The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-24

Minnie Warren, in her lap and held
her. l have a ring which the queen
gave me, and she gave my husband.
the general. beautiful souvenir of a
ablet of mother pearl, with forget
me-nots. and the letters W and r.
with crown in enamel. 1t contains
the history of the royal family.
Il have visited Europe nine times
and been around the world twice."
said the countess in answer to a query.
She is very proud of her husband. who,
she said, was finely educated in Italy,
his home, by the priests. He has also
a good dramatic training and musical
education, having studied with Ristori.
The count had long dramatic career
in Europe before he came to America
appearing many times IN Paris. Eng
land, Germany and Egypt. He is a
we'll groomed little man, delightfully."-
entertaining. and speaks several lam
guages nuently. When he came to
this country, however, he did not know
word of English. in spite of the fact
that he had done IA big business in
London in giving pantommes and mu-
steal entertainments.
He was married to the widow of the
late General Tom Thumb in 1855 in
Holy Trinity church. New York. The
wedding was very big affair, and at
tended by the elite of the metropolis.
Our love was sort of quick flash
all at once like this" said the count in
his expressive foreign way, looking
fondly at his wife. though we first
met in Springfield. Mass, in 1878, and
neither of us could understand a word
the other said. | Joined her company
in 1881, and we We're married in 1885,"
Older readers will remember the two
Warren sisters. Lavinia Qater Mrs.
General Tom Thumb) and Minnie, the
smaller of the two, when they first
made their debut. Minnie Warren has
been dead now twenty three years.
They We're born at Middleboro, Mass.
their parents both being large people,
as were also four brothers and two sis
tiers. Some of the brothers were six
feet tall. IaVinia Warren made her
debut before the public under the man
agement of Colonel j. II. Wood, and
her first visit to this city was in 1858,
when she gave an entertainment in
old Washington hall.
1T WAS very different in those days"
she said, in describing it to the re-
porter. "All of our entertainments
were different. | held a reception and
sang songs when | first came here.
Now everything is vaudeville" At the
beginning of the war she went south,
being in Montgomery. Ala, when the
war broke out On Feb. 10, 1863. she
was married to Charles 5. Stratton
General Tom Thumb) at Grace
church, New York, the wedding being
one of the notable events of that time.
Her husband had formerly been under
+. ". Barnums management, and it
was while he was with Rarnum that
she met him at his home at Bridge
port. Conn. She was 90 and her hus-
band "a years old when they were
married. They remained with Bar
mum for fifteen years, and it was
largely owing to Barnum's wonderful
genius for advertising, together with
Tom Thumbs cleverness as an enter
tainer that their success was so great.
Tom Thumb used to claim that he had
kissed more women than other man
living, which claim was undoubtedly
true, as that was long before Hobson's
record in osculatory gymnastics. Ev-
cry woman who bought his little book.
tho general rewarded with kiss, and
it Is a matter of note that the hooks
went like hot cakes. Later the gener-
al and his wife, with Minnie Warren
and her husband, Commodore Mutt,
Travelled in their own dramatic COM
pany, meeting with unparalleled sue
cess. The little people have made
many fortunes, and have also lost a
great deal of money Mrs. Tom Thumb
is the possessor many beautiful jewels
though she does not carry them all
with her. Their country home is filed
with curios and mementoes of past tri-
jumps from all over the world. No one
would miss seeing this interesting trio
who are playing this week at the Cook
Opera house. The smallest of the three
Is a grandfather (Baron MagrD having
married "a large woman, who with her
family is now in Italy,