New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-02-04
JOURNEY OF $500 MILES
AT THE BECK OF CUPID
Manager Of the Whitney Opera
Company Gees to Oregon and
WedS Prima Donna.
AND NOW RETURNS ALONE
Cruel Business Delays Honey
noon of F. P. Weadon and Miss
Lillian Poll, of Chocolate
Soldier" Troupe.

Cupid's call for a hurried journey Of
siXty-fve hundred miles had no tcrrors
for F. p. Weadon, general manager Of
The Whitney Opera Company. whose
headquarters are in the City Of Broth
erly Love. When he wanted a prima
donna for a bride he borrowed the wings
Of the morning and hit the trail for
Portland, Ore. though production after
production needed his guiding spirit in
the East. He married one there yester-
day. and to-day he begins not his
honeymoon trip but the long journey
back to the Atlantic Coast all alone.
Business is business in the theatrical
profession and the season has months
to run.
He will probably not lay eyes Oh his
fair bride again until the coming sum-
mer brings the theatrical season 90 an
end and allows those over whom the
stage spreads its tyranncal sway to
wander whittier they will. For her aC-
tions are curbed by the exacting pro-
fession. too. She IS Miss Lillian Poll.
prima donna of Tile Chocolate Soldier
company, now on the Western circuit.
1t was three years ago. when the little
singer sang her first song behind the
footlights under the direction Of her
managerial bridegroom, that the ro-
nance was started which eliminated i
yesterdays wedding. Miss Poll hailed
originally from Detroit, and while tax
ing lessons from 4. NJ. Staub. of that
city, charmed many ChurChGoers with
her voice Later sho. studied under
Carpi. in Florence, Italy. and on return
ing to this country made her stage
debut with the Whitney opera Company
Mr.. Weadon is not ashamed TO confess
that some Of Cupids arrows found their
mark even in those first months. When
later Miss Poll understudied the part o.
Nadna in the first production of The
Chocolate Soldier" their friendship be
came closer and deeper. ~ the begin
ming Of this season the girl sang her
way into the leading role Of an Eastern
company playing the popular opcretta,
and not long after was transferred -
one which was making a tour Of tha
West. In the mean time the question
had been sprung and answered with Z.
deferred affirmative.
While they were near enough TO seo
each other often. that feeling Of mutual
dependence was not so strong but what
il might he waved aside now and then
But parted. the old rule about the
effect or distance on the heart began 10
;,e
time at last when Mr Weadon couldn't
stand Il any longer. He tclegraphc1 To
Miss Poll. playing i'm California. 20 meet
him Yesterday I'm Portland and imme-
diately ged a berth for the West
The pair arrived in the Western city
almost simultaneously. and within sixty
minutes an obliging justice Of the peace
had made them one. Presumably Wea-
don didn't waste much time explaining
why hs stay had to be SO short. Il was
honeymoon Of twenty-four hours only,
and when man goes nearly seven
thousand miles for that, hc isn't apt TO
cxpend minute of It needlcssly.
The reason was however. that the
production of Baron Trenck," now play
ing in Philadelphia, is to open her"
within very few weeks, and he Is most
urgently needed on this coast to com
plete the arrangements. Not only that.
but another chocolate Soldier com
pany is to tread the boards at Newark
tomorrow night and "A week later move
to the West End Theatre. In this city.
Before Mr. Weadon took up the opera
business he was "a newspaper man 1t
has been suggested that that was where
he learned to he so careless of distance
when there was anything at the other
end that he thought he would like TO
have