New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-15
Lotos Club Members Once
Pulled Her Carriage
to Singers Hotel.
SELDOM MENTIONED
TRIUMPHS OF STAGE
American Prima Donna Dreaded
Disease That Killed Her, Says
Professor Matthews.

"Clara Louise Kellogg stood for good
form in everything. America, now that
she has gone, has lost one Of its finest
women"
Franklin Matthews, professor in the
School of journalism of Columbia Uni
versity, at his home in Woodhaven yes
terdsy afternoon, praised the woman
who in the early '7Os was hailed as the
greatest of all American sopranos. She
was a cousin by marriage of Professor
Matthews.
Her death at her beautiful home,
Elpstone, in New Hartford, Conn, on
Saturday, was caused by disease Of
which she had always been in terror.
"When Louise Kellogg married Carl
Strakosch and left the stage in 1887
she placed her past behind her" said
Professor Matthews. "She was inter
ested in her flowers and her garden.
She never talked Of her old trumphs.
Only twice in the many years during
which | knew her do remember hear
ing her say, speaking of the early '70s,
In those days / had a public!'
Adored by American Public.
Because she had broken her stage
connections so completely the present
generation, believe, scarcely realizes
that Louise Kellogg had sung before
most of the crowned heads and had
been so adored by her American public
that members OF the Lotos Club I'M
hitched the horses from her carriage
and hauled her in il from the Academy
to her hotel. This was in 1868, after her
success as Marguerite in a production
of Faust in London.
"She was a many sided woman. She
was a talented pianist and composer.
Her compositions, ! am afraid, died
with her, for she never put them down
on paper. ! shall never forget the
thrill | experienced at hearing her sing
the finale from her opera. She had
never composed the opera. And the
finale, ford composition remarkably
well adapted for a coloratura soprano,
was written only in her mind.
From these she would turn to folk
song or an old negro melody. Sweet
Ham Bone was one of her favorites.
81 was staying at Elpstone one time
the place is so called, incidentally,
from the resemblance of large white
stone on the grounds to a crouching
elephant Louise asked me TO 20
TO church with her. We would drive to
Pleasant Valley, a hamlet three miles
away, she said | noticed that she or
dered the victoria, with coachman and
footman, and a particularly ornate set
OF silver-trimmed harness on the team.
Choir Missing. She Volunteers.
"When she came downstairs she was
stunningly gowned. Louise said I,
why the display
This IS the best gown | possess
she said. and this carriage is the best
one have. These are my people.
They think | am some sort of great
lady. ! have to pay them the compll-
ment Of looking my best
yet, when we reached the church
and found that the choir was missing.
she volunteered with the cheerfulneIs
of the lowliest parishioner. Mrs.
James Quackenboss Rice sang alto,
Louise soprano, and was nveigled as
bass. We three were the choir that
day.
Her devotion to her father, inprac-
teal Uncle George as every one called
him, was wonderful. He used to shut
fe down to the postoffice each morning
to buy his New York Tribune. Then
he would stretch out on the floor and,
with his face in his hands, read every
word of it. Mrs. Strakosch rented an
Office in Manhattan for him, where he
used to fiddle around with his inven-
tions and imagine he was in business"
The funeral will be held in New
Hartford on Tuesday.