Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-06
The Popular Prinia Donna

TN Salt Lake, there died, fifteen years
ago yesterday. Emma Abbott, at that
time the most famous and most
beloved OF American prims dom
mas. Her demise was as sudden and
unexpected as the news thereof was
shocking. The end came In the Temple
ton building. then one of the city's
leading hotels.
For days the brave little woman had
been In life and death struggle with
an attack OF pneumonia which two
years before that very week, had
claimed her husband In Denver. Every
art of medical science, every attention
OF modern nursing, every touch OF
tender hands and hope Of loving hearts
had proved futile. Her soul burst its
bounds her voice was stllled and
death lay upon her, one OF the sweetest
flowers of all the field of womanhood
like an untimely frost. When the sad
message went forth from the chamber
OF mourning heads bowed. eyes dim
med and lips were mute. To the writer
then young reporter on the News"
stan, her manager, Mr. Pratt. said as
tears unbidden and unsurpassed welled
from his eyes;
"A better, purer woman never walked
on this earth. She has been with me
eleven years and q more harmonious
and happy family than ours never trod
the boards Of an amusement hall in any
country. | am utterly broken down at
her unexpected taking away"
Miss Abbott had been seriously III for
five days only. On Monday December
20, she formally opened the Ogden
Opera house in the Rose of CASTLE"
The house was barely completed and
the walls were Yet damp from the new
ly applied plaster But the stars dress
ing room was made az comfortable az
possible by draping the walls and COW
ering the windows with blankets. II
was also well heated, However. during
the evening one of the windows was
accidentally opened and gust OF cold
air rushed into the room. Miss Abbott
had not been well for days and In few
moments she was seized with terrific
chill. But summoning all her strength
she threw II of and the play went on.
She was given a royal reception by tho
great audience. among which were
many Salt Lakers. Tripping to the
footlights she made neat and telling
speech az follows:
Dear friends-I may say, very dear
friends. | thank you from the bottom
of my heart for your more than warm
welcome. | have long wished TO visit
your city, and now that ! nnd myself
In your beautiful temple Of art, I am
astonIshed and delighted at what | see.
1t has been my good fortune to open
opera houses in many cities, but never
have | sung In one more magnificent.
more elaborate than this. ] am happy
to he with you. and, hoping that ii may
not be the last time, I will close by
saying with Juliet, stay but little,
and | win come again."
The day following. her company pre-
sented The Bohemian Cnrl' and
Martha" at n matinee and night per-
Torrance, and at each she sang her
famous song. The Last Rose Of SUM
mer,' scoring a marked triumph in It's
rendition, on returning to her hotel
after the night appearance she had a
consuming fever and drank freely OF
ice cold milk which she continued to
take In large draughts, for the reason
that she said II appeared 90 cool her
blood better Than anything else, The
next day she came 10 Salt Lake TO MI
an engagement az the Theater Her
condition was anything but promising
and her manager implOred her 10 re-
main off the stage that night and place
herself under the care Of a physician.
But she replied firmly;
mo. will not disnppoint these peo-
ole again The last time | was here
was III and there must be no repetl-
tion now My voice was not good then
and must redeem myself tonight. It
will not do for me TO forego this per-
formance hut | am SO ill--so H."
The opera was "Ernanp and hers, of
course, the part of Elvira. A splendid,
audience was present. and a perfect
ovation was accorded her efforts Enough
she had been fairly carried from her
dressing room through the wings OF
the stage. To those who assisted and
demonstrated with her she simply said,
81 must sing n die for It."
In a few minutes the look of agony
passed from her face and was succeed
ed by an expression OF composure and
arked beauty. Her portrayal OF FL
vlra was an animated one and she
sang magnlficently. At the close OF the
act Manager Pratt, who sat In a box,
left the stage and went behind the
sccrcs, Where she hau fallen prustratc.
DIR. Pinkerton was summoned. and af-
ter a brief examination pronounced her
alarmingly III. OF his visit DR.. Pin
kerton says;