The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-19
LOUISE MONTAGUE DEAD
Was "Ten Thousand Dollar Beauty"
Who Travelled With Adam
Forepaueh's Show.

New York, March 10 Montague
Louise M, died on Tuesday at her
residence, 1914 Manhattan avenue,
This simple death notice appeared in
the New York papers Wednesday. It
was written by Louise Montague her
self a week before her death, the day
on which death would come being
left blank, to be filled in by the I'M
dertaker.
Few who read this notice knew
that thel Louise Montague whose
death was simply chronicled was the
woman who was once heralded far
and wide over the country as the
TN Thousand Dollar Beauty"
Louise Montagues beauty was for
years the talk and wonder of Amer
lea Her name was the synonym OF
beauty and everywhere she went she
was talked about and petted and held
court like a queen.
After the first rage over her had
subsidized she sought the quiet of pri-
vate life but a few years afterwards
went on the stage because it was dis
covered that she had talents equal
to her beauty
She had a splendid soprano voice
and fine dramatic ability and so she
appeared with Edward +. Rice's
company in the "Corsair" and then
became the star of David Hender
sons "Sinbad the Sailor and was
perhaps one of the greatest fayorites
! that Broadway ever knew.
But she had no triumph like that Of
/ the first few years in which she ap-
4 peared before the public She was
only a girl then Of eighteen or Line
teen. Adam Forepaugh the show
man, discovered her and determined
to make her beauty a feature Of his
show. With his showman's cunning
he first determined to lay foundat
1 ion that would arouse great interest
and expectancy in the public mind.
&c he advertised in 1873 that he
would pay $4,000 to find the most
beautiful woman in America
Interest was aroused all over the
country and the public was on tiptoe
with excitement Finally came the
announcement that the judges after
considering thousands of beautiful
women, had decided on Louise Mon
tague as the loyliest of them all and
that she would go with the circus and
take part in every street parade
A great chariot was especially con
structed, on which was an immense
globe and seated on this, gorgeouslN
dressed. rode the young woman
above great sign which proclaimed
in gold letters: "Forepaugns Tel
Thousand Dollar Prize Beauty"
After a few years on the stage Miss
Montague again returned to private
life. She lived for a long time il
beautifully Finished home OF
West 6lst street But investment
she had made turned out badly. TIT
money she had earned in ridini
perched high on a golden chariot il
hot dusty street parades took wings
She was very sympathetic and geneI
5 GUS and was always ready TO give lit
orally to help the unfortunate.
And so her money dwindled unit
finally she moved to tiny fat OF
the fifth floor of the apartment hous
on Manhattan avenue, where sh
died. In her later years the fam
[ that had come to her as a 'priz
, beauty" gave her no JOY She wan
ed people to forget her She burie
/. herself almost entirely from IN
q friends she had known in her circu
p and stage career and very few kne
what had become Of her.
When she knew week ago thu
S she would die. she asked the fe
friends who still remained faithfl
5 to her to say nothing after her deaf
concerning the fact that she had one
# been known as "The Ten Thousar
=. Dollar Prize Beauty" And so 81
!. wrote with her own hand the on
n. notice she wanted published of h'
death
Those who can only rememb
l. 'Foreaughs Famous Prize Beaut
Z she said. L do not wish to come
* my funeral. But to those who rel
lie ember Louise Montague, well, ! wa
them to be around me when | am la
ID in my grave"
~. But Just before she died she ask
tx that all the old pictures of herself
10 the days of her fleeing glory
d. brought to her and last night tn
stood on the mantle and chairs in I
room where Louise Montague lay
al her coffin Pinned on the wall W
ne glaring, many colored circus pr
On ter, "Forepaugh's Prize Beauty a
OF over the mantle was a faded pho
"a graph, lifesize of Louise Montag
as "Sinbad the Sailor The pictr
showed the face of marvellous
beautiful woman but the face in
coffin in spite Of the traces of
proud fight made against pove
no and disappointment and ambition
he realized, was more calm and sw
lal and beautiful than had ever been
rn- | face of even "Forennngh's