The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-09
CAREER / o.:
annie l YE|:A.MANS.
Actress Vino Died Recently Had
Been 66 Years on Stage.
HAD PART IN Many OLD SHOWS

Started as Circus Performer In Aus
traiia-Wss With Harrigan and Hart
For Twenty Years In Auaustin
Days Companies.
Mrs. Annie Yeamans, the actress,
who died recently at the age of seven
ty-six, outlived her three contempora-
ries, Aunt Louisa Eldridge, Mrs. John
Drew and Mrs. Gilbert, and was the
last Of the women of her generation
on the American stage.
Mrs. Annie Yeamans was born on
the Isle of Man Nov. 10, 1885. Her
maiden name was Annie Grifiths.
Her father, himself for many years
connected with the theatrical business
in one way and another, moved to
Australia when his daughter was a
small child, and at the age of ten she
made ner first public appearance as
Little Julia in "a Fathers Daughter"
The child continued playing small
parts and doing chorus and ballet
| work with her fathers organization.
The company presented all sorts Of en-
| tertalnments from farce to opera. "Er-
nani,' '"The Bohemian Grip and Ma
ritana" were among the operas which
the company offered and in which little
Annie Grifiths appeared, dancing and
singing in the chorus
Rowe's circus, an American organi-
cation, was playing in Australia a bit
later, and the girl was apprenticed to
this circus. Here she learned to ride
| and to jump through paper hoops and
| to do the rest Of the things expected Of
| equestriennes. When she was eight
| cen years old she married Edward
Yeamans, a clown with the circus.
Came to America In 1865.
After that Mrs. Yeamans and her
husband appeared in circus in Java
and Singapore and lived for a year in
Hongkong. In 1866 they came to
America, first appearing in California,
then touring the middle west and some
two years later reached New York
Mrs. Yeamans' first appearance in
New York was as page in "Cendril-
lon," a spectacle which Mark Smith
and Lewis Baker were running in op-
position to "The Black Crook" She
| next was seen in "The Ticket of Leave
Man." in which, as she herself express
ed it a few years ago, she 'played
about every part from Sam Willough-
by to the old grandmother Griffith
Gaunt" was produced by Augustin
DAILY at the New York theater not long
| afterward, and he engaged Mrs. Yea
mans to do jig in the fair scene.
After that she returned to the circus,
but her husband died about a year
after they had reached New York, and
Mrs. Yeamans left circus life for good.
After her husbands death Mrs Yea
mans spent two years with Mrs. F. B.
Conway's stock company in Brooklyn.
Her next engagement was with G. l..
Fox's "Humpty Dumpty," in which her
daughter Jennie also appeared. All
gustin DAILY then secured her for his
company playing Round the Clock''
| at the Grand Opera House, New York.
Joined Harrisan and Hart.
| From the DAILY company Mrs. Yea
mans Joined the forces Of Harrigan
and Hart. She already had established
herself as portrayer of Irish Ameri-
can roles, and she continued these i'm
presentations at Harris Theatre Co.
mlque. These days Mrs. Yeamans has
| characterized as the best in her career
She began her connection with Harri-
gan and Hart in 1877 and was with the
company for nearly twenty years.
Among the roles given to Mrs. Yea
mans in the Harrigan and Hart farces
were Mrs. Mulligan in 1.-THE Mulligan
Guards" Minnehaha in ''The Leather
Patch" Cordelia in "Cordelia's Aspira-
tions'' and Mary Ann Dooley in REILLY
and the -Four Hundred"
In the years in which she devoted
herself mainly to the Harrigan and
Hart shows she also appeared in a few
productions by other managers, nota-
bly, in Palmer's production of "The
Lights O London" in 1882, in money
Mad'' and in '"The Great Unknown"
Following the Harrigan and Hart days
| she appeared in a large number of diff
ferent plays under different manage
ments. There was 1.-THE Great Dia-
mond Robbery Uncle Toms Cabin"
and "Why Smith Left Home" in which
| she played the cook.