The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-23
Is MELBA DAY.


NOCAAAA0GA AAOIu EHSl EaBS.y
Of Europe. Her own bedroom contains
the historic bed, once the property of
the Dauohin of France, son of Marie
Antoinette. What appears to be a
Louis cabinet constructed of gold fill
gree work is in reality the door to her
bathroom which opens upon the pres
sure of a button.
In America. Madame Melba owns no
nome. She has instead her private car
-RfVa, which is a model of luxury.
She makes the car her home during all
her concert tours. "A reporter for the
state Journal who ven to the car TO
! see Madame Me1ba was struck By the
uniform good taste displayed in the
The color scheme is blue. The carpets,
the window curtains, and the plush of
the chairs and couches were all in u
pleasant shade of blue.
In the observation end of the car,
Madame Melba has her own piano. Her
W suite consists of a parlor, bed
room and bath room.
Another suite consisting of par1or,
BEDROOM and bath are for her travelling
companions, Madame Sassoli and Miss
SassOli. Miss Sassoli is Melba's Drotege,
and she plays the Italian harp. She
viii no doubt in time become one of
the worlds greatest harpist under Mel
ba's espionage.
Media has five servants. She has two
maids, a cook, a butler and a porter.
She is very fastidious in all matters,
especially concerning her dresses and
gowns and the things which are put
upon her taye.
The dining room of the car is situa-
ted about one-third of the way back
from the front of her car. It has win
dOws on both sides, and a beautiful
~sideboard with cut glass and mirrors
enough to dazzle an ordinary person.
One of Melba's fads is that of not
wearing the same gown twice during
the same season. The own which she
VIII wear upon her appearance in To-
Nnlra fn7iQhf will VIC rdc hn nara
fully placed in a spacious trunk with
one other gown, and it will not be worn
again on this trip. To carry her large
wardrobe requires 80 trunks. These
but are handles in the baggage car on
the train which she uses She does
not have all of the 30 trunks with her
all the time. Ten of the trunks are
sent ahead to a point which she viii
reach during her trip, and ten others
to a point still farther along on the
tour. Ten trunks are then taken along
as baggage. When the gowns in thel
ten trunks have been used, they will be
sent back to New York and the next
consignment of ten trunks taken on.
Melba, although she has Travelled
thousands n thousands of miles has
never yet been in a railroad wreck. She
has been extremely fortunate in this re-
spect, and during the present concert
tour she has not had a snowy or rainy
concert hight. AT every city she has
visited the weather has been good for
the evening OF her appearance there,
It costs an enormous sum for Melba
to travel. To carry her private car the
railroads require Is full fare, first-class
icket She would be entitled to have
Is persons in the car, but h has only
eight.
None OF the members OF her conf
pany travel in her car. They are each
provided with other railroad tickets and
they travel in the regular trains. So
every time Melba travels from one city
to another. she has to pay for Is rail-
road tickets.
h seat sale for her appearance in !
Topeka tonight at the Auditorium has
already amounted to upwards of 8 1000.
Melba never sings for less than 81
600. If the attendance isn't large
enough to pay that amount someone
loses. Me1ba is guaranteed that her
share shall not be less than $4,000. If
the receipts run up into big figures,
she gets her share of that, too. AT
Omaha a few nights ago the sale of
tickets amounted to a trife over S.
600.
Media will sing at 50 concerts during
her present season, and it is estimated
that her earnings therefrom will
amount to not less than $106, 600 net.
It is hard for the ordinary person to
realize such large earnings Melba's
expenses run into big figures, but she
is SO we'll known that no matter where
she sings, a big crowd always turns out
N hear her