Evening star., 1921-09-11
FIRST WASHINGTON TROUPE OF AMATEURS
WAS THESPIAN SOCIETY," SAYS RAMBLER

NAN
the people you speak Of notice you say
you do NOT know what has become OF Clarence
friends of mine. The last time 1 saw Gar
ence WAS at Anna's funeral at hock creek
cemetery He told me % sad story a ~ snd HIM ne
He died q few years ago; do not remember
what year. Poor Anna had sad life after
her mother died Clarence health failed wheh
be was q young man. I will not sign my name
rs I do not care to have 1t appear Id prin,'
and you may not think my epistle worah IA rs" sad
ing. I am old lady. eighty years old. nsu
have lived in this city since 1865. yours re-
spectfully. N. d. h'
COME TINE ago the Rambler wrote
- of one of the early troupes in
which Abe Gradwohl appeared His
name was on an old program bequeathed
to a friend of the Rambler by Leo
Wheat. the pianist. 1t was "a sacred
concert" and one of the features was
Lend Me Five Shillings." played by
Phil Friedlander. Aaron Stern, Len
Mayer. Abe Gradwohl. l. Goodman.
days ago the Rambler received the lot
lowing letter inclosing another. the
first letter follows:
Dear Mr. Rambler: You will like to read the
inclosed letter from Washington foiks iar
whom your article brought .leasant recol!ec-
tions. You are certainly ds..e sooa work d.rs 70
bring back pleasant memories OF othes a,ss "a
to wandering Washingtonians who participated
in the plays OF long ago 40,
Miss Belle C. Morris. Woodrow Hotel. 364
o'Farrel street. San Francisco was .of m.nr i..ar
for Lit BROTHERS Philadelphia Her cousin.
OF whom she speaks. is a wholesale ciot,irf
now in Seattle. believe So you see WINS
pleasure to those fs- from home your ram
bles'' and "reminiscences bring
The letter inclosed with the above is
from Belle. 1t is just hasfy httlr
pencil scrawl 10 an intimate friend ~
Washington. and she had no thousnt
that il would fall into the Ramblers re-
lentless maw II contains few allega-
tions which some readers may thinh
shocking. but which others may com,
mend as realism II there's any libel
in it the Rambler stands from under.
and man like, lays the blame upon the
lady. Bellies letter to her Washington
friend follows:
San Francisco August Is.
In the last number Of The Sunday STAT tne
reminisced about an entertainment that ! at
tended in which Abe Gradwohl my cousin:
.Y..DI Il IT. the eansseh III. es he
for Fifteen minutes of magic" but he tcok
forty-ave or more. The audience nearly mao
coniption fits and the talent got soused back
Abe was leads in Lend Ne Five Shil-
linss. and Ehen he came on finally E,;e ne a'an nd
q hunk Of cheese. He had his mustacne pasted
on upside down and surely was scream
he will be delighted to get it. Thank you
again for sending me The Star BELLE
Last Sunday the Rambler used a
photograph of Mrs. Chanfrau which
he borrowed from his old friend.
Levin Handy. down in South WASH :
ington. and who owns about 10000 OF
Matthew Brady's Photographic mega
tiyes. Postmaster Chance has sent me
| a note from Mrs. Arthur B. Anderson
concerning Mrs. Chanfrau. You re-
member or you do not remember, that
in writing of the Edwin Forrest ORA
matte Club I told you good deal
about Arthur Anderson. and men
toned a pretty girl in the old For
rest Club whose name was set down
i as Ada Colvin.' Well, Ada" became
Mrs. Anderson. She left the Forrest
Club, and with several other For
rosters" Joined the company of the
| Rev. Bob Downing. playing Tally
Ho" '-Ingomar" and other plays. in
| which Bob was famous, popular and
profitable.
Ada and Arthur were married. He
became manager for Henry T. Chan
frau. whom you all remember as Kit
the Arkansas Traveller, and she took
job in the company playing Mrs.
Stubbs. When Henry Chanfrau put
on ''The Octoroon." American Grit"
and THE Debutante" Ada was still
] there. In Bob Downing's Tally Ho"'
| Ada had some songs and dances, and
| she led the orchestra when they had
| one. When they didn't have an or
chestra and had piano. Ada played
| that and made it sound like an or
| chestra. When there wasn't a piano
| in the town hall or the opry house
Ada 'preeided "at.;a little organ or
| ''melodeon" which Bob's troup carried
along In case" any. theater should be
| lust OUT Of orchestras or pianos.
| Ada told me this some time ago. She
said: ' -,
There were many places in the
| south and west where there were no
orchestras. and in those towns / was
the orchestra. Many times we had
only the squeaky little organ which
we carried along. Imagine playing
rollicking dance music on that kind OF
an organ, Mr.. Downing never seemed
| to feel safe unless 1 played his songs
| for him. Now and then I used to sell
| tickets when the ticket seller failed
| to show up"
Well. what I wanted to show you
was Ada's letter about Mrs. Chanfrau,
| and here il is:
Seeing Mrs. Chanfrau's picture in
| the paper today reminds me of some
| very pleasant times with her. While
Mr.. Anderson was manager OF H. T.
| Chanera We visited the family at
Long Branch and in Philadelphia. Mrs.
Chanfrau was a beautiful woman-a
most attractive woman. She had the
| same admiration for her son that all
! mothers have for their sons. and she
| thought that Henry was a close ap-
| proach to perfection, If he didn't actu-
ally get there, Mrs. Chanfrau had
| retired from the stage when we came
! to know her. Her home at Long
| Branch was Liberty Hall for the
| profession Mrs. Chanfrau became
an ardent Christian Scientist. and it
was told among us that she made
| some wonderful cures. Her youngest
| boy was Frank. He was very hand
7, some and was a talented violinist."
The glow-wor shows the matin to
| be near and it's time to hit the hay!