The Washington times., 1911-04-17

NEW YORK, April 17.-By living in
the tenement section of the lower east
side and by playing the piano at a
moving picture show, Miss frankie
Franklin, of Knoxville, Tenn, has
solved the problem Of living In New
York and earning her expenses while
having her voice cultivated.
The distractions of an uptown board
ing house, the high cost of a good room
and three meals a day, and the tempta-
tion to enjoy social life with young
students of her own age. generally de-
feat the attempt of an ambitious young
girl to earn her own living in Manhat-
tan when she must have half the DAY
for study and recitation.
In house occupied by laborers' fam
lilies, at 523 East Fifteenth street,
Miss Franklin occupies two rooms on
the second floor back. Her neighbors
are Poles, Austrians, italians and Ger
mans. Her windows look out on yard
where a dozen of poor families hang
out clothes.
She has turned the kitchen with Its
sink, washtubs and coal stove into a
studio The washtubs are covered with
a cloth and used for a sideboard. She
substituted a little gas range for the
coal stove. Her hard-working piano
stands where the former tenants
kitchen table used to stand. She bought
artistic wallpaper and put it on over
the startling colors and figures she
found there. Around the room are
ranged her books in home made cases.
softly tinted by her own hand. Pretty
rugs cover the floor.
The little bedroom adjoining is mar
vel of prim, white neatness. 1t has
few comfortable, old-fashioned chairs.
bought at second hand and stained
over, and a great trunk turned into a
couch by the addition OF cushions.
When l told friends / was coming
to New York to study for seven years
to At my voice for opera they told me
I could not do 1t without much money"
she said yesterday. II had no money,
but / knew l could earn twelve to If
teen dollars a week playing and singing
in concert halls. l might even get more
occasionally. I came and took a room
uptown. for which ] paid s6 a week. l
began to earn from SIS to SIS a week
playing evenings at entertainments.
But had TO buy my meals at res
taurants. pay for my laundry. clothe
myself and pay car fare. l made friends
among young women students WHO had
more money than I. I simply had to
spend 4 little money going around with
them. saw that as soon as I had to
buy clothes would be stranded. Also
people were continually running into
my room when l wanted to study and
~ ip4n ma
invited about by we'll meaning women
who gave me good dinners at the enter
tainments and then asked me to sing
or play free.
There must be some way to earn an
honest living here and pay for tuition
l said to myself. and set about finding
it out. One day 1 saw laborer digging
in the street I heard him say he had
seven children, one of whom was In
high school. went right out and ask
ed him where he lived. He told me on
East Thirteenth street. 1 went down
there. found that rents were cheap. 1
looked around and found this little nat
for $3.50 a month. The house was filled
with the very poor, but all were honest
and all minded their own business. I
hired the two rooms and moved down
here, disappearing from the view of
my friends uptown.
II do my own laundry work and my
own cooking, and I've got the art OF
living down 10 a fine point. My coming
caused a sensation for q day or two, |
and then they took me for granted and
forgot me in their busy lives. When l
sing numbers from Lucia or 'Traviata' |
the Italians come to their windows to |
listen. But when l am practicing rag