The San Francisco call., 1896-07-09

habilitation of the firm has been brought
about with wonderful speed. Meeting with
overwhelming disaster they have made
settlement in six weeks and are again on their
feet, so TO speak. Abbey was lying almost at
the point of death when the bankruptcy
occurred, yet he managed to gather strength
enough in a few weeks to face the situation
and make great aud determined fight to save
the firm from utter financial annihilGtion.
He has his enemies; they are determined in
opposition and they think they have good
cause for their attitude. But, however that
may be, they cannot but admire the manner
in which he, i'll and weakened, struggled to
his feet and put up gallant fight to retrieve
his lost position.
Another fact that greatly embittered Abbey's
condition was the announcement made in the
depths of his disaster that his wife, Florence
Gerard Abbey, intended to leave him and .e-
turn TO the stage. Various reasons have been
assigned for this step, but the real facts are
not definitely known. 1t will be nine years
next February since Florence Gerard left the
stage. Since that time the general public has
only known her as handsome woman smartly
gowned, who has figured as striking feature
In boxes at the opera IN the various cities her
husband has visited in his role of impresario
She has been an important factor in the Abbey,
Schoeffel and Grau Company, however, on ac-
count of her tact and skill in managing the
visiting artists, keeping peace between the con-
| tending elements and being absolutely neutral
in the midst of the jealousy of rival stars. Her
| Immediate friends say she has been good
wife and good mother to the children she
! found in Abbey's household when she became
! its mistress. Mrs. Abbey, who will be great
| loss TO her husbands company, has no inten-
ton of going on the lyric stage. She win prob
ably be seen in legitimate drama in New York
| next season.
A large part of the credit for the satisfactory
position, IN which the Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau
| firm now finds itself is due to Mr.. Grau.
While Abbey was attending to the financial
| part OF the affair Grau was abroad undertake
| ing the delicate and diplomatic work of keep
| ing the artists from making new contracts
while the settlement was being adjusted in
| New York. What would IL have profted the
| firm had the creditors been appeased, only to
| find that the superb company had been scat
teredf When Abbey cabled to Grau that the
creditors had practically unanimously con-
| sented to the reorganization of the firm Grau
| cabled back that he held the company practi-
cally intact, and that the artists were ready to
| come when wanted. There was Boston end
to the affair also. and on this schoeffel was
busily and successfully engaged.
The little church of Arnstadt in Thuringia
still contains the organ on which John Sebas-
tan Bach played early in the eighteenth CEN
tury, that is to say from 1704 10 1907 This
instrument is considered 10 be one OF the fin
est in Germany, which possesses so many re-
markable organs, ana the souvenirs attaching
to it render it particularly interesting. I'm
fortunately it was restored for the first time
kanout twenty Years ago. and the work was