The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26


Mr.. Fiske from the first refused to ac-
cord her any such distinction. He has
rightly treated her as a product Of the
brothel, exactly where she belongs, and
has severely scored the manager who
allows her to cry her disgusting wares
before the public. We regard it as one
of the graVest and most painful signs
Of the decay of public morals, that
woman like GuiIbert should be re-
ceived as this woman has been in New
York City, and the thanks of every
lover of decency are due Mr.. Ffske for
the stand his paper has taken.
Apropos Of Guilbert, we find the fol-
lowing in a letter 70 the San Fran
cisco Argonaut:
But is it not extraordinary that an
American audience should attend and
listen with apparent pleasure to such
songs? AS 1 said, it is not considered
decent in Paris for a respectable young
woman to hear Yvette Guilbert, and
yet on this first night in New York
the house was crowded, and there were
many so-called society people" pres
emit Among them were Mr.. and Mrs.
Elisha Dyer, Mr.. and Mrs. James
Beekman, Mr. and Mrs. Royal Phelps
Carroll, Mr.. and Mrs. Clarkson Potter,
Mr.. and Mrs. Butler Duncan, Mr.. and
Mrs. T. a. Havemeyer and people OF
that description. There were many
young girls in the various theaber par
ties. But I freely confess that l do
not understand how people can take
young girls TO listen to such songs
that is, if they understand them. l
have often heard YYette in Paris, at
the Cafe des Ambassadors, the Ell
Dorado, and similar places but L am
free to confess that 1 never saw any
yourg girls there-that is, decent
young girls. The young women 1 saw
there were the kind YYette sings about
in her songs.
Still success is, suppose, the test
of merit. Yvette has rolled UP a for
tune by her obscene songs. Five years
ago she was a shabby shop-woman.
Today she is known all over the world,
has a villa in the country, hand
some apartment in Paris, has accumu-
lated about 100000 francs. and is now
receiving $4,000 and expenses for four
weeks in the United States. And yet
she is paid this money for singing
songs which, if sung in English, would
result in her being run off to the police
station in the ''hurry-up wagon"
The incoming of the new state of
Utah is interesting from a good many
points of view, but especially interest
ing to the dramatic profession from
the fact that she brings with her as her
chief executive gentleman known for
fifteen years past as one of the most
talented actors Of the west.
Governor Heber NJ. Wells, who took
the oath of office in Salt Lake City on
January 6. has faced a good many en-
thusiastic audiences in his career, but
never such a one as that which greet
ed him on that occasion. For his au-
ditorium he had the great Mormon
tabernacle; his auditors numbered
from 1000 to 5000, all keyed up to the
highest point of enthusiasm; his stage
was the topmost pulpit Of the first
presidency of the Mormon church (of
which he is a member; the music Of
the occasion was made up of the great
organ, two military bands and the
noted tabernacle choir, augmented to
thousand voices in honor of the event.
His fellow players were a chief jus
tice, associate justice, the new score
tary of state, treasurer, auditor and
members of the new legislature, but
Governor Wells undoubtedly had the
star role, and no one disputed his right
to the center Of the stage. Over the
vast audience was hung the largest
by IT'S feet in length, with the new
star (the forty-ffth in the national
constellation brilliantly Illuminated.
1t speaks well for the liberal and pro-
gressiVe ideas prevailing in Utah that
not only does the new governor come
from the ranks of the Thespians, but
his competitor for the Office on the los
ing side (the Democratic) Mr.. Caine,
was for years a professional actor and
IL IL
ed entirely as a professional for the
reason that he was always engaged in
some other business pursuit at the
same time that he INDUCED his taste
for the drama; but the fact that he
acted at regular intervals IN an organ
lied company for nearly fifteen
years, the wide range of parts
he essayed, and the further
comfortable fact that his income
was substantially aided by his ventures
before the footlights entitle him to be
ranked as something considerably
more than an amateur.
Governor Wells made his first ap-
pearance as the doctor in "The Two
Orphans in 1879, at a benefit rendered
in the Salt Lake theatre to Mrs. Annie
Adams, mother of Maude Adams. A
few months later he played Temple
ton Jitt in Divorce in which little
Maude" appeared as the child and
made a decided impression in a song
and dance. Since then Mr.. Wells has
traversed the whole range of current
comedy. drama and melodrama, his
roles being either the heroes in such
plays as storm Beaten" THE Silver
King" Diplomacy" Youth" Held
throp," 'Esmeralda," etc, or the lead
ing roles in such pieces as "Grimaldi."
1.-THE Shaughraun," Confusion" Our
Boys" and Saratoga" He played
Lord Travers in Hazel Kirke" when
his dramatic club brought c. w. Coul-
dock out from New York and put on
the play for weeks run, and his last
appearance was as Ralph in Saints
and Sinners" which the club produced
in conjunction with J. H. Stoddard in
October, 1894.
Governor Wells has a fine presence,
an admirable physique and an excel
lent voice, and Salt Lake theatre audi
ences-than whom there are none more
critical in the union-have always
counted him an ideal leading man He
has several times receiver offers from
eastern managers, but he always de-
clined to take up an exclusively profess
sional life
Governor Wells term is for five years.
He is only SO years of age, so that
should he fail of reelection, or miss
stepping into the United States senate
Casually looked upon as the haven of
all righteous governors) he will still
be young enough at the end Of his
term to do once more the sock and bus
kin and perhaps carve out for himself
greater fame than he could amid the
uncertainties Of political lMe.
q
Is Bill Nye on the wane7 We have
feared it for some time. and that