Evening journal., 1911-12-05
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
AdeIina PATHS Musical
Business Voice
By Holland.


"The greatest songster | have ever
known, surprising, in my opinion,
even Jenny Lind, whom | heard in
my early manhood. was, like Jenny
Lind, an exceedingly clever business
woman said the late Colonel j. II.
Mapleson to me at the time of his last
visit to the United States, in 1895. In
his day Colonel Mapleson was the
leading operate impresario of the
English-speaking world.
"Of course" cintinued Colonel
Mapleson, 81 do not need TO tell you
you that / mean Adelina Patti. When
talking business with any one she
could warblo the softest and most de-
licious golden notes, although they had
very hard resonance in the ear Of
manager like myself. ! have sometimes
thought that she trained herself to
trill her voice in business conversa-
tion so that she could thereby exp ess
a melody which would fascinate the
manager into granting her business
demands Yet ] never knew Patti to be
so absolutely selfish as to want all Of
the receipts herself, although | have
known other singers, men and wo-
men, who insisted on taking all and
leaving the manager sometimes in de-
spair facing the wrong side Of the
ledger
"In 1881 entered into negotiations
with Patti for concert tour that
would take her pretty generally over
the United States. She was very
charming when / called upon her. and
when she began to speak about the
business arrangements of the proposed
tour realized at once that she had a
delicious musical business voice. aud
that she could act her part while dis
cussing business as well as she could
act the troublesome part Of Zerlina IN
Mozart's Don Giovanni.
"She said to me that she was GER
tain that wherever she sang in the
United States the sale of tickets would
amount to a good deal more than five
thousand dollars for q performance /
told her that I hoped so but that five
thousand dollars was a good deal Of
money, and that in my experience Il
bad only been taken in at some per-
formances of popular operas. But she
merrily intimated to me that she was
practically a whole opera herself; and
she told the truth
Well said /, suppose | contract
to pay you five thousand dollars a
night for each concert; will that be
satisfactory
" Not quite was her answer; FOR
II you are sure of five thousand dol
lars at each concert, you also should
be sure of a good deal more than that.
I You ought to have fair share Now,
If you pay me five thousand dollars
a night, and also a percentage upon
all receipts in excess of five thousand
dollars, we will sign the contract, and
you will make some money.
sI was compelled to accept her
terms. But just as we were drawing
up the contract, she intimated to me
that one little thing had been forgot
ten.
What is that?' asked
must have the five thousand dol
lars within an hour Of the time fixed
for the beginning Of the concert
For a moment / was in despair
The little woman was not going 10
trust to the sale of seats; she insisted
on having her money in hand before
she warbled a single note. But she
very considerably said to me that. as
we could not know until the receipts
from the sale of tickets had been
counted up what he percentage was &c
be, she wouldn't exact prepayment
on account of percentage. And thus
amended, tn contract was signed
sealed and delivered.
well the little woman was right II
her confidence in the money success
Of her tour, and when | paid her al
San Francisco seven thousand, fvC
hundred dollars for one concert, she
very archly said to me:
You see, | was right, Colone
Mapleson. I have my share and you
have yours
Copyright, 1911. by T.. J. Edwards
All rights rescrvcd)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell O
~ Trick OF Trade That Made n Fan,
Gus Operate Success"