The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-02

Dy giving the tu4l first name or two
initials. with all proper names. Item1
must be accompanied by the name and
address Of the writer OF theS can NOT be
uubliShe0-I
In town as small as Topeka Wis
itor OF any prominence is almost an
event and this town in particular is al
ways l1eenly interested in visitors if
there is anything about them to inspire
it. One of the most interesting of the
young women who honor Topeka with
occasional visits is Miss Jane Oaker who
for the past three seasons was Mr.
Wilton Lackaye's leading woman in The
Pit and Trilby, but who is best known
here as Mrs. Hale Hamilton, and VINO
with Mr.. Hamilton has been the guest
for week of his parents, Mr.. and Mrs
J. D. NJ. Hamilton.
Miss Oaker has never played in a
Topeka theater and although her friends
and the friends of her husband and his
family here have followed her theatre
cal career with much interest it is an
interest which is largely personal. Here
she is rarely addressed by her stage
name, Miss Oaker, by which she is al
most exclusively known elsewhere, and
the Topeka people who have the pleas
ure OF her acquaintance have known
her in purely social relations. But on
this side her personality is so attractivs
that it is difficult to believe that Jane
Oaker. though more widely known,
Hale Hamilton.
L would be strange If the artistic
training and mental discipline of six
or seven years in the theater, always as
a member of excellent companies and il
support of some of the most brilliant
actors on the American stage added ta
the earlier advantages of the environ
ments, education and traditions, would
and intellectual, of a gentlewoman, had
not resulted in producing in Mrs Ham
ilton a young woman a good bit above
the average in intellectual attainment,
grace and charm. Though little more
than a girl in years her artistic train
ing and experience have given her the
intellectual outlook of a woman of the
world. In addition Though perhaps
many people would say @to begin with, =
she is a rarely beautifu1 woman tall
exceedingly graceful and we'll formed,
with a perfectly modelled head and face
quantities of wavy hair on the ashen
blonde order framing her face becom-
ingly, and large blue-gray or hazel or
brown eyes-it is difficult to determine
which-afched by very dark and perfect
eyebrows. Her eyes and eyebrows es-
pecia1ly give character to a. face what
might otherwise attaret only by its
prettiness Miss Oaker dresses ex-
quisitely and artistically and she is so
graceful that her every attitude is d
picture.
But Mrs Hamilton with all her in
terest and charm is not the only mem
Der of the family. for Hale Hamilton is
by no means merely the husband Of
Jane Oaker." although in their profess
sion he has attracted less attention than
his wife. It is said that Mr.. Hamilton's
ambitions are along managerial lines
and he has met with success in this
direction in the management or sum
mer stock companies of which Miss
Oaker was leading woman. However
EH a 1fnn1iS-
fakably the qualities which make for
success. Around Topeka where he used
to live everybody says when Hale Ham
ilton is mentioned, that he IS very
handsome" and while this is true it is
by no means mis- most apparent gift
after one has met him and talked with
him for he IS an uncommonly clever,
we'll informed chap. and one of the
best ever in the way of conversational
and story telling gifts A Topeka man
who has some local fame as raconteuf
saws he never attempts to tell story IN
Hale Hamilton's presence and there are
few men who could safely compete with
him In this line. But he is unlike the
professional funny man who is always
expected to be the life OF the com
pany" because his stories always have
the effect of being quite impromptu and
his best points are perfectly spontan-
cons When he says that reminds me
YOU are sure Of hearing something en-
tireIy apropOs: he never gives the inn
preston of having rehearsed his
effects for the occasion and dragged
them in regardless of the turn Of the
conversation.
Mr.. Hamilton's acquaintance with
many prominent members of the. ac-
tors profession has given him unusual
opportunities. of course, and MS anec-
dOtes of players whose names are Ia
miIiar to everybody are especially in
teresting He is a member of the
Lambs club, New York, and many OF
his best yarns have this historic club
for a BACKGROUND and its famous
members. past and present, for drama
It's perSOnnae-
1t would not be fair to steal Mr.
Hamilton's thunder and publish his
tsales broadcast. besides a large part OF
their charm lies in the telling and 1t IS
safe to say that nobody could tell them
as well as he for storytelling IS a g1It
in itself and he is notable exponent
Of the art But it may perhaps be
permissible to repeat one of his stories
because it concerns people well known
in Topeka. One of them IS his VIE,
who is a very quiet woman and talks
very little. unless she is with close
friends, and another is Mrs. Dean Low
of Chelsea. l. T., who was before her
marriage Miss Nora Mix of Chicago,
and who is a great friend of the Ham
iltons. Once before MIS- Lows mar
rage when Mr.. and Mrs Hamilton
were in Chicago playing with Wilton
Iackaye in The Pit, Mr. Lackaye and
Mr.. Hamilton were walking down
state street when they met Miss Mix
and Miss Oaker %, said I1ackaye,
when he spied them. here come Miss
Nora Mix and No Remarks.
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have been in
Topeka for a week and leave THIS eN-
ening. the former for New York where
he will spend the winter and the lat
ter fer ST. Louis to visit her parents
..s@