The Washington herald., 1911-01-08

dial welcome Miss Irwin was made to
feel if she were a new star, as she
put it, and not one with long record of
famous successes. Perhaps the fact that
her retirement from the stage was noised
about a season or two ago had some
thing to do with it. At any rate, the
circumstances served to call attention
again to Miss Irwin's remarkable career
Miss Irwin was young girl singing in
church choir in Whitby. Ontario. and
was in great demand for all the Sunday
school concerts Christmas celebrations.
and little social entertainments common
to small village life Even as a mere slip
OF a girl her natural talents had begun
IL express themselves. One day they at
tracted the attention of a visitor to the
little town and he encouraged Miss Ir-
win to so on the stage. After the young
girl had seen one or two performa noes
by professionals she felt that the advice
given her was good. and She finally
made her professional debut while still
very young. The circumstances of her
beginning are not important, but the
salary, insignificant as it compared
with what she has since been able to
command Miss Irwin confeSSeS looked
mighty large when she thought of the
s. week she had been getting for sing
ing in the Whitby village church choir
In the early years Miss Irwin and her
sister Flo worked together, and they
have frequently since that time been as
sociated. Then the star became men,
Der of the famous organization of Tony
Pastor and a little later of the great Au-
Eustin DAILY company. The comedienne
treasures many interesting recollections
of those carly days. and gives to her
masters. particularly to Augustin Daily,
their due credit for the thorough train
ing which supplemented her natural
genius and made possible the great sue
DAILY. while he was strict in the manage
ment Of his company. was afrectionately
regarded by its members and is still re-
membered as of the best type of the old
school of managers. 1t was as member
Of the Augustin DAILY company that Miss
Irwin played in London. Her experience
with that company was OF wide scope
well calculated to develop the versatile
talents which make her art.
Since becoming star Miss Irwin has
scored in SO many successes that it
would be hard to keep track of them all
Those familiar with affairs theatrical
will recall THE Widow JONES'" Mrs
Black Is Back The Swell Miss Fitz-
SWELL" Kate Kip, Buyer" SISTER
Mary The Belle of Bridgeport"
'Madge Smith, Attorney" and Mrs.
Wilson Andrews" One of her unquali-
fed successes was in a little one-act play
by George AIDE. Mrs. Peckham's Ca
d
tion classic
Miss Irwin ranks as one Of the wealth.
TEST members of her profession. She has
not only made vast sums of money
through her acting. but. gifted with a
keen business sense, she has invested
much of her earnings profitably in prop
critics, largely in real estate. Being a
woman of broad sympathies and a wide
outlook, she has always had interests
outside of her stage life. She owns sew
eral valuable parcels Of real estate in
New York City, and she has an island in
the St. Lawrence River and an island
near Indianola, Fla. On the St Law
renee River island. which takes her
name. is May Irwin's inn. and here the
star lives in the summer time. Some of
the finest cattle that could be found ION
a thousand plains have been drawn on
TO stock this place, including some reg
istered Jerseys Of particularly aristocrat-
tc breeding. That is why some one has