Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-05-31
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Hrs. wheatcroft and Her School Of
Acting A Pluoky Woman and Her
work-''Playine tho Ponies"
Especial Correspondence

work-"Playins tho Ponies"
Especial Correspondence.1
Most persons are prone to speak OF
woman az the weaker vessel, and per.
haps she is under ordinary oiroum-
stances, but when she ia confronted by
an emergency she generally manages to
come out of it with credit to herself.
This applies to such women as are wor-
thy the name and not to the drones who
have no more idea or appreciation of the
responsibilities of life than 90 many
butterflies.
Many cases have been cited in this
correspondence where women who were
suddenly thrown upon their own re-
sources by death and misfortune have
risen superior to circumstances and sue
cessfully established themselves in
profitable businesses. Mrs. Adeline
Stanhope- Wheatcroft is one Of these.
She was an excellent actress In England
many years ago, just how many it is
not necessary for the purposes of this
little recital to state. A young actor
Joined the company. His name was Mel
son Wheatcroft. and by the time that
she had decided to make South Amer
lean tour this young man had risen to
the position Of leading juvenile of her
company. A little later he had become
her husband, and right here it may be
stated that the life of perfect happiness
they led was an emphatic form Of pro-
test against the universal misapprehen-
sion which exists with reference to the
marital relation Of the members Of the
theatrical profession.
Wheatcroft and His School.
Nelson Wheatcroft rapidly developed
until he became leading man in some
of the best companies in this country.
His wife had taken up "oharacter'
work, but she drew nearly as large q
salary as he did. Wheatcroft was al
ways q studious fellow and a deep think
or, as he was charming man personal.
~. He was not slow to see that there
was a tangible reason for the disrepute
into which schools of acting as an insti-
tuition had fallen. He also saw that
there were many advantages to be gain
ed from these institutions II they were
properly conducted, and he determined
to start one. Charles Frohman lent his
valuable assistance, and the venture
was a success from it's inception. As the
months went by the patronage Of the
school increased until point was reach.
ed where it became impossible to accept
any more pupils Nelson Wheatoroft
himself told me that most Of this sue
cess was due to the work Of his talented
wife, who was the principal of the
school, and he probably did not exag-
gerate the case much In view Of subse-
quent developments.
Reckoned Without Their Host.
At any rate at just about this period
Mr.. Wheatcroft died, and sympathizing
friends were deploring the fact that q
good actor and q fine man had passed
away, and that his widow would now
be driven back to the stage as means
of earning livelihood at time when
abe had apparently succeeded in getting
away from it permanently. But these
we'll meaning friends had reckoned
without their host. She was put in the
position where she could continue the
work her husband had started BY so-
cepting sort Of subsidiary position, but
that she would not do. She wanted to
perpetuate the name Of her husband,
and she set about it In the most prao-
tical manner. She opened school OF
acting in her own name hyphenated
with that Of her dead spouse and await
ed developments. They were not long
in coming, and the enterprise is now
one of the most successful Of the kind
this country has ever had.
Prosperity From the Brink Of Disaster.
A short time ago she gave matinee
At one Of the prominent theaters of this
city. The players were all members Of
her school, and the four one act pieces
presented were the work Of young wo-
man, Miss Alice Yates Grant, for whom
shrewd observers predict q bright fu'
ture. The event was phenomenally sue
cessful, and the acting was really re-
markably good. So far from being
without means Of support or being
driven back to acting as living Mira
Wheatoroft has demonstrated that she
IL possessed Of ability in certain direo.
tions which were never before suspect
cd, and she is now on the high road to
prosperity. In similar circumstances
man with no greater responsibilities on
him than the necessity to support him
self and with the means at hand to do
that much very comfortably and easily
would have been satisfied to grab at the
easiest thing which might happen along
without q second thought Of the ques-
ton of pride which was involved. But
here is a woman who viewed the mat.
ter in different light and once more
demonstrated that sex is not an element
Of success, but that pluck allied to abil-
ity will win every time. And, after all,
Mrs. Wheatcroft is but one among the
hundreds Of courageous women In this
big, heartless city who, finding them
selves suddenly thrown upon their own
resources, have succeeded in plucking
prosperity from the very brink of dis
aster. ,..
'playins tho Ponies"
Any person who has ever been foolish