Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-23

The W'omans Club is to have a treat
in December, when Miss Anne Virginia
Culbertson, the distinguished reader, writ
er and impersonator, will appear before
a Richmond audience for the first time.
Since the writing OF her prize love-letter
her name and fame have been heralded
abroad, and the newspapers In every
State, editorially and in the local columns.
have given space to the discussion of the
letter and its fair writer.
Miss Culbertsons birthplace has been
located in a score of different towns, en-
bracing the States from Texas to Maine.
and from Ohio to the coast, each being
anxious to claim her for its own.
She is the daughter Of DR.. Culbertson.
an Ohio man, of Pennsylvania descent,
who was the grandson OF Colonel Samuel
Culbertson, of the Revolutionary war, and
the previous Indian wars DR.. gilbert
son was an army surgeon. Her mother
belonged to an old Virginia family, and
through her she is connected with many
of the colonial families Of the Old Domin-
ion, the blood 6of the Fairfaxes, Hunters,
veins. Her present home is at East
Orange, n. j., but she is now spending
few weeks in Baltimore.
Miss Culbertson is closely identified with
the history and romance Of Richmond.
Her grandmother. Anne Hunter, of Alex
ardra, was a cousin of the famous John
Minor Bolts, of this city, and in their
youth the distinguished man sought to
ovcrstep the bounds of cousinly relation
ship and urged her to become his wife.
Miss Culbertson's great-aunt was Ariana
Hunter. and when the terrible tragedy Of
the burning of the Richmond Theatre
occurred she was one Of the victims of
the disaster. and her name is one of those
recorded by the Monumental church.
which was erected as a memorial to those
who persisted III the flames.
Miss Cubertson is greatly interested in
folk lore. and the manuscript for her work
on this subject is now ready for the pub
fishers. She has spared no pains, or
physical inconvenience to place herself
in possession of facts pertaining to the
traditions of the people of whom she
writes, and her coming book will be of
inesrimable value to those who make a
study of this most interesting subject.
For six months she lived in log cabin
among the white mountaineers of North
Carolina, studying the idiosyncrasies Of
their character and the lore of the noun
tain folk That these people are within
few hours ride Of culture and twentieth
century civilization can scarcely be mag
ined when they are seen cheerfully dip
ping snuff, favorite pastime. the Wo-
men in gay-colored mittens and sunbon-
nets, ard the men, weather-beaten and
rawboned, all talking of matters which
they nave been discussing for the past
the still the hogs
and few other subjects deemed by them
worthy of conversation.
Miss CulbertSon has also spent much
time among the Indians, and in the South
studying the negro, and her impersona-
tons are true to life and inimitably anus
ing. She is also authoress of afvolume Of
poems and many prose, sketches.
At the Worlan's Club she will give
! American Folk Lore and Folk Music, "
largely made up of legends. myths, and
| songs of the people. Her usual entertain
! ings on authors Reading such as
James Wrhitcomb Riley. Ruth McEnery
Stuart. and others give.
Miss Culbertson's little love-letter, by
which she won silver-mounted chatting
| dish at the Bedford fair, has been pro-
| ductiye of many amusing Incidents. and
she has been overwhelmed with letters.
some of which are of more than ordinary
I interest.
The first one which is printed below. is
| from famous detective. known from Vir-
ginia to Michigan, and is gem in Its
way. Capitals are sprinkled indiscrimi-
l5nately throughout the epistle, which
breathes Of approval of the writer's letter,
and is interesting, because it shows that
lin spite OF the Chicago bachelor, some
western men approve of her methods OF
(5letter-writing.
In his letterhead the writer make.
known the fact that he undertakes al
legitima tie detective business except d.
vorce cases showing thu he VIII not al