The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
pAREPA ROSA'S TRIUMPHS.
80, CONCERT ToUR OF THE WHOLE
COUNTRY IN 1S6S-6o,

,..,,e, or the Journey on tho Overland
,..,s-Amons the Successes
a. ch,caEo-uer Long Illness and Ne vivs's
r.r weeks with Fsssuai HriGnoii.
nrr,np her sojourn in San Francisco in 1868
ana Rosa became a favorite with the best So
,.,, there and particularly with Mrs. Ralston
"sh cr husband. then tho President of the Cali.
,roi. Bank and the so-called King Of California,
~ uas drowned in August, 1875. They both
,.r,,cd her and her husband every Sunday to
,I,, magnificent country mansion at Palo Alto,
w w.. .be was highly toasted by q largo assem-.
,.s, Of invited guests belonging to tho ariSto-
U.S." ",ic circle OF tho Golden Gate. Never in her life,
-. Told me many times, had she enjoyed herself
..rucb Ms during her ~sojourn in San Francisco.
4, ber benefit half q dozen or moro men and
a,m,n with whom she had become friendly gave
w. diamond rings, bracelets, precious stones,
nd brick Of gold and silver.
IN Oct, 20 1 left San Francisco for San Jose.
sockton, Sacramento, Marysville, and Grass
v,I,y to prepare concerts, and Mr.. Rolston
Avn mo letters of introduction to the leading
..,,,.ns of each town and q credit OF $1,000. or
snr,e I was we'll received by his friends. They
,,,,rtained me with luncheons, dinners. and
Id,.. AT Grass Valley two of my entertainers
u .nc0nDanleu me uOWh WV koiu LhihC5t ~
s1s me two big specimens Of rich ore and a
.r,l bottle OF refined gold worth $50. I en-
tya that trip, thanks to tho courteous manner
!, which | was received in every town by Mr..
%p,stop's friends and by the newspaper mon.
xAo were highly pleased to know that tho great
p,rspa would visit their towns.
rmm Grass Valley l rode in a coach to Reno,
,h,re had the luck to ngage the last seat on
"A, overland stage to Salt Lake City and
rSevepne, the terminus then Of tho Union
pacific Railroad. We left Reno, I think. ut
N ,bout 1 o'clock, and there were seventeen in the
,.,se. II was a beautiful sunny day. I enjoyed
ma scenery. Among the passengers were two
vomen with their husbands, millionaires Cross
hr the continent after twenty years OF absence
tum their native cities. and three friends Of
mine whom | had known during the sea-
nm as regular patrons OF the opera. As I
travelled unprovidedw with a lunch, wine, liquors,
or syen a winter overcoat, these mel begged
me to partake OF their lunch and wines, which
oHer I accepted with thanks. AS / was with
three more men on top Of the stage with tho
nachman the first night a friend Of mine who
had two big overcoats offered me one, and when
y v, separated at Ogden he made me q present Of
ts a souvenir OF our overland trip.
Our first stop was at Austin, n largo mining
town at that time. and out OF seventeen pas
tnsers ten remained there, and the remain
ix seven occupied the comfortable seats inside
the coach. having a very jolly time all along
the deserted prairies and up and down the
rssp and dangerous hills. We stopped every
dy for breakfast, dinner. and supper at curious
muddy taverns, and generally we enjoyed
N rood meals Of fresh eggs, ham and bacon. beef.
buffalo. and antelope. Many times we cooked
the meals. and then we enjoyed them indeed.
During the journey Of seven days and seven
nights from Reno to Salt Lake City. which was
most enjoyable. especially after leaving
the miners in Austin, as tho rest of
Us made n select company. the following
teSplicable incident occurred. I Ind two valu.
able rings; one with a diamond worth 800 and
one with a big pearl. a present from my wife.
kept the two rings on my watch chain, safely
litached to a buttonhole Of my walstcoat. One
morning the watch and chain were in place, but
the we rings had disappeared. Icould not sus.
vet any one OF my four men or two women com.
unions. and l had to sustain the loss philo.
pphically. 1 did not care so much for losing the
diamond ring, but I felt much grieved by the
loss OF the souvenir Of my wife.
Tnvel on an overland sta9ecoach in those de
serted lands and forests in the sixties was dan
serous and e~venttul owing to encounters with
ed ih4iAu VI poihho vi NlO lll6ottt
that country. We were all armed with pistols
arbines, and stilettos; but, thank Heaven
wien we re ,ched Ogden we were all safe. u.
fellow passengers. after an hour of rest and
gooi dinner there, started on for Cheyenne t
take the railway. and I went to Salt Lake City
Before ! left Ogden I took a meal at q hote
there kept by an Italian, who begged me to Civ
aconcert In the town. I refused his offer be
cause IL was a small town and inhabited almos
exclusively BY miners. advised him, however
that II he would raise 81 900 the Parepa RosI
company would give the concert This man, al
rdent lover of music, raised the money befor
ne arrival OF the company. and when Parep'
Rosa and her party arrived, notwithstand
ing the tiresome trip of twenty-four hours, sh,
"adeScended to sing. AS I heard afterward. /
vas festival night for the mining town.
As soon as | reached the Mormon capital ! wa
delighted and astonished to find such a beauti
sat Lake city Is unlike any other city that
10 teet wide, and in the cutters run rivulets o
.ear spring water from the hills. The broac
S&.sh"sslks are paved with bricks, Tho houses
WIN rev exceptions, are two-stories high. lik,
cottages, on ample lots Of ground. having fowe
Ehtssens in front and vegetable GARDEN
hotels there "T We're small but tA' comfortable
Ind ID part! 4,srtieais1i;y, he Grand 1'SIf Mormon sss9rs
W 80. ~. viNh il U IL .uOE
, nOas Kept all kinds OF dry goods, shoes. hats
M SUITS Tor men and women. The Mormon
%et're; built like "A European opera house
I'm large parquet. two rows of boxes. ana
ssnery, and seating about 1000 persons, is
H.ehuid structure. The old Mormon Temple
saaped Ike an egg and containing about 90, 00t
r. an elegant edifce. There Ia Div,
r.tu' Nilsson. and, | think, Gerster, too, havt
bmhhg IN later years, although then I could no
,L.ure brigham Young TO rent the temple TO
me tsrepa fosa concerts. The Mormon office
Esa .ne several houses in which Brigham Younl
gsa "lth his twenty-five wives and his man!
t tsTu a,ean were inclosed. all around. by a ten
iine day after my arrival. Nov. 9. 1868,
Hrea on Mr; Cain and Mr.. Clawson, the mana
ssnsol lhe theatre, to make an arrangement 70
stSocohcerts. They demanded so per cent. o
N m ftoss receipts for furnishing the theatre an,
Int local expenses. REFUSED their exorbitan
s n,ms ana told them that / would give the con
tSsx S ~ ~ a small hall offered me for S25. The
W. ouered 6O per cent, which also / refused
NH sSsht 10 10 see Brigham Young. He received m
nan naay having hoard OF my arrival as tn
opsTIrm' ne said. Il am glad to make your &C
ttS "L"hCe, You are the drd~nt-courcur OF tn
tyc, ,enhy Land. who has created such grea
ts%.elleht N San Francisco, according to tn
ma, 'papers ! have read. / suppose and hop
itsa,s on WI give the concerts In our gran
TTSSs W. ana Nowhere else"
h n, !" ! oegEcG him to let me give the concert
n c no norln9n Temple. which was more adapte
s.ySncer!s than the theatre,
y EO he Flnlt,I ts.ka. D.. -.