The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-23
EFFIE ELLSLER'S
GOLD MINE.

rFrom the Cleveland Plain Dealer1
Few of the thousands who have adj
mired Effie Ellsler in Hazel Kirk and
Doris" and have missed her and her
actor husband, Frank Weston, for over
a year, know that she and Mr.. Weston
are engaged in gold mining near Du-
range, Col. And yet that is what they
have been doing and will continue to do
until the next theatrical season.
About two years ago, Mr.. Weston
was told of a mining property at Du-
range, Col, that he could get by doing
the proper amount Of work upon it. The
original owner had failed to comply
with the government laws in the mat
ter and had abandoned the claim.
1t was represented as one of much
promise, but when Weston examined it,
he found that the first man had been
wise to give it up. Then Weston took it
into his head to do a little prospecting
on his own part. Travelling about that
western country and hobnobbing with
mine owners, engineers and experts, he
had accumulated quite bit of mining
knowledge and could see color with
the best of them. Some miles further up
the gu1ch he found a. most promising
property which he proceeded to locate.
This was during the theatrical season.
When that was over, he went back to
his mining property and proceeded TO
work it himself. 1t was a big change,
but he stuck to it manfully and enjoyed
1T. Heretofore he had been living his
brain and his nerves. All was emotion
with him. He was lopsided- Now ne
had to take pick and work like man
ION de big pipes" in the waterWorhs
department.
At first he lived in a rude shack. Then
he had the coy little cottage built. 1t
singed cat sort Of affair; much bet
ter than it looks.
While all this was going on, and it
took many months, Eftie Ells1er was
resting with her father in New York.
When all was ready she went out to her
husband and then began the strangest
Ellsler had brought out many of the
pretty furnishings from her fiat in New
York-the carpets and pictures furni
ture and hangings, not forgetting the
piano-and the house was as dainty
and as comfortable as money and re-
fnement could make it.
But the housekeeping
1t was almost idyllic in its simplicity.
There was no hired girl to break the
harmony and the dishes. Miss Ellsler
did the cooking. and for time she made
actual all the stock jeers of the hack
agrapherS. Only the most devoted
of husbands could have stood all the
things she served up to him, without
dinching and without complaint.
Better than any bit of acting she ever
did on the stage was Miss Ellsler's story
of her struggles with soda biscuit-her
long strings of defeat-her first acct
dental success-her subsequent elation
the succeeding failures; and finally
the ultimate conquest 1t had none of
the good old stage properties to enhance
1t. She sat in a lounging Morris chair
all the time, except once or twice, when
she just had to get up and show how
mean" and ''horrid'' things went. But
the wonderful play of feature was there,
the laughter of lip and eye, the vast sub
merging sense of fun
Miss E.llSler'S household duties were
so slight that she had abundant time to
live in the open. She grew strong and
plump; the tan on her cheeks was twice
as thick as rouge had ever been, but ma
mt Of ho 0pra
duct of the barefoot.
Then she had time to read and study,
to get back her music again. and to fur
biSh up a score of things that she had
been obliged to give up for the hard work
of the stage.
AS for Weston, he worked away in the
mine all day long, and when he came
home at night was tired fellow the
world could produce. He would sit up
a little while, read a bit, play a game or