The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08
FAMOUS OPERA SINGERS
CURIOUS STORIES TOLD ABOUT
SOME OF THE BEST KNOWN
OF THEM
sANTLEY AND THE ROBBERS
PATHS Pretty and Pathetic Story
Jean De Resz1Se Has Had
Many Strange Ad-
ventures.

There Is probably no professional sing
er of repute who cannot recall the sing
Ing Of song under strange and often
highly dramatic conditions, but few have
ever sung under such weird and almost
| tragic circumstances as Mr.. Santley the
famous baritone, who still sings as sweet
ly in the sixties as any of his rivals half
his age.
1t was many years ago, when Mr..
Sankey's laurels still lay before him, and
he was travelling in one of the widest
parts of Mexico. The party with which
he was travelling was suddenly attacked
by fierce band of bandits, and as their
escort promptly took to their heels SAINT
ley and his companions were at the mer
cy of the outlaws, who carried them off
to their headquarters in the heart of the
mountains.
The robbers, disappointed with their
booty, determined to detain the party
until heavy ransom was paid by their
friends, and the victims resigned them
selves as best they could to their fate.
After partaking of a rough supper Mr..
Santley began to sing selections from an
opera to cheer himself and his friends,
and the sweetness of his singing drew
the bandits around him as rapt listeners.
When he paused they begged him to con-
tnue, and the singer consented on con-
dition that he and his comrades should
be set free.
After long consultation and demur the
condition was accepted, and for some
hours Mr.. Santley poured forth song aft
er song, singing as probably he had never
done before nor since. The following
morning the bandits, true to their prom
Use, liberated the party and conducted
them back to safety.
Nine Patti tells a story, both pretty
and pathetic, of one of her experiences.
She was advertised to sing at concert
in San Francisco, but the weather was
SO unfavorable that she was compelled
TO cancel her engagement and had to re-
main in her hotel. Late in the evening
she heard sounds of child weeping IN
an adjacent ROOM and, moved by pity,
she went there to see II she could soothe
the child's distress.
She found a little girl sobbtng as though
her heart would break, and, On inquiring
the cause, was informed that she want
ed to hear Mime. Patti sing, but, as the
night was so wild, her mother had gone
to the concert without her, and she did
want to hear Nine. Patti SO badly
The great singer soothed and comforted
the child and began to sing softly to her.
The sobbing ceased under the sweet infiu-
ence of the singing, and the little girl
listened with growing delight until, in an
impulse of ecstacy, she threw her arms
around the diva's neck and exclaimed,
why, you are Nine. Pattii''
Few singers have ever exercised their
art under such pathetic conditions as Miss
Greta Williams, who, it will be remem-
| bered, was among the few saved from the
wreck of the Stella. At the moment when
hope was dying in the crowded boat, and
many were seeking consolation in prayer,
the sweet opening notes of "Oh, Rest in
the Lord" fell on their ears, and as the
rich, sweet voice swelled over the dark
waters and the message found its way to
breaking hearts, many of the listeners
burst into tears of JOY and new hope. The
memory of that song will follow them to
| the grave.
/ NJ. Jean de Reszke has had many
| strange adventures in his professional
1 life but perhaps none more memorable
| than when his voice broke the echoes
half a mile down in the bowels of the
| earth He had descended a mine in Sile-
STA and the news flew among the miners
/ that their visitor was the greatest of
all operate singers. A few of the bold
er of them begged him to sing 10 them,
and as the miners crowded round him
from every part of the mine, Re sang
for their delight selections from his IA
vorite operas.
Nine. Antoinette Stirling is accustomed
to sing under strange conditions-fron
her carriage, mobbed by clamorous ad-
mirers, from the balcony of her hotel
at religious neutrality-suspicious., in fact
where a demand is made on her anna.
bility. More than once worshipers In 6
church have been surprised and delight
cd when on the silence has fallen the
sound Of a sweet voice singing hymn
or an air from an oratorio, and theil
delight has been made perfect on learn
ing that the strange lady in black, who
has risen so unexpectedly in their midst
was Nine. Stirling, one of the sweetes
and most amiable of the worlds great
singers.
Nine Marie Roze cherishes among hel
memories the day when she sang before
probably, the strangest audience that has
ever listened to a prima donna's singing