Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-11
SHE WILL NEVER RETIRE
Loves Everybody and Finds World
Too Good a Place to Leave.
PICTURE TAKEN WITH TAFT
Famous Lilliputian, Now Countess
Magri, Is Making a Tour of South
With Husband and His Brother.

PHILADELPHIA. January 11.-Brimful
of tales. of her globe-trotting expeditions
and in spirit not day older than when
mite of a schoolgirl way down east, the
Countess Magri, better known as the
talented wife of the late Gen. Tom Thumb
a lilliputian famous the world over. and
a protege of Phineas Barnum. the great
Snowman, is renewing oldtime friendships
in Philadelphia.
II love this great big world, and I love
every body in it," chirped the tiny countess
yesterday. as she received friends in a
hotel parlor.
Clad In sober little gown of brown
silk, wearing old "grandmamma'' spec
tacles, her doll-like form resting on a
great big settee, the little woman, now
past the sixty-frst milestone of life, chat
ted merrily of various incidents In her long
public life of almost fifty-one years dura-
ton.
Will Never Retire.
"Will 1 retire from the stage? No,
never" said the doll baby countess,
with the merriest Of childlike laughs.
when asked If she had not thought of
spending the remainder of her life in
marlborough. Mass, her old home.
CAS- long as 1 live shall never retire
from the stage" she continued; ''in fact,
l feel, oh, SO much happier when l am
before the public"
Eyes, l suppose the countess will die
on the stage" came in little voice from
Count Magri. her husband, a mite OF
humanity, dressed in a stylish suit cut to
fit the usual lad of six years. From an
expense of shirt front CLEANED trio Of
big diamonds.
Count, I'm not going to do anything
Of the kind quickly replied the countess,
with shrill little laugh. Il believe
shall live on and on for some years yet
Indeed. 1 never felt happier or in better
health i'll all my life than l do now. Were
L to say goodbye to the dear public
which has been SO kind to me and retire
believe [ should die then surely.
i love to come to Philadelphia" she
continued, for it was here the general
in Philadelphia above all other cities that 1
am carried back to years gone by"
Has Remarkable Memory.
Countess Magri has a phenomenal mem
DRY. considering her age. She has also a
remarkable gift for recalling faces.
Although she has met a score of this
country's Presidents as well as almost
all the crowned heads of Europe in past
years, CTOSSeu tlle ocean a dozen or more
times and girdled the globe on several
occasions, she can today sit down and
minutely retrace her footsteps in bygone
years.
In her fifty-one years of public life the
countess has grasped the hands of Presi-
dents Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Garfield
and Cleveland. She and her late husband,
Gen. Tom Thumb, were especially friendly
with Gen. Grant, who spent much time
chatting with the clever little couple.
ON nd - Nh u. r
have now" said the countess. 1T is
picture of Presdent-elect Taft and my
self taken in Denver not so long ago.
The idea of the genial Taft. with his
mighty avoirdupois, standing beside the
mite of a countess, caused the guests of
the countess to laugh heartily.
Received at White House.
In honor of Gen. Thumb and his wife
President Lincoln once gave a public re-
ception in the White House. The tiny
couple also dined at various times with
Presidents Johnson, Grant and Garfield
Gen. Sherman, too. was particularly fond
of the General and his wife, as was Ad-
miral Porter and a host Of the nations
digntarieS.
The present Countess Magri also num-
bered among her close friends the late
Queen Victoria, who entertained the tiny
countess in Buckingham Palace.
We are sailing for Europe in March.
after completing a circuit of theaters in
Pennsylvania, Virginia and other south
ern states" said the countess in taking
farewell of her guests I'VE will stay
abroad perhaps year and then return
TO America. Remember she added, tip
toeing from the big sofa, I'm never GO
ing to get old"
Count Magri is just fifty-nine years old
and his brother, Baron Magri, is sixty
two years of age These two, with the
ct1-n nf-f "a rad 10 ,tnc
oldest troupe of lilliputians before the
public in the world today.