. Although she has visited Pc
land, her husband and son are natural
lied American citizens. and Americ'
will always claim her-jolntly. II neeS
he. with Poland-as one OF her bright
est stars.
The story OF Russia's recent edic
against her has been widely circulated
Ii was because of her frank expires
sion of sympathy with Poland. durini
the Columbian exposition (promptl!
reported 10 their government by Rus
sian representatives who heard her
that Nine. Modteska was forbidden Z
enter Russia. She had to abandon, a
great cost to herself. an engagement
TO play in st. Petersburg. but IN
exile, IL such IL is to be called. while |
emphasizes her constancy to the caus
OF Poland. makes her more than eve
| an American