The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-06
HOBBS
Sparagus kidney Pills.

VI COURSE every one Ill 0FdSS valley
wanted to see Lola Montez dance, and in
the course of a week an entertainment was
arranged in the old Alta Hall, in the Sec
ond story of a building that had a large
saloon downstairs. The seats were So
each, and there were a few rows of chairs
in front that were listed at $40 each. The
whole house was sold in a day, and there
was such call for another entertainment
that few evenings later the second dane
ing was given at the same schedule OF
prices to another packed house. That was
the last pubic performance that the young
woman ever gave in California"
In the course of a fortnight the count
ess leased the little Stottenberg cottage,
on what is now Mill street. 1t was a cross
between a rude mountain trail and coun-
try street in those days. l doubt if l
ever saw a more enthusiastic person about
having a homo of her own than the count
ess was when she was unpacking her
effects and overseeing the arrangement
of the new furniture in the little siX-room
house. She had trunks full of bric-a-brac
and mementoes of her European days,
asked her If she never pinned for the palace
in Munich and the superb balls and BAN
quets in Paris and Vienna. She answered
with her sweet French accent:
Never, never. All, you little know,
Nine. Knapp, what sorrow and distress
every one has in such gayety. am only
sorry that never before had a little home
like this. and friends who really love me,
before l became so notorious-for notori-
GUS 1 have been: never famous
GAN that little rooms at the cottage
were prettily furnished for those days in
a mining town. Gardens were made about
the house, and the countess and her man
servant went far and wide in search Of
all manner of strange plants and crazy
wild shrubbery from the mountain sides
q nd - nj mr. "a
ess herself donned old calico gowns and
got down on her hands and
knees and planted many shrub
She was the first person in that
region who ever saw grotesque
beauty in the cactus. I believe hers was
the first collection of growing eact made
for ornamental purposes among the, thou
sands that have been made in California.
After a few months. a wooden bear-pen
was established on the place, and two
black bears that had been captured werS
put there. Nothing in Grass valley in
terested the countess more than her bears
She never missed a daily visit to the
beasts, and usually she went to feed them
several times a day
The countess introduced the evening
salon at Grass Valley. She had to be in
a whirl of some social excitement all the
time, much as she claimed, and at times
believed, she really loved the peace and
quiet of a secluded cottage. Every one
in Nevada county knew about the pretty
Frenchwomaps fandangos,' as they were
enviously called by the hundreds of per-
sons who craved invitations to them. only
a year or so ago United States Senator W.
M. Stewart of Nevada chatted with me
about Lola Montezs salon, ana how he
used TO count the days between the recep-
tons, for he was often asked to join them
They were merely evening meetings Of
Ill I'll
cottage Of the countess. There were
champagne brandy and wine to drink
and all the new fancy drinks were tried
there as fast as any one in the company
heard of them. Cake, fruit and occa-
sionally a pudding, or a Spanish dish,
comprised the edibles; and every one
smoked The Hugo nephews were always
there, and a son of Preston Il. Brooks Of
South Carolina was usually in the as
semblage.
about a dozen persons looked forward
every week to the Wednesday evening
salon at the countess home, and every
new song that was out, every neat story
that was read or heard, every bit of elo-
quence or scrap of humor or pathos that
any of the young men came across, was
preserved until the next salon-experi-
ence meeting it was called-took place at
the countess. Sometimes the genial spir-
its would prOtract their stay until day
break, and the music Of songs, guitars,
accorGlons and viollns was always a feat
ure of these affairs. The countess was
the central figure at each meeting, and
while the staid people Of the town wagged
their tongues at the doings at the house.
the countess made her receptions only
the more frequent and noisy. Sometimes
she would array herself In her old stage
gowns, and prove 10 her visitors that she
had not forgotten how 10 dance, and at
the close would pass the hat for contribu-
tons for the refreshments for the next
meeting.
zone day she had a war OF words with
local editor named Shipley about an
article on some local subject The next
week Shipley published an item insinu-
ating that the meetings at the countess.
home we're disgraceful AS soon as the
countess saw the item she dressed herself
in her riding habit, and with her riding.
whip In her hand went straight down to
see Shipley. She found him near where
tho American hotel now stands, and gave
him as many hard cuts across the face as
she could until Shipley who was a large
man and lowered above her, caught the
whip and wrenched II from her grasp.
Another time she came home and
found a man playing with her bears, She
ordered him from the premises. He told
her 70 go 70 hades. and she ran into the
house, and, coming out with n loaded mus
ket IN her little hands, chased him down
MIL street When one OF her bears died,
she was inconsolable for a few DAYS.
once, when she heard that a Methodlst
clergyman named Wilson had spoken OF
her as a shameless devil IN the gulso
OF a beautiful ana fascinating dancer
she went home. dressed IN her old-tlme
dancing garb, with very short neecy skirts
and a low-necked and sleeveless waist.
and long silk stockings, and, putting on
a pair OF heavy shoes. walked calmly down
the street 20 the pastors house, knocked
at the front door, ana asked for the Rev.
Mr. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was parni-
yzed 10 have q caller 80 dressed az her
house, and could not speak. When Mr..
Wilson came In his parlor. the countess
told him she had come 10 show how real
ly modest the dress Of n stage dancer
was. and asked him 20 tell her wherein
her deviltry was. short time after
ward she repented her act, and sent a
good money donation 20 the pastors FAM
lily as a peace Offering.
There were some excellent traits In
Lola Montez. She was easily moved 10
help the poor aud suffering, ana she had