Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-05
IN NEW yoRk.
Lydia johnson Of Trinidad Has Vocal
range OF Four octaves.

Many Las Vegas people know Lydia
johnson, promising young vocalist
who has gone to New York to try her
fortune. The New York World prints
a picture OF the young lady In an arti.
Gle relating to her aspirations. The
story will be interesting. notwith-
standing the impertinent. exagger-
ated and uncouth language, which
unfortunately characterizes the metro
politan paper Of the day.
A new Mary McLane has discov-
cred herself and has come To New
York to be discovered by the world
at large. Like the original Mary. she
halls from the west, and is chock full
Of genius. Unlike her prototype, how
ever she admits that this genius Is
as yet undeveloped, and that her nu-
merous talents are In ar embroyo and
chaotic state. It was genius pure and
simple, and not toothbrushes that
drove her to New York.
The new Mary Is Miss Lydia N.
johnson, the daughter Of the late Prof.
wv II. Johnson, once superintendent
of schools at Trinidad, Colo. She Is
II years Of age, good.looking and a
brilliant conversationalist. What she
lacks in other ways she makes up
in wondrous assurance, but at the
same time she Is extremely modest
In talking to her one is impressed
with these two facts, which are not
generally found In one and the same
person.
There is no doubt about my being
just the greatest genius" declared
Miss Johnston, in talking to a World
reporter yesterday. I'VE might as
well get that point settled at the
start. l didn't know was destined
to be great parsonage until one day
way ont In the west woke up and
discovered that | had a voice with a
range Of four octaves. This was real.
| ly discovered by me. Then something
bubbled right UP In me and told me to
come to New York and make the
world better by my having lived
Father died Ave years ago and left
mother and myself in very straiten-
ed circumstances. We had to do
something. and SO l began to study
| photography. was genius at that,
and soon was able to make living
We went to live In little house and
bought some furniture on the install
ment plan. had paid ~ when the
knowledge Of my great talents came
to me. said to mother, we will &c
to New York, the center Of the world
so far as America Is concerned II
mattered not how we got there OF
the trials that awaited us. felt that
we must 90, for am, you understand
destined to be great and make the
world better for having lived.
We told the furniture men to take
their furniture back. Then l bought
two tickets for this city, took mother
and started. We got here six months
ago with $50. But had ambition.
began taking photographs and selling
them, and this made enough for food
and lodging--sometimes. had my
voice tried; teachers said 1t was won
derfuI, and | was satisfied. My only
regret was that could not properly
care for my mother"
Mrs. Johnston, a bit OF a gray-halred
woman, who looked as though she had
grown prematurely old through hard
ships, smiled encouragingly and
stroked her daughter soothingly on
the shoulder. and the girl went or
to tell how the long struggle Of sil
months had ended In her engagement
for small part In the coming pro
duction Of Maud Muller
Asked II she had ever acted, thu
young woman said that she had not
but knew that she would succeed.
Il was super In John Mason ant
Maude Feeley's production Of "Th,
Christian" she said. 1T was for /
single night only, and | was par
Of the mob, but ! felt genius burnini
In me then. and know I can get Il