The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-03-02

Which Probably No other Singer
Ever Experienced - Kisses and
Wedding Cake ms Souvenirs.
A prominent theatrical manager Of
New York, who has conducted the Amer
lean tours of many famous musical stars,
in speaking of the odd incidents and ex-
penses he has encountered in his career,
said:
1.-The funniest western stand l ever
made was in Austin, New. / was with
Nine. Emma Nevada, and Austin is
her native town. Mr.. Mackay had found
her up there in the mountains and had
sent her abroad for musical education.
She succeeded, made name for herself
in Europe, and Austin was bursting with
pride. She came back to America, sang
in the east with great success, but didn't
60 west. The Austin people didn't like
that, it seems; said she was stuck up
and had forgotten her old friends. Neva-
da heard about this feeling, and one day
she came to me. We were in Chicago,
and she was to go back to Europe almost
Immediately.
81 want to give a concert in Austin,
New she said.
Il almost fell out of my chair. 1T
isn't possible gasped.
".Ill make it possible
"'The expense would be enormous. We
could never stand it.
az don't ask you to stand it. l will
pay eveything-any umount-only take
me there They say | am ashamed Of
them. 1 will show them
well, she got her way. l thought it
was sheer lunacy. But Nevada was
| willing to pay the bills; SO we went. We
had to leave our private car several hun
dred miles from Austin and take conf
mon coaches on n narrow gauge road
that climbed over the mountains and
walked with its head down like fly.
About four or five stations before we
struck Austin people began to board the
train.
-"'Did Emma come? they'd ask the con-
ductor, and he'd point out our crowd.
They would 20 back and tell the people
| on the platform, and everybody would
howl for Emma until Nevada would go
out and talk to them and shake hands
with everybody she didn't kiss. A good
share of the crowd went to Austin with
us, but it wasn't anything to the crowd
that met us at the station. Everybody in
the town and all the country round had
turned out, and they were the Queerest
crowd / ever saw-miners and cowboys
and Indians and ordinary conventional
people, all shaken up together and all
wild with excitement.
"By that time was glad we had come.
I was having the time Of my life-at
somebody else's expense. Talk about en-
thusiasm! | never knew what it was be-
fore, and l never heard anything like the
shout that went up when that young
woman stepped off the car. Everybody
yelled her name and cheered and cheer
ed, and she stood and threw kisses and
laughed aud cried. There wasn't any
fake about it. l wouldn't have believed
there could be SO much genuine feeling
anywhere in the world. 1t gave me, a well
seasoned manager, q brand new thrill up
and down my back.
"There was only one carriage in Austin
then, and we had to drive quite a dis
lance to the town. Nevada and | had
| the carriage. and the rest Of the company
went along in big wagons. Then came
| the crowd on horseback, in wagons and on
| foot. We drove along a ticklish mountain
| road at a gallop, and every little distance
along the way there were bonfres burn
ing. Say, it was great. Nevada didn't
get any rest before evening. The crowd
| wanted her. and it would have her. She
must have kissed all the children in Aus
tin and good percentage of the grown
people, and. by Joe, she acted as if she
liked it. ! had thought | knew her, but
she was a different woman up there in
the mountains.
eve gave the concert in the church.
The minister and |, with the assistance
of the whole population. numbered the
seats and made out tickets. Tickets sold
at 50, but the house wouldn't begin to
hold the crowd. and almost any old price
was offered for seats. When the doors
opened. there was q stampede. There
were so men in the crowd to every wo-
man. Most of them kept on big felt hats
and wore their trousers tucked into high
boots. They didn't pay any attention to
the aslcs-just walked over the high
backed seats. stood in the pulpit. and
it was funny to see that mob playing
leapfrog over the seats and making for
front pews regardless of the numbers on
their tickets.
Nevada had some of her SWEETEST
clothes with her and came out blazing
with jewels and wearing a Paris gown
that had cost her $1,000. | never expect
to hear anything again like the greeting
they gave her, and | know she never
again sang as she did that night She
sang and sang until hcr voice literally
gave out, ana the crowd saw that she
couldn't keep it up any longer. Then
they chcered and started for the stage in
bunch.
Nevada spread out her hands and tod
them that if they'd wait until she went
and put on heavier. high neckcd gown
| she'd como back and kiss them all sid
give every one of them piece of her
wedding cake. She had just married DIR.
Palmer, and she had packed n trunk full
Of wedding cake to take to Austin. She
ran off to the dressing room and in q lit
tie while came back in a dark gown. We
brought the cake in in big pans, and she
fulfilled both her promises. The crowd
was wild with delight and would have
whoopcd it UP all night if their Emma
hadn't told them she was worn out.
'"The- next morning the whole town
turned out to take us to the station. and,
though that was 10 years ago. believe
the mountains must be echong yet with
their 'Goodby. Emma" Nevada said she
wouldn't have missed that visit for all
the money she would make that season.
and it was. by long odds, the most enter
tanning experience I've had in my career