The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-23
NOBLE GIRL AT WORK
DAUGHTER OF A BARON WHO FOR
 MERELY LIVED IN MONTGOMERY.
Louise won Armin Struggling With Poverty in New York, Talks of Her Ambition to Succeed
 h Music.


 In Musfcs
 Fighting poverty, but still undaunt- ed, with resolution written In her blue eyes, and firm, aristocratfc chin. Louise. daughter of Baron Siegmund won Arr min. and . member of one of the | wealthiest families of the German mo- bility. told New sork World reporter of her trials since she left home to be- come a concert singer. She lives in rented room near Sixth Avenue, just I below the shopping district. Her room Is small, unheated and supplied only with a few pieces of cheap furniture. The ambitious singer Is only twenty three. Reared in luxury little less than royal. she gave up gay court life and came to. America, impelled only by ambition. Surviving rebuffs and hardships, her ambition is as strong today as when she left Ger ! many over two years ago.
 She is the niece of Baron Fritz von Armin, commandant of the German Emperor's Life Guards. Her brothers, Max and William von Armin. are lieu i tenants in the German Army. Her mother and elder sister are living at 1 Darmstadt, Germany. Her father, who died three years ago. distinguished himself in the war with Austria in | looo, ana was nlBhiy Hvhoieu " ehe Emperor.
 l Sang for Crowned Heads. | From girihood Louise was anxious 1 to become a concert singer. At the age of 12 she began the study of music with the Countess Erbach, cousin of the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt. She became a fixture in the Grand Ducal Court. Her vbice-a sweet. sympathet- ic. mezzo-soprano-won praise from the Czar and Czarina of Russias the Prince and Princess of Prussia and other crowned heads.
 Reaching Is years. Louise urged her parents to allow her to go on the con- cert stage. Her father angrily refused. It was planned to marry her to the elderly Count Schonborg. Then she ran away to Geneva, Switzerland. Sev- eral months later she returned home. and afterward travelled in Belgium, Holland. France and England. where she continued to study music. | When the Baron died, in 1901, Louise decided again to broach the subject of stage career Her family opposed it and she declared she would go to Amer let and win success. Her uncle, Baron Fritz von Armin, tried in vain to dis suade her, telling her that she would never getAany money from home.
 Although unable to speak English, Baroness Louise sailed on the Kaiser Wilhelm der. Crosse. and arrived here on Sept. 2, 1909.
 She Had to Look for Work.
 She was we'll supplied with money, but the time came when 1t was gone and she turned to her music for sup port. She found 1t difficult to gain & footf old in New York. Adversity laid it's hand upon her and she was about to seek work when she met Miss Mar tha Bruce of Montgomery. Ala. to | whom she had shown courtesies when Miss Bruce was abroad. She secured a position as teacher of French and Ger man private school in Montgom- cry, and remained nearly a year, but contracted malaria and was advised to l go No, tn.
 Since here return to New York she has had a hand-to hand struggle with poverty. Her mother about a year ago sent money to the German Consul to be given to Louise on condition that she would come home. She refused. When the Barons daughter received The World reporter 1t was with quiet dignity. T am sorry" she said, that can't receive you in better quarters, but 1t Is what we are that counts, not our surroundings.
 As she told of her ceaseless efforts to make a living in New York, she skipped over the hardships lightly. She had worked in the shop and in novelty factories for just enough to keep body and soul together.
 Tt has been a little hard" she con- tinued, for had no real knowledge of work. When came here I could not even sew on a button, but have | learned to make my own clothes. There have been days when I tramped the city in quest of work. Coming home unsuccessful, I would laugh and say. I will find something tomorrow I have always been able to smile at misfor- tune.
 "of course I will succeed. There isn't anything in the world that one can't gain if one works for 1t. Be- sides, I am not a soldiers child for nothing. I am better satisfied with life since I was forced to know how poor girls live. I never did like court life. You have to say what you do not think Here you can say what you like. have learned to sympathize with the American working girl. and pity those who sit in velvet and laces all their lives.
 T shall go back to my family some time. They write each week and urge me to come. And will" she said, with serious look in the large blue eyes-"when I succeed"
 Miss von Armin is a first cousin of Carl Schlich. formerly of Montgomery. who married Miss May Shepard about a year ago and went to live in Decatur The parents of Mir. Schlich died in Memphis. Tenn, some years ago.
 MT. Schlich being a friend of the Bruce family, it was through his in- strumentality that Miss Martha Bruce, a daughter of the late Judge John Bruce. whil9 abroad three years ago. visited the Won Armins in Darmstadt.
 When Miss von Armin came t0-Amer- ica, she was persuaded to locate for a year in Montgomery, after which she returned North. While here she lived on Mildred Street. near Sayre. and often visited the Bruce family at their home on the Mount Meigs road.
 Although Miss von Armin was a highly cultured young woman, re- served and spoke English with dilfi-