The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-06
Famous Danseuse Recalls Her
Experiences in Old Bijou
Comedy Company.

Back at home and in the words Of
my maid, 1t sure do look NATURAL
1t was Mrs. Max hoffman,. Miss
Gcrtrvdc Hayes. or. rs most OF the
people in Richmond will know her
best Miss Gertrude Hoffman,, pre-
mlcr dnnscusc. who almost joyously ut
tered the above sentence. Miss Hoff-
mann had just arrived: was taking a
rest in her private car after Il weary
Ing and tiresomc ride, but She was
neither too weary nor too tired To hold
an old-fashioned gabfest with The
Times Dispatch man when he broke in
on her.
i've 80, so much to say and so lit
Tie time to say it that YOU just keep
still. say nothing, ask no question. hut
let me ramblc on in my own way. In
lcrvicws arc something | abhor and au
interview TN connection with Rich
inond would be particularly abhorrcnt
because YOU know. that is YOU know
If you'd been here long enough. that
II WAS right here III Richmond that /
got my first lift To the first rung OF the
ladder Of success. AMI every succeeding
rung that have caught and held to
has been achieved through the in
centiVe to he better and do better that
was created by the kind words offered
right here So don't say this Is an in
tcrNiew, I've never given one and
just won't start here"
Miss hoffman, relaxed slightly. IL
with II serious nod of tho head can be-
called relaxation.
Sitting here. looking out OF these
windows over Richmond it's the most
natural thing in the world that my
thoughts are back about ten years
when ] came here as a member of the
Eijou Musical Comedy Company, which
was started 10y Jake Wells Remcmbcr
those people? There was John Dunno
May Marble. Little chip. Dan Marble
poor Tony Hart. who is now dead. Otis
Harlan, the Fanchionetti Sisters my
good friend Eta Pierce, Eva Burnhum
who later became Mrs. Walter Vincent
what - Wonderful collection of real
stars. ! wonder ii the people of Rich-
mond realize what il would cost To get
that crowd together now. 1t would be
almost q fortune, for all have madu
successes since that timo. Putting IT,
in round numbers and approx imately
OF course. ] should say that the talent
represented in the names / have given
would east $1,000 week. q sum that
in those days could have purchased all
of the great stars OF that day"
They We're good old days. | may
not have been as widely known then
as now, but everything was so home
like. the members of the company were
so congenial. just like one big family.
that everybody was happy Some time
ago our manager told ne that we had
Il nay 10 lay eli. and when | found IL
out. made hinf make the itinerary so
that the layoff v ould be here. I want
cd to just stay mere and think; think
of my many friends, Of the many pleas
ant days. OF the goodness of so many
people. Ard remember met Mr. IIoff-
mann here. He was the musical direc-
tor of the company. If you remember.
] was plain Gcrtic Hayes. and one q.
your own newspaper men started ma
on 10 success by naming me The Girl
III Lavender. ] wore II lavender dress
they Mcrcn't gowns thcn--aud II ut.
tractcd his attention. After that
came back here in vaudeville and was
billed rs The Girl In Lavender
II have ONLY one regret, and that ia