The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1900-12-01
THE PR|MA D|)NA BELT .
ALL OUR COMIC OPERA SOPRANOS
AND CONTRALTOs BORN IN
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
GEORGE BOWLEs GIVES PROOF
The Successful Manager Mentions a
Score or More of Those Best
known, and Tells Their Re-
scective BirthpIaces.

Every one has heard about the wheat
belt and the cotton belt" but did you
ever know there was "pcima donna
belt?' asks the Kansas City Journal
Not one of the belts that might go
about prima donna's waist, but great
belt of country where all prima donnas
are born. These reflections were aroused
by the coming Of Alice Nielsen to the
Coates a few days since, and the facts
here given are from painstakng COL
lection made by George Bowles, Miss
Nielsen's business manager who has
been observing the crop reports" of the
operate stage for some years. Alice
Nielsen hailed from the 'prima donna
belt,' which Is the valley of the Mis-
sissippi, and it's tributaries, and in that
territory was born nearly every living
American prima donna of note This is
a rather remarkable assertion, but it is,
nevertheless, an incontestable fact And
1T Is fact, also, that has hitherto
strangely passed unnoticed, althovsh
worthy Of the most earnest scientific
thought and research by students OF hu-
man phenomena.
What is there about the great Father
of Waters that makes him assume the
paternity Of all our greatest singers?
Is their musical inspiration in the song
that he sings as he rolls in mighty ma
jesty toward the gulf? Is there some
thing In the climate Of the fertile val
ley that is tribute to him that breeds
melody in its inhabitants? Does the
tecund soil Of this wonderful region pos
sess virtues that generate vocal superb
ority in the human being who Is born
upon 1t, we'll as richness and nutri-
tiyeness in the vegetation that it yields?
! We all accept without question the
fact that Italy and Germany furnish a
great majority CT the worlds grand op-
era singers, but were we to inquire the
reason the reply would probably be that
credit Is due, not to the climate, but to
the encouragement given to music and
opportunities for musical study offered
by the schools of the two countries. In
the American Middle West however.
are very few Conservatives of music
and 1t Is doubtful whether any of our
native pr1ma donnas received much Of
their early musical training anywhere
except in the practical school of the.
| stage. After they were able to earn their
living as singers then, Of course. they
could afford proper vocal tuition. But:
| it seems to be a fact that something in
/ the Soil or some popularity of the geo
| graphical location Of their birthplace be-
+ queathed to them at nativity the price
| less gift of voice. In other words, voices
seem to have been inherited from and
not developed by their environment
Some of the products of "the belt'
| are: Alice Nelson, Lillian Russell. Della
Fox. Pauline Hail, Hilda clark, Jesse
Bartlett Davis, Dorothy Morton, Grace
Golden. Emma Abbott, Helen Bertram
and Virginia Earl
| Alice Nelson, the young prima. donna.
who is now singing at the head of her
own own company; is fair pro
| ley. for she was born at Nash
vile, Tenn, and spent the most of her
years. of life previous to going on the
operate stage in that city and in Kansas
City, where the Kaw and Missouri meet.
Lillian Russell was born on the banks
OF the mississippi at Clinton, Ia, Nellie
Leonard was her name while she was
growing to womanhood in Chicago.
W1ther she was taken by her parents
| while still yet young.
St. Louis, as the largest city on the
Mississippi. promising that something
about the great river is productive Of
vocal talent, quite properly takes FIRST
place at the home of American opera
singers and offers as its quota Della Fcx
VINO first sought fame by going out from
her native city as the child soubrette Of
the old Dixon Sketch club; and Dorothy
MORTON the nne soprano, who is now
singing in England.
Pauline Hall, who has recently achieved
distinction in vaudeville, was born in
Cincinnati, on the banks of the Ohio
one or the Mississippis biggest tribu-
tarles. At that time she bore the I'M
poctical name of Schmittgall
Hilda Clark, the prima donna of the
Bostonians, is native of 'Leavenworth.
on the Mtssissippi's big Western tributa-
ry. the Missouri
Helen Bertram, the primo donna of
klaW & Erlanger's new opera, "Foxey
CUTLER" comes from near the banks OF
the Wabash, at Paris, ILL.,
And JeSsio
contralto until short time ago a mem
per OF the Bostonians, and who made
her vaudeville debut here last weex
while hailing from Chicago for a num-
Der of years past, Is not native of that
city, as many people suppose, but was
porn on farm on the Illinois river, IN
Grundy county, Illinois.
Grace Golden, the Castle Square Onera
companys favorite, only adds proof to
Inc original statement. She was born
at New Harmony, Ind, a place which
isn't on every map, but is on the Obi,
river, near its junction with the Wa
bash. p. 49,, ~
Ane late Emma Abbott. too. confirmed
the assertion. She was born in Illipof..
near Peoria, was it not?
1-nd last, but not least in the heart
OF tneatergoers. comes dainty Virginia
Earl. who proudly proclaims Chicago as
her birthplace
---N S~keAouS Jig Iudy say. But these :
are not all our American singers" Quite
true, but they are pretty nearly all the
distinguished comic opera singers. How
ever, for argument, name few more:
Marguerite Reid, another prima donna
OF; the Bostonians, and now a reignfns
vocal favorite in London Where WAC
she born? In Indiana, near the old Ohio
And Louise Kissing, Cecil Kissing Mel
lie Braggins and Fatmah Dfard-where
did they first see the sun rise? Right on
the Mississippi, at ST. Louis.
Catherine Linyard, Ada Somers and
IMabella Baker are all natives OF Illinois
while Jennie Dutton comes from Davep.
port, To-, and Mae st. John, the splendfd
contralto. from Richmond, Ind.
Even Lulu Chaser, Francis Wilson's
prima donna. claims as her birthplace a
little town on the Allegheny river. Gi-
rect tributary of the Mississippi
AS final test, there was new prfma
donna last season launched in an opera
called The Princess Chic Perhans
she was the exception that proved thu
rule. Not "a bit of it. Her name ia
Minnie Methot, and the Mississippi bred
her, too She was born at Davenport
70. - >
That the stellar honors Of the American
light opera stage should be monopolizetI
by women who are products of the coun.
try drained by the Mississippi or ia
branches IS more than coincidence II
is peculiar fact that calls for fnvesfi-
cation by those WIN E1,rofass L,on,I,.5