The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-01-04
EFEyR BEET BKGFHsOW, POLITICAL
p.1,s,11r = S4S : NJ a TIES HIS
43D BIRTHDAY TO-DAY

To disciples of Henry George the
world over the name of Herbert Seeiey
BizeIow is known and honored, ana
many. and sincere will be the .consrat-
ulatorv messages that will pour in on
Cincinna8is political parson today,
his forty-third birthday. Although
his pulpit is in Cincinnati, the in
fluence of BigeIow has been powerful
throughout America, and has even
been felt in Europe. The adoption of
the initiative and referendum ana
other radical measures, Incorporated
in the new constitution, by the peo-
Die of Ohio, was probably due in large
part to the propag anda carried on Tor
wears By the clerical preacher of
democracy
Herbert sseeley, the original name of
the famous clergyman, was born IN
EIkhart, Ind, Jan. 4, 1870. His tather
was extremely poor, and his mother
died when he was an infant At the
tender age of nine Herbert flew the
1,aternaI coop, working for a time as
a boo4black. and later as a farm hand
IN Nfichisan. Rural life paTled Oh
him and he tramped through the
southern States, working at odd jobs
E5e was employed in a Florida hotel
when he attracted the attention of
A1nb=n1s Bfzelozv and his wife, wealthy
reonie from Cleveland. They adopted
the wandering lad and educated him at
OberIin College and Western Reserve
University He at first decided on a
Journalistic career. and for year was
a reporter On the Cleveland Plain
Dealer. Then he determined to be-
come a clergyman, took a course at
lane TheoIozicaI Seminary, and in 1886
was ordained as a congregational
minister. He was called to the Vine
street congregational Church in Gin
cinnasi, where his eloquence soon
made him popular In few years
he became an earnest convert to the
single tax theory, and to the initiative
and referendum as the only way of
securing its adoption The antrim
periaIist movement which spread over
the United States following the
Spanish-American war found a force
frI spokesman in Bigelow. Daniel
Kiefer, the late Tom Johnson, Brand
whitlock were Bigelow's friends and
co-workers in the political movement
for the overthrow of the alleged ma
chimes and the adoption of the initia-
tive and referendum The eloquent
minister made converts of most of his
congregation and practically all of
them followed him when he founded
the Peoples Church and Town Meet
ing Society, q social center movement
with its pulpit and place of assembly
in the Grand Opera House of Cincin-
natl
From the Bowery to Broadway
might be the title of a story of the
life of Blanche Walsh. the talented
who hoy in VCI-IS
forty years ago today. Her father was
Thomas P Walsh who was at one
time warden of Tonnbs Prison. Miss
Walsh attended the public schools I'M
Ill about fourteen years of age, when
she made her stage debut at an anna
teur performance in a Bowery thea
tire At fifteen the stage-struck maid
en- became a professional, playing her
first enga cement in Siberia a Iurid
meIodrama Her rise was rapid and
in a little while she Joined Marie Vain
Vvright's company. playing such roles
as olivia in Twelfth Night Queen
Elizabeth in Amy Robsart," and
Madeline in Frederic Lemaitre." She
Joined the forces of Charles Frohman
IN 1892 and three years later made a !
decided hit as Trilby in Du Maurier's
famous drama, taking the place of
Virginia Harmed, who had become i'll.
AS leading woman to Nat Goodwin
she made a tour of Australia, and in
1897 she played in London in the lead
ing feminine role of Gillette's Secret
Service As Cleopatra and La Tcsca
she made her mark in tragedy and she
added to her fame while starring in
1oIetoi's plays, Resurrection and
f-Kreutzer Sonata