The Washington times., 1922-07-09
ONCE famous
singer IS now I.
JObLESsCOOK
Misfortune and Illness Swept
Southern Artist From Stags
To Kitchen
BROUGHT DIXIE TO EUROPE
Was Received by King Edward
and courted by Mobility
and Wealth.

and Courted by Nobility
and Wealth.
NEW YORK. July s.-European
nobility burst their white kid
gloves when Harriet Turner sang.
They beseiged her and her sister,
Alice. who first brought the songs
and tunes of Dixie Land to them.
with gold and invitations to their
s most exclusive homes and func-
/, tons. ~ :
They were two little Southern
girls who had gone North to
New York with thin pocketbooks,
but with banjos under their arms,
golden voices in their throats and
q wide knowledge Of the sweet
appealing songs Of the South.
With the aid of William Randolph
Hearst, to whom they appealed as
strangers, they obtained hear
ing, and the rest. to use Harriet's
own words. "was easy" ~ Z
Today, A Jobiess Cook.
From New York they went to
London where Harriet's voice won
the attention Of King Edward who
invited her to Marlboro House when
the Queen gave a patry. The Prince
Z of.Wales flirted with her and noble
men courted her.
Today she Il q cook-out OF Job!
Through Europe and America she
sang her way into the hearts and
homes Of royalty and diplomats.
Ambassadors sought her, favors
She helped the Vanderbilts entertain.
and insured the success Of the Drexei
fetes. -. -
The Duchess Of Marlborough gave
q, tea for her; and Mark Twain
laughed at her nimicry, until his
sides ached. Sir Lawrence Alma.
Tadema and Lady Alma-Tadema had
most exclusive at.home. and
Harriet II was who entertained. The
Duke and Duchess of. Connaught
gave a house party, and she charmed
the guests.
Favorite Of Nobility.
Ambassador and Mrs. whitelaw
Reid, at their home in London,
begged her to entertain the chosen
few. The Duke and Duchess of
Devonshire insisted she do as much
for them. The Hon. Chauncey De-
pew told her she was the cutest thing
in London. and Teddy Roosevelt ac-
claimed her as the hit Of Washing
ton. ~,
Harriet Turner was the rage of
two continents--but that was years
ago. And now she wants to work In
kitchen.
She sang once for Winston
Churchill. Last week she baked 500
rolls and thirty-five pies for the
woman who used to be her servant.
the manager now Of Fort Pond Inn
In Aver.
Here's Her Story.
But to go way back to the BE-
ginning:
North from Dixie Land. Under their
arms they carried a banjo. and their
pocketbooks were thin as thin could
be. Pretty, penniless and alone.
they'd come a-seeking wealth and
fame. In New York they heard Of
they wrote him, asking for advice.
, The very next day I'VE had q
reply said Miss Harriet, yesterday.
Mr.. Hearst was just as interested
and polite a. though he'd known US
III our lives. He enclosed q letter
OF Introduction to q very celebrated
dramatic critic, and said he'd writ,
ten the gentleman requesting him
20 help us meet the right people.
The rest was easy.
-After we'd conquered New
York, we wandered FAR. First, It
was an over the States; then across
the sea. Mrs. Ronalds, the Kings
social dictator. took US .AIp In Lon
don. And that, Of. course. was all
we needed. With Buckingham
back Of US the world was ours.
Catered to Royalty.
''From London. we went to Paris.
and from Paris to Florence. Every
whore Il was the same People most
Z socially prominent begged US to sing
and play for them. American mill
tonaires sought to buy our entertain.
ment, but we insisted upon being
most exclusive. for that, you see.
paid best. We went only to the
homes Of royalty. nobility. or distinc.
ton. .., ...,
Washington took us up. We enter
tained at the White House, and then
times we went across, and every
trip was q triumph.
Alice, with her beauty. could
have married q title or a million.
And even I, who never was a belle.
had my picking and choosing. But
we were very young, and life It
seemed. would always be fair. So
we sang and played our merry way
along. and we saved never a penny.
Searched for Songs.
Then when we came back TO the
States we always went vacationing
TO Dixie Land. We searched all
over the South for genuine. old
fashioned negro melodies. No longer
did many Groom a sleep,song to the
grandchild on her knee. while the
hoe cake baked on the hearth for
daddy. No longer did young people
dance and sing to che dear old banjo.
We had to 60 searching everywhere
for the songs we found.
From generation to generation
the negroes had handed them down,