The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-11-12
S TORIES ABOUT
MRS. LA NC TR Y

Mrs. LangtTy's present week engage
ment in Washington recalls an incident
that happened out in st. Paul nearly
twenty years ago, and in which the Eng
lish actress figured as nonunion worker
in the composing room Of a newspaper
Office.
AT that time the Globe Building had
Just been completed. and was the pride
OF the city. Upon Mrs. Langtry's West
eTn tour she managed 20 combine sight
seeing pleasures with theatrical business,
and when she reached ST. Paul she was
taken 10 the Globe Building by a Wash
ington man. who held the position Of city
editor on the paper.
a big newspaper plant was novelty
to Mrs. Langtry, and she expressed great
interest in its workings The composing
room especially delighted her, and after
watching the printers at work she ex-
claimed. "Oh, now 1 should Ike to set
type"
Immediately the actress vas shown the
run Of the boxes and provided with
printers stick With surprising dexterfty
she set up in type the following sentence:
The bugle is the GROWING glory Of St.
Paul"
The next morning this sentence, brack-
eted, appeared in the center Of two
column story about Mrs. Langtry. who
received from the editor of the Globe
check for 43 cents. the regular printers
dupe for the Jersey Llys lab0rs in the
composing room
That the souvenir was highly valued is
preserved the check in a gold frame, and
has il yet among her possessions in Eng
land
1t Is recalled by a celebrated Washing
ton manicure that Mrs Langtry was the
first 10 introduce into the United States
the fad for foot manicures
Mrs. Langtry has large feet That is
an indisputable fact. They were the one
physical attribute not considered abso-
lutely perfect when the English beauty
burst upon the world as the most cele-
brated of her type. Mrs. Langtry con-
cluded that her feet should become IA
nous as well as the rest Of her charm
ing person, and in defiance OF nature she
set about the foot culture which filled
New Workers with smaZement and the
papers with sensational stories OF just
how the identifying process was con-
Quoted. II became quite the thing for
Mrs. Langtry 20 hold a levee during the
hour OF the morning when her manicurist
was grooming the renowned feet, and
her intimate friends came from the pres
ence with wonderful tales Of the sym
metry, whiteness. and large fairness Of
the Langtry feet The fashionable women
Of New York were soon engaged in SINH
lar foot culture, and, following Mrs.
Langtry's theory that the human foot
could never attain to beauty until the
custom was abandoned of wearing shoes
and stockings from morning till night
half the feminine population of Gotham
took TO Turkish sandals, worn without
stockings. during the hours spent at home
In negliges and teagowns. White and
rosy-soled feet, with highly polished
nails. became the rage, and the manicur-
ing business took an upward fight in the
market.
Mrs. Langtry, too. inaugurateG the
craze for pearls among women of the
stage. She understood the becomingness
of these jewels. and that an effect OF
height is produced by a long rope OF
pearls All Of Mrs. Langtry's late pho
tOgraphs picture the actress with the in
evitable rope about her neck. and she
usually effects one Of such length that
1t reaches to the floor while she Is in
sitting posture.
The Langtry voice and the Langtry
memory are two very remarkable at
tributes Of this attractive woman. who is
every bit as femininely fascinating to-
day as she was twenty years ago. when
she appeared in ''The Unequal Match
as Hester Graysbrook, with her splendid
hair in a plat down her back for the
opening act.
Having once heard Mrs. BangtTy's deep,
full-throated voice. one never f0rgets It.
And having been introduced 10 the Eng
lish actress once. one is never forgotten
by her. Her memory for names. as well
as faces, is remarkable. and she recalls
persons and incidents that figured con-
spicuOusly in her first American tour with
perfect accuracy of detail
Mrs Langtry in ali her American tours
had just one adequate leading man. and
that was Charles Coghlan. He brought
out the artistic side of Mrs Langtry's
acting and played up 10 it as none of her
leading supports have since done.
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