New-York tribune., 1912-03-10
DANGER OF SUCCESS
Stella Mayhem, Winter Garden
Comedienne, Tells Story j
OF Her Life. !

The sad kind of success that has bli9hteA
many an actors life that Of making a
hit i'm a line of work he did not want IA
keep on with. yet never being allowed BY
managers to take up anything else. threat
ened 10 block the sturdy advance to fame
of Stella Mayhem. the clever leading CO.
medienne OF the Winter Garden company.
At five years Of age she made her debut
accidentally as a blachface artist (the black
being mud-pic smudges). But, wait; she
told the story OF her life the other day
as sine sat in her 'essing room, making up
as a pierrctte. and here il Is, word for
word, in her best Winter Garden style:
"You see, | appeared so long as a smudg.
: that | almost began 10 think that I might
| not be white" said Miss Mayhew You
| know, started many years ago-well, I'm
not so antique, but really. my first appear
ance was made when / was five years old.
] secured my professional start because
was so naughty that my mother ard aunt
thought they would punish me by making
| me actually work one day at concert. Ny
| appearance I'm blacllface was an accident I
| had been frockcd and cleaned up ready 10
| 20 to the hall ana speak my piece. But
| on the way found the most delicious ma
| teria for mudpies. and Immediately began
| to make some When / arrived at the han
1 went right up on the stage with the other
children. and the CONSERVATION my appear
ance caused was startling. Wen, anyway,
that was my first start in blackiace, and It
seems that brand Of entertainment stuck
| to me right along My next appearance in
public was in Uncle Toms Cabin was
one of the mob OF colored children, and
again l had to black up.
| "By the way, that same summer was
arrested-yes, really 'pinchcd.' We had an
old horse car in the village, and one day
I happened to see it standing down by the
courthouse square unattended SO Just
hoped on and started the horses. Feel
ing such q vigorous tug II the reins, the
beasts dashed through the streets OF our
little metropolis. They didn't stop for pas
sengers or traffic They Just went on.
When an heroic country constable finally
did stop us | was halcd before the mag
Iistrate and sentenced to d good spanking
Inv NV mother Needless TO state the
sentence was carried out.
..Mv biggest hit in the old popular rrice
days was made in The Suwan"" River
under the management OF Mr.. starr. ~
course. IL was all blackfacc work FROM
that time on IT seems the puoN" look klfe'
" to my work Then ! acquired a Ers-
band-yes. ! have him yet. I'm ProIu 10
say. He's Bnlco Ia. Tor. who Ia with ne IN
this company. lie wrote some "'""e.'W
new songs for me. ard fnally, Wn'h We
took a dip into vaudeville. we found That
We were making q tremendous hit - ii'lt
was really our start in big things. Theh
Mr.. Shubert signed rs, a-d wore WITH MIN
vet. and We ropo to Ge io' some "" 10
come. What more. we are very berry.
The morotcny of playing ono soit 't
mart gets TO be so very 'droarS in the course
or time that one feels that 'hanse -
necessary. ] always was anxious 70 pla!
whiteface parts, and used to tell that 10
my managers.
".Oh.' they would say. why do YOU want
70 change? You arc a big nit IN ola'Nia-a,
and YOU had better keep TO that line OF
work Well ! just made mp my m'nd mat
didn't want TO do il any longer. and
didn't either / insisted that | ne aho"eu
to come on the stage with clean race
wanted to play the real, legitimate "nl'e'
face comedy No, | know ! can't Ray
serious roles. I want TO make people lauen
7 believe II is the greatest thing III the
world 70 make people laugh The pleasure
ono gives 10 others is really all there is IN
ufa ANYWAY That's why I'm glad am
oo,nedienne. and that's the reason was 80
anxious to play in whiteface. The burnt
cork was getting obnoxious to me- want