Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-29

grateful memory. There We're Will Castel
or was it Castle?-a tenor of exceeding
known >as 'Shir' Campbell. baritone. who
was very popular and one Of the best
baritones I ever heard; William and
Henry Peakes, bassos; Edwin Seguin,
basso billed as a 'buffo'; Caroline Rich
ings. soprano, and Zelda Seguin, con-
tralto.
in the repertoire of this company were
The Bohemian Girl, Faust Martha
Zelda was especially popular in The
Bohemian Girl and perhaps is best re-
membered for her singing Bliss Forever
Passed 1 have heard it sung many
times since, but never better than Zelda
AT the time that 1 am speaking of
opera singers did not always stop at
hotels. The Seguins sometimes stayed at
kirkwood's. at 18th street and the Ave
nue., and sometimes they. with a num-
Der of the members of the troupe, would
stop at what was then No. 26O Penn
sylvania avenue. but which in the newer
style is No 1902, on the north side of
the Avenue one door west of 10Th street.
1t was then d theatrical boarding house
kept by Mrs. James Williamson, and she
was favoraibly. known throughout the
country to the theatrical people as
southern style cook. / have heard num-
Der of operatio stars. and other artists
in stage work say that her roast pork
and sweet potato dinners could not be
equaled in any other place on the theatre
cal circuit.
"Greason's Hotel, at 18th and E streets.
was another theatrical stopping place.
and the boys Of the neighborhood would
try their best to catch newly arrived
actor or singers eye that they might
get the pleasant and sometimes proflta-
BILE work of carrying their baskets. In
those days the 'profesh,' each one of
them, sent their costumes for each nights
performance to the theater' in what was
a discarded champagne basket. Hence
the term and the job carrying the ,bas-
ket.' Mr.. or Mrs. -. may I carry
your basket?" has been said thousands
of times by Washington boys to, these
theatrical people. The boy who got the
job usually saw the performance from
behind the stage. though sometimes they
were sent to the front to be out of the
way.
II remember that in the early sew
enties some OF the stage folks who
roomed or ate at Mrs. Williamson's. or
did both. were Dion Boucicaut and his
wife, Fechter, the ira gedian; j. Humphrey
Bland, tragedian: Tom Baker, a popular
stock actor, and Edwin Thorne, a stock
actor, and later a star Of marked merit.
Who by the way, had brother, also
an actor. Bill Thorne, who a few years
ago got an appointment to a position in
the Interior Department. I have lost
track of Bill Thorne and he may be dead.
Frank Foster and his. pretty wife, Her
nandez, who used to delight the boys
and girls with their antics as clowns in
Humpty Dumpty, always put up with
Mrs. Williamson. Mrs. Germon and her
talented daughter. Fife. who died only a
few days ago. always stayed when in
Washington at Mrs. Wiliiamsons. ] have
heard old Mrs. Germon say that it was
the next thing to home with her. Brig
noli, who took high c, and was other
died Q. good many years ago, took meal
there.
after the Richings-Berna opera com
pany passed away the Seguins went with
the Kellogg and C. D. Hess opera com
pany. l remember in that company the
elder W. T. Carleton, baritone; Tom Karl,
tenor, and Annie Montague. Then came
of the vocal stars in those days was
Titiens. 1 remember her we'll. She was
a large woman and a grand and impress
Sive singer. There was also Marie Rose,
one of the very beautiful women of the
stage. She became the wife of Col. Maple
son. Tom Karl. who long Travelled with
the Kellogg troupe, retired from the
years. Then he turned up and tuned up
with the Bostonians and became one of
the owners of that famous organization
In the early seventies the Aimee French
opera company used to come to Washing
ton. Then came the big French opera
company, with the great tenor, Capoul,
and Maurel, the baritone. Campanini.
I'm the times of which 1 am thinking