The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-30
BETTINA'S DENVER HOME,
SHE SEEMS HAPPY IN HER COLO
RADIO RESIDENCE.

1
in Mansion Which Was Identi-
fed in the Early Sixties With the
Best Social Life in Denver-An-
nOuncement is Made That She Will
Appear With the Husband of Her
Choice in ''The Girl From Paris
the Week Beginning Next Sunday.
She is SdII beautiful, Gracious.
Interesting, witty and Thor
OuGhIy Charming.
From the Baltimore American.
Bettina Gerard, well known in this
| city from her residence and appear
ance here in summer garden concerts,
! has taken up her home with her hus-
band. Francis Witter, the singer, in
| Denver, Col. Reports from Denver
speak of the house of Mr. Witter as
the one which saw the best social life
| in Denver in the early Cos.
Bettina Gerard, formerly the leading
woman of Henry Dixeys company,
went to Denver, the wife of a lad born
in that city. The story is not a new
one of how they met and loved the
woman of the world and of experience
and the lad just starting out with his
songs and dances, on the threshold of
his theatrical career. They were mar
ried in Chicago early in the spring, and
as soon as professional engagements
permitted, went to Denver, out of the
heat and the glare of the East. And
now the Manhattan Beach manage
ment is distributing Autographs an
nouncing that Bettina Gerard will ap-
pear with the husband of her choice
in The Girl From Paris" the week
beginning July 2s.
To the theatergoer of the past, says
advices from Denver, the billboards will
recall the time when Betty" Gerard
and her satin slipper We're worth to
any theatrical manager respectable fig
ures. She is still beautiful-the same
gracious, interesting, witty, thorough
| ly charming woman she was when she
first appeared behind the footlgihts and
| became the rage. But recently Mrs. Wit
ter said she was glad to be in Denver,
| TO be quiet. No woman acknowledges
when her youth, with its keen zest for
everything that holds a spice of inter-
est. is over, and safety natures one;
it takes away the appetite for things
unheard Of for instance, the springing
! upon d ldDie ana Win dOnlrdDle I'M
pudence, offering to an admirer the use
of her slipper for his wine when her
health is proposed.
Would Change the Mansion.
Frank and l shall be very quiet"
! Miss Gerard said. II need rest and
| he, dear boy, must build up before he
goes on the road this fall I think it
was hearing of this quaint old place
and the stories of this beautiful city
that first awakened in me an interest
in Colorado. We shall do but little
jaunting here and meet but few peo-
pie, but l shall explore these noun
tains and try to get back my color and
absorb some of the ambition that
Frank says is a material principle in
this air.
But oh, no; 1 should like to build
up this house; to top off those insight
ly branches and let these great-cot-
tonwoods you call them, don't your
look as straight as sentinels; and
should like to replace every pane OF
broken glass in these greenhouses, and
fill them with roses and violets and
orchids and everything that could make
a paradise with this sun and these old
whispering trees.
And perhaps we shall. 1t is a 0bm-
Portable house, and Mrs. Witter lives
so in her recollections and is so at
tached to it, that l am fond of il my
self"
This exauisitely gowned woman. with
the daintiest lifting of her skirts, wan
dered over the whole block that the
Witter homestead occupies, not caring
for the dusty, unkempt paths nor an
noyed at the whirring of the machinery
of the flour mills. prying into this and
that with the point of her sunshade
and probably planning improvements
! in her own mind. But this is a day
dream" she said suddenly. zone
shouldn't build palaces in the heart of
a city; one should cling to his posses
sions In Spain"
An Interesting Place.
1t is a commentary on the fame that
Eettina Gerard enjoys, this sudden in
terest that attaches to the house al
Seventh and Larimer streets Gentle
white haired Mrs. Witter looks some
what bewildered as she answers the
questions of curious outsiders. Long
ago the old house became quiet and set
tied back into the shadows cast by the
trees. which once on this same site
sheltered the wigwams Of wandering
bands of prairie Indians. Not far from
the house Is a clear. sparkling spring
which bubbles up serenely despite the
railroad tracks and the thick layer of
. ] tlunfIht anu HhfH llli'iillh 'lt Ahi'hth -
"a pipe. into a lumber yard. Here was
where the Indians encamped, giving
the place the name OF Cold Water.
George W Brown, government col
loctor Of internal revenue. built the
mansion IN 1861. and two years later
the Walters moved In. Square and com
pact ~ well-soasoned timbers, with
great wide chlmneya with all the arch
teetural decoration that the day AZ
fGided. % WIS e splendid home for tha
frontier town. and one boasted o. n
, was Il nelrhbor ~ that OF Gov Eyanf
lr Lincoln Park. not 20 very far away
fu ihif house 40 the beauties ~ thf
territorial dayf and leaders ~ society
af fhnt time. danced and whiied ava
fbe evenings. o. piquei Hnd whist Di
rffe nf fhn parties and receptions MrH
writer 1900 famed f0r Swing
sou fhn frnras hHFe gone. the amnl
huil1InEs nnd EfffnnnuffN HIf fUuHI
MfE huf GOO residence lfsfIf lH hfli
UlDnF 700 appearance ~ fhe outside
hnHfFfr. E.tFs 900 fiEH ~ llfe within
aue ffga 49, AlEe flssfaallgnrg pa.