El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-21
LIVE TOPICS
ABOUT TOWN
Written for the HERALD.


Miss Kidder is still very young
woman. She went on the stage before
she was twenty and scored q success
was twelve years old she was noted in
Evanston, q suburb of Chicago, for her
elocut!onary and dramatic powers.
She was sought after to recite at
private entertainments by ever per-
son in Evanston. What time she was
not reciting she was keeping her
parents in a fever of excitement by
her mischievous pran ks. She had
pony and q small brother aud the
triumvirate made many lively times in
Evanston, all of which she retold to q
HERALD reporter at the Orndorff yes
terday. One of the pranks which she
still likes to tell about herself is what
she calls 1.-The watermelons incident"
Her father had the finest garden in
Evanston. One year he had patch of
fine melons. One particularly was
the pride of his life. He watched its
growth until it was larger than the
prize melon at county fair and
guarded it carefully from small boys
and big ones. One day he was in the
city and the children, Kathryn and
James, were left at home alone. Kath-
ryn evolved the idea of surprising her
father by selling his melon. She and
her brother accordingly cut it from
the vine and attempted to load it into
borrowed surreptitiously and to which
they had hitched the pony. The melon
was too heavy for them to lift. Then
they tried the wheelbarrow, but we're
unable to get the melon onto that.
Finally they rolled it along the side
walk to the grocery store and sold it
for ten cents. Mr.. Kidder was greatly
exaspersted but repurchased the
melon from the grocer and punished
the children by not letting them eat
any of it.
Five years ago Kathryn Kidder was
looked upon as one of the most promis-
ing of the younger American actresses.
Sans Gene was the greatest success of
the season and Miss Kidder's triumph
was complete. Before that she had
scored successes in 'Nordeck," with
Frank Mayo, HELD by the Enemy"
and in DEAREST and "Lord Fauntle-
roy" Sane Gene ran for three years.
Then, two years ago this winter, Miss
Kidder's health broke and she was
obliged to be off the stage for a whole
season. Since her temperance the
eminent critics have not seen much
OF her and she hos not been in so great
prominence, playing away from the big
cities.
Her first years on the stage were in
Shakespearesn repertoire and she has
returned to her first love. AS Hermi
one, ina Winters Tale. Sin which she
was seen at the Myar this week, while
not giving her,au opportunity to dis
play her great emotional powers,
brought out her grace and mastery of
gesture at it's best. Excepting Jobyna
Rowland, she Is perhaps the tallest and
most queenly actress on the stage. Her
height and figure add much to her per-
sonality and charm.
"a Winters Tale" fs at best q
gloomy play. It ts usually regard ed
as impossible by managers. The late
Augustin Daily, the greatest prod NC
er OF Shskespearean plays in
America, did not attempt q revival
OF this play. The James-Kidder-Han-
ford company has done we'll with it,
better than could be expected. c Still
it is hard play to make go.
1t was gracious act, one of those
nate in every boy. Every boy
doesn't show it upon every occasion,
but it is in him, nevertheless, and
when it breaks out rs it did in this
case it increases ones love for the
genuine boy. A group of boys, most
ly ragged aud muddy, were SNOWFALL
ing each other and pedestrians near
the park last evening. A man drove
by on a coal wagon and he was
target for the white missiles. He
swore and got down off his wagon to
threaten the boys. They only ''pep-
pered" him the harder and shouted in
derision. A lame man passed by. Two
or three we're preparing to ''sock it to
him" when the others ran toward them
shouting, 'don't you hit thst man;
don't you throw at him or we'll lick
you." The balls were dropped and the
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