The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1913-10-30
FAIL TO FIND RELATIVES HERE
Scores of Petersons in Kenosha But
None of Them Know Young Woman
Who Made Great Hit at Municipal
Opera in Paris On Thursday Night.

Truly a prophet is not without honor
save in his own country. Newspaper
men from Kenosha and Chicago search
ed henosha all day Friday seeking to
learn the life story of little Swedish
girl who sang herself into international
fame at the Municipal opera house in
Paris, France, on Thursday night, but
although the young woman had declar-
cd Kenosha her home no one in the city
could be found who knew her or who
could tell the story Of her life.
Esther May Peterson is the name of
this new song bird of the opera and
she declares that she was born and
raised in Kenosha. She had been
studying in Paris for the last six years
and on Thursday evening she made her
professional debut at the Municipal
opera house in fLakme." The French
parers were unanimous in their praise
of the quality of Miss Peterson s voice
and many of the critics predicted a
brilliant future for her. They declared
that her triumph in Paris was fully as
great as thai Of Mary Garden a few
years ago. Miss Peterson is declared
to aavo q high soprano voice and
refined dramatic sense.
All efforts to find anything in regard
to the early life of the new opera star
in Kenosha were futile. There are
more than a hundred Petersons, Peter
sens and Pedersens in Kenosha and
nearly every one of them when seen
declared that they never heard of Els
ther May Peterson.
According to the story brought from
Paris the new star was born in Keno
sha about thirty years ago and she re-
manned in this city until she was near
ly twenty years of age. Then she went
to Chicago where her singing attracted
attention and she was for short time
connected with the choir in one of the
big Chicago churches. Later she went
abroad going first to Italy where she
studied under number Of Italian mas
ters and from Italy she went to Paris
where She is now being hailed as a
great success. Hazy memories of the
young woman have been found in Ke-
nosha but nothing has been found in
regard to her parentage. 1t is declared
that a little white haired girl with a
wonderful voice once sang in glee
club at the high school and about the
Princess theatre it is recalled that in
the old days of amateur night at the
Bijou theatre there was little girl
with big voice who sang on several
occasions but none of the people who
have even these hazy memories Of the
young woman ever knew her in private
life.
Esther May Peterson seems to have
been entirely forgotten in Kenosha. A
half dozen clues to, the identity of
the young woman were discovered
among the myriad families of Peterson
in Kenosha but when run down none of
them brought any facts in regard to the
new artist
The only picture of the new singer
known in this country is a picture
taken when she was singing in the
choir in Chicago and no one in Keno
sha seemed to be able to recognize this
picture, At any rate Esther May Pet
eFson is adding to the fame Of Kenosha
and some time when she comes for a
triumphal tour Of her own country the
story of her obscure parentage will un.
doubtedly be made plain.