The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24

studied for an intellectual conception
OF the art Of acting. but personal at
tractiveness overshadowed her his
trlOnic abflity-what woman could ask
more?
About this time a young Englishman
appeared on the scene as a persistent
sutton. He was the future earl of
Ripon, and society coupled their names
together. but no engagement resulted.
out OF the south rode a wealthy
scion of the proudest aristocracy OF
Mexico. Don Manuel Santiago Cabrera.
fell Captive TO the beautiful Calfor-
nian; the engagement and later ths
marriage was published in the daily
press Some mystery seems to have sur
rounded the termination OF this mar
riage. but II Is known she retired
from the stage.
At this period young SCULPTOR
toiled nightly in his lonely studio in
San Francisco. Striving vainly for rec
Ognition. years of poverty and obscur-
ity Swallowed his life. for fame was
long in knocking at his door. When
we'll nigh weary of the struggle the
first note OF victory sounded in the ac-
ceptance Of his design for the goddess
statue browning the city hall.
The looms OF fate We're weaving into
enc strand lives dedicated to tragedy.
Marion Nolan posed for the statue BY
sculptor Wells which stands $50 feet
above the pavement on tie dome OF the
doomed city hall This design was
chosen in preference to Giulemo's
model This first big success did not
bring happiness to Marion Wells. and
for some time before his death rumors
OF soul killing dissipation echoed
through Bohemia.
\ more kindly spirit OF criticism is
shown by those who knew him best.
They tell OF man with open heart and
ready purse, one willing to listen TO
poor strugglers. faltering along the
pathway TO success He had lived the
life and knew the cost--for IL takes
iron in the blood TO win.
As Gertrude Atherton wrote in An
cestors." having IN mind the pftfabls
failures of dawning talent: san Fran
cisco has been the cradle and the grave
of more genius than any other city OK
America" And their name IS legion
who, from the plane OF living men.
have descended into obscurfty. uiti-
mately finding rest in the potterss Held
Such was the untimely end Of Marion
Wells, who died OF the opium h&bAs IN
the county hospital
Several years after the rcmancs with
the Mexican hidalgo another suftor,
soreIy srnitten by the entrancfng
beauty Of Marion Nolan. came on the
Early friends think that there may
have been an engagement with the last
sutton, in any case 1t became distastefuf
to the actress and she avoided tho un-
fortunate mans attentions.
1t is now nearly six years ago since
he followed her for the last time. vain
ly pleading for another interview. This
was refused. and crazed by grief and
love he fred two shots, killing himself
as the life breath was ebbing away
from beautiful Marion Nolan. So two
of the actors passed.
Blind chance. which rules the lives OF
men, had cast them together, like two
doomed ships that pass in storm" This
gloom OF an untimely end was cloud
ing the last days OF Marion Wells. Deep
down in the womb OF the earth lay ths
fault which was to cause the destruc-
tion of San Francisco by fire.
From these causes so far remote yet
linked together in a sequence OF events
have passed three lives, which were
associated with the goddess statue. on
the dome which Is to be destroyed.