The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-28
SACK FULL OF CASH
ANA HELD HAS MONEY ENOUGH;
RETIRE FROM THE STAGE.
Actress Loves Her Millions; Proposes
to Purchase a High Priced Amuse-
ment Resort Near Fort George;
Made Her Money in the United
States and Will Invest 1t Here;
Build a Home There Also.

New York, May 24.-With stock
ing full of American dollars and de-
termination to quit the stage and
make her eyes behave" Anna Held,
in every day life Mrs. Florence Zieg-
field has sailed away for a summer
in Europe. Before leaving she announced
that, having made 100000, she would
retire from the stage after next sea-
son. She also said she had plans for
a high-priced amusement resort near
Fort George, asserting that her agent
was negotiating for the estate of {.
X. G. Billings at Fort Washington.
With Miss Held sailed her husbands
father and mother and her daughter,
Lily.
Soon to Quit FoOtlights.
"Yes, | am sailing for Europe with
the very pleasant knowledge that at
the end of my stage career | have
more than 100000" said Miss Held.
"The end of my stage career? ! mean
it, After my tour on the road next
season there will be no more Anna
Held behind the footlights.
"Of course | am proud of my record.
| have lasted longer on Broadway than
most women do Twelve years | have
held my own there. My work may not
have been important. There are some
people-the-oh! very good people
who may say my work is very bad.
Perhaps in little country town that
might have been.
"But in New York? New York is
wise. New York is tired at night. New
York wants to laugh and be interested
excited. | think it is a good thing
that | have given New York what it
wants. For dear New York no matter
what those high brows say, does not
take its theatre seriously. Its people?
They 90 to the theatre and see the
mimics of the gay and naughty, and
they go home and are just as domestic
and church going as ever. The cor
ruption of New York? 1t ia to say it
in Albany, but not on Broadway. We
know here that it is not wicked to
laugh at the thing we would not do
ourselves.
Loves the Saved Million.
'Those million dollars | love them.
Every single dollar No, l do no mean
what you think. But every dollar of
that money | made because my work
was good. / did not speculate much.
Very little. If J told how little they
would call me a piker. | have saved,
saved, saved and invested. 1 have in
vested in the theatres; l have bought
real estate sometimes; | have bought
the government bonds and the real
estate. But nearly always for the in
come and never, except for the pas
time, have l fooled with what they
call the margins.
"This money | have made in this
dear United States. | shall invest it
Paris. | came to America, and at
the very beginning | got salary which
makes me a fool that | ever stayed in
Paris at ALL Since then it has always
been larger and larger. But | tell you
one thing, | am gay on the stage.
Plans Novel Resort.
"My agents make arrangements, even
today, by which I buy many acres
near Fort George--the Billings estate.
think you call it. There | shall have
a place where nice people can come
and enjoy themselves. There will be a
restaurant. some shows, all very high
class, and gardens. 1t will not be for
the crowd, it will be for the people
who pay 81 for their theatre seats
and sometimes buy box and who
are not afraid of champagne. Near
that | shall build a home for myself.
81 hate to say I will stop. | hate
to believe it. But Mr.. Ziegfeld is
very severe man. He says that next
year is the end. So, | am afraid per-
+hot .