The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-22
LODely Alice FdlZon

When the Lucy Stone club was formed recently and the "personneT was registered for the "own-your- i own name though married" organ ization, 1t did not Include in the mem bership the name of Alice Falion, as she is lovingly known and called by her hundreds of friends in her old home in Birmingham, but I have l chosen to "head" my story about her in this fashion, for 1t Is as lovely Alice Fallon that many of us always think of her-the beautiful, slender girl with the loveiy voioe-rather than as Mrs. Ralph Odell Kaufman. dignifed, wealthy, the queen of luxurious western home, where the modern "Lochinvar" who wooed and won her and took her as his bride Mrs. Kaufman, as we picture her i standing before vast assemblage raising her glorious voice in tones of beauty and sweet cadence, is still Alice Fallon to Birmingham. her bright brown eyes, her high color Ing, her jet black hair and her mar vicious personality being so sweetly and 80 affectionately linked with her girlhood days here that we can't get away from 1t; nor yet do we want to, as she now comes back to us in all the beauty of her young womanhood, more attractive, more fascinating and more charming than ever.
 When heard Alice Fallon was a visitor to Birmingham I thought how nice 1t would be if could tell her old friends something about what she has done musioally in her far away nA I asked her-and when I tell you that she is still singing gloriously, still keeping apace with all that Is mus teal and cultural in far away Mon tana- where Gertrude Atherton wrote her wonderful story, Perch of the Devil" and Mary McLane her temper amental digressions. and that her husband aids her in all of her musical plans and affiliations--you, like I. will feel proud that Birmingham Is so charmingly representN in the west by such a beautiful creature with such Q beautiful voice.
 'Of course I still sing" Mrs Kauf- man said enthusiastically. "and more than that, give my services to the teaching of worthy girls who have not the means of studying and culti- vating their voice. I am pleased to I have taught who is now on the con- cert stage, Chicago being her home. who Is making an independent for tune out of her voice; another in Helena, who will mako her debut next fall, and still another who is in the concert field making a splendid impression.
 Although Helena Is 6 small place of only 17.000 inhabitants, we arc very musical, and recently the Chi cago Opera association stopped en route from St. Paul to San Fran cisco, and gave us one evening of opera. My husband was one of the guarantors. and when I tell you that not one of the men who put their nantes to the guarantee fund had 10 pay anything, you will be surprised We had s15,000 in the house for the one performance of 'Thais.' with beautiful Mary Garden in the title role. But then the tickets sold for $10 each, and people came from all over Montana. One Rumanian shep- herd came 50 miles on horseback Just to hear Mary Garden. We have the Masonic temple auditorium there, which seats 4,000, and we use 1t for such purposes.
 And do let me tell you of my in- troduction to Mary Garden. MT. How ard Potter, her personal representa- tive, who was with her In Birming- ham, was chatting with me, and mentioned something about having lived in Birmingham. That. said he, will be an open sesame to Miss Ger den's heart, for she adores Birming- ham, and the All Star concerts. You know she sang there. And so when I was introduced to her Miss Garden exclaimed, Mir. Potter tells me you know my friends the "All Star Cor certs," in Birmingham? If that Is true, come to my heart, for I adore Birmingham and all those nice peo- pie therer
 "of course, we had a wonderful love feast and a supper party, and Miss Garden invited me to go to San Francisco as her guest to hear the entire two weeks of opera there by the Chicago association, but told her was going back to Birmingham, and she sent worlds of messages to her friends here.
 How was Mary Garden singing? Beautifully! Her voice and her acting In 'Thais' both are simply marvellous; there may be singers to come who have better voices than Mary Garden,