The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-30

Age of Little Eva Discovered at Ham
let Postofioe.
New York Tribune.

let Postofice.
(New York Tribune.)
The drama is picking up in the rura
districts. There is no doubt about IT,
| Uncle Hiram Budsoe of Hamlet post
| otlce, Chautauqua county, says thai
| never in his recollection has there beer
/ such a revival in theatricals as has
marked the winter just passed. Uncle
! Hiram is strong on memory, and wher
[ any Of his neighbors get into an argu-
ment on the depth of the snOwdrifts
] across the Lear road. between Rich
| ards hill and Macbeths cut, or the
| height of Ophelia creek in March, they
go right to Uncle Hiram, and he sets
them straight. So his testimony in
this matter is worthy Of more than 8
/ mere transient comment.
Tell you" said Uncle Hiram, them
| city folks what go to the theatre most
/ every week amt got TO idea how fire.
1 quent us rooral dwellers-bucOiic Shep-
herds as the professor at the high
! school sez-has opportunities to SEE
! drammy acted right here in Hamlet
4 postcffice. I kin remember a time wher
Frisbee's Oppry House want opened
| from one year end to the other. No
L
/ didn't see a show bill on Bill Sykes
| barn for morn two years and a half
| Tell we what I allus thought was the
/ trouble. Long about five years ago
Uncle Toms Cabin company come
/ through and was billed to give three
| performances. The bills was more'n
| four foot high, and the picters Of the
/ four bloOdhounds give SaiFy Thomson,
| Joe ThOmsOn's 5-year-ole girl, who
was jest gettin' over a bite she got from
plaguin' Jim Sacketts dog Jess, a
compton fit right on the street. But
what interested Hamlet the most was
the 'nOuncement that Little Eva was
a simple and lovely child, barely
years ole. The hang dodgers had it
she was a dream of beauty and
a vision of childish innercence.
Now, about two months before
this occurred, Mrs. Silas Livermore,
Deacon Livermore's wife, who had been
to Chautauqua 'Sembly the August be
fore, got up the Hamlet Sassiety for
the Protection of Children. She said
ii was the only proper and erect thing
for a town the size of Hamlet in these
advanced days. Member she and Jen-
ME Doolittle didn't speak for more'n
six months cause Jennie said that if
Mrs. Livermore would spend more time
protectin Sine Lirermore, her 10
year-old. and less trapesin' round to
CHI tauqua 'semblies, there'd be more
fruit in some Of the peach orchards.
Anyhow, the sassiety was got up,
and, Of course. Sister LivermOre was
made first president. The new organ
liza -tion hadn't had no chance TO show
what it was good for until this Uncle
Tom company come through. Soon
as the bills was distributed round
town, Sister Livermore was took with
excitement Two days before the
troupe was due, a special meetin' Of the
sassiety was called and it was un-ani-
mously decided. as Molly Seabrooke,
the secretly, said, to take steps toward
prohibitin' sech a scandalous and i'm
moral exhibition as putin an inner
cent and lovely child, only year ole,
in a stage play.
"A warrant was swore out by Sister
LiveTmOTe as president. and Jerry
Hackett, the constable, was ordered to
serve it. He hadn't had a chance to
show his badge since he arrested Sim
Rustler for a hard cider drunk, and
Sim licked the stuffin' out of him. So
he made up his mind TO have reg lar
stage entrance for himself. Consekent-
ly he waited until the play had begun.
The oppry house was jest damned full
Soon as the curtain had gone up,
Jerry walked up and served the war
rant ordering the manager Of the show
to produce Little Eva in court before
Hon. Silas Hornbee, J. p. My there
was a tO-do. The manager cussed, but
twan't no good. Jerry was firm sOt,
and the whole show adjourned to Silas'
Office, which was made into court OF
special sessions for the occasion. Sister
Livermore. all the rest Of the officers
Of the Sassiety for the Protection OF
Children, most Of the town and the hull
troupe was packed in.
Sister Livermore set there lOOkin'
as piOus and superior as If she was
leading procession of the Daughters
of Temperance to bust a saloon. II was
a great moment for her, and she felt
it. There was a lot of jawin'. and then
Little Eva was put on the stand. She
was only about four foot and half
high, and hadn't had time to change
her yaller wig or her short skirts. She
didn't look more'n 10 or Y years old,
Josh Vincent whispered to me. Josh s
wife was treasurer Of the Protection
Sassiety. ledge Hornbee begun 70
question Little Eva. I member she said
her stage name was Ethyl Vandersee
Monckton.
Now, my dear little girl, don't be
alarmed said the jedge. soothin' like.
Jest answer our questions and you VIII
be all right
Go ahead them said Little Eva,
spiteful like, go ahead and ask en-
1" You say your name is Ethyl Van
dersee Monckton, said the jedge, look
in important. Is that your stage name
or your real nance
That's my stage name, said Little
Eva. Ny real name is Mrs. John
Stavvers Of Harlem, New York, I. ,
A.
" WHAT hOlIered the jedge. Mrs. =
Sc Yes, Mrs
How old are your asked the jedge,
with gulp, and gittin Tedder III the
face all the time.
How old am /? snorted Little Eva.
I'm 81 years old, which, although TWEEN
" years younger than some 1 can see
right here in this court room, is old
enough to make be know enough
to mind my own business.
Course the suit was dropped right
theree. Sister Livermore and the dea-
con went for a visit to Buffalo two
days after, and there hain't been q