The times., 1898-01-25
PATHS FIRST VOCAL LESSON
1t Was Given Her By Blind Girl
in St. Louis.

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1t Was Given Her By Blind Girl
in st. Louis.
st. Louis, Mo-, jan PA blind st.
Louis girl gave Patti her first lesson in
vocal music. This is bit of hitherto
unwritten history about one of the
most gifted and famous women of the
world, and it is a good thing to re-
member.
Search the biographical works in the
public libraries and you will find it set
forth that Adelina Maria Clorinda
Patti was born in Madrid in 1S43, Of
Spanish and Italian parents; that she
was brought to America while very
young; that her brother-in-iaw, Maui
rice Strakosch, gave her her musical
education, and that she first appeared
in public in New York in 1859, singing
Lucia. So much for the biographies.
Several old citizens of st. Louis can
testify that the biographies have over
looked an interesting and important in
cident of the great diva's career.
In the winter of 1852 Maurice Stra-
kOsch, famous pianist, came to st.
Louis to give a concert. With Stra-
kosch was a woman-child of nine years,
beautiful, bright. impulsive and self
willed: Il creature of the emotions. i'm
patient of restraint, but amenable to
kindness.
Strakosch had several warm personal
friends in st. Louis, among them DR..
Simon Pollak. who is still living. The
winter of 1S51-52 was probably the cold
est St. Louis has ever known The day
after Strakosch arrived navigation
ceased. The river being closed. there
was no way to leave st. Louis except
by private conveyance.
Strakosch arranged for series of
concerts and remained. He and the
child had apartments at the old Plant
ers' House. He had business to attend
TO in the day, and having no one to look
after Adeiina. he locked her in his room.
She resented it. When Strakosch came
in to prepare for the concert he found
the furniture a wreck. Adelina had
smashed the pictures. torn the bed
clothing, defaced the furniture. thrown
ink on the walls-in short done all the
damage that a high-tempered little
vixen could do.
Herr Strakosch laid her across his
knee and spanked her.
Think of that. you who have esteem
ed it a privilege to pay five dollars to
hear Patti sing 1.-The Last Rose of
Summer''-a heayy-handed piano
player spanked her.
Next day the locking-up process was
repeated, and so were the work of de-
struction and the spanking.
You may beat me to DEATH said the
child. but 1 will not be locked up. I
want to go out. L want to be free
Strakosch conferred with DR.. Pollak.
The doctor had founded the Missouri
School for the Blind, and took great
pride in it.
Send her to the School for the
Blind said he. 1T will amuse her
and she will be of assistance in teaching
the blind children"
Next day, instead of being locked up,
Adelina was taken to the School for
the Blind. then on the corner of Broad
way and Howard street. The first
pupil in the school was Lizzie Taylor,
daughter of Capt. Thomas H. Taylor.
river captain known from st. Paul TO
New Orleans. She was a natural mu-
sician and possessed of an exquisite
voice.
You should have heard that girl
sing" says DR.. Pollak. Her voice was
pure soprano of great compass and
flexibility and divine expression. / never
heard its equal"
Adelina and Miss Taylor liked each
other The blind girl taught the lit
tie foreigner to read notes by the
touch, and soon they were singing to-
gether like a pair of thrushes. Ade-
lina's voice even then gave promise of
the rare excellence that came to it
with maturity. Strakosch said:
''There is a fortune IL; her throat"
He and the child remained in st.
Louis for eleven weeks. During that
time he let Adelina sing at several
concerts. The audiences went wild
over her and had her brother-in-law
not had the sense and prudence to re-
strain her they would probably have
induced her to strain her vocal chords
and Craig Nos would not now have
a private theater.
During those eleven weeks the blind
singer and Patti were much together,
and the memory of their childish
friendship has never left the diva.
That is why she has sung frequently
for blind children, and why an inmate
of a blind school has never paid TO get
into a Patti concert If Patti knew 1T.
Lizzie Taylor was as remarkable
in her way as Patti. She is
by many old citizens of
St. Louis, and her memory is fondly
cherished by her sister, Mrs. Hudson
r, Downs. of 4252 Morgan street. She
was beautiful and of q high order of
and to her Dr. Pollak at
tributes much of the honor of making
the school for the blind success. She
was the first pupil, and during the first
five wears, when the school was sup
norted by private subscription and the
of concerts and other enter
ments. her voice was the principal at
traction.