Evening star., 1926-05-09

= E.T us go back to the subject
of Frederick Widows. who
is remembered by many per
L. sons as chimer of Metropoli-
tan N. T.. Church. Sunday
before last the Rambler gave you all
the facts he had collected. but the
story was not as much developed as
it deserved. Mr.. widows died July
Il, 1898, at his home, I'LL , street
northwest, and The Evening Star, in
its account of the career and death
of Mr.. Widdows, said: "He leaves a
daughter, his wife having died two
wears ago" The Rambler did what
he thought best to find persons who
knew Mr.. WiddowS and who might
have recollections that would interest
YOU. None of the persons the KAN
bier talked with recalled that Mr..
WiddoWS had a daughter and there
seemed no way to get her name or
find her. The Rambler thought it
might do some good. but not much,
10 look at the WiddowS' home, III
s street, but he also thought: 1t Is
1000-to-1 shot that the persons
living there never heard of Prot
Widows, and q long shot that they
don't know that the Washington
Monument is in Washington. 1t
ii
new house stood on the site of the
Widows home. about a 5-to-l shot
that an apartment house covered the
site and about a 3-to-1 shot that
garage or gas station was there.
I:ut the Rambler went to the
street house-a pretty little two
story. bay-window red brick. with
green garden before it. and an old
1vi%taria VINE, splendid in Spring pur-
pie covering the house-front and
making one duck his head on passing
10 the front door. Mr.. widows
daughter Julia lives there. She is
- pretty woman, who must have been
very Young when Prof. Widows died
and who has remained young. Yes.
She is married. and l met husband
William r. Webb.
In the parlor of No. I'LL s street
IS Il set of bells hung on longitudinal
liar Of metal tieXed. This parlor chime
heIunged to Mr.. Widdows and he
piayed it for years. Il gave him artis-
tc satisfaction. and it served him as a
practice instrument preliminary TO
playing on the big bells OF the Metro
politan chime. On one wall hangs an
autographed photo of Adelina Patti.
and in the diva $ writing is this: ITO
her old friend Mr. Widdows, with kind
1emembrances of Adellna Patti. Feb.
Il 1883" There was business rela-
I ion between Patti and Mr.. widows,
as YOU will see if your patience is as
long as this story. In the parlor also
hangs a photograph of Parepa Rosa.
only 4 few readers know enough to
know who Parepa Rosa was, but |
assure You that she was a famed and
loved singer when you were a more
successful beau than now. or when
YOU. dear madam, were courted per
haps trifie more diligently than now.
y :. !:
A FTE,R writing that line l went into
"A The Stars library to get for you
n paragraph about Parepa Rosa. l
fumbled through IA good many refer
tnce books without finding the name.
but in Johnson's Universal Cyclopedia,
1895, I found what follows:
Rosa, Euphrosyne Parepa); born
in Edinburgh. Scotland, May !, 1886;
daughter of Demetrius Parepa; Baron
de Boyescu. Wallaehian nobleman.
and Elizabeth Sequin. a professional
singer: was carefully trained by her
mother: made her debut on the oper-
attic stage at Malta as a soprano
singer: appeared with success in Lon
don, 1857; married Capt. Carvell of
the East Indian service. 1868: became
a widow in 1865; sang in the United
States with the Bateman troupe.
! S65. and again 186667; enjoyed great
especially in oratorios;
married the violinist, Carl Rosa, 1867;
with her husband an Eng
lish opera troupe, with which they sang
i'll the principal cities of the United
States. 1s69-1S72: was at the khedive's
court in Egypt during the Winter OF
1928. and afterward made another
tour in the United States, 1873. Died
in London. England, Janua,y 21, 1874.
(Revised by 3. Il. Nallentine.G"
Mr.. widows was business manager
in the sos for Ole Bull. Norwegian
Niolinist. Your remembrance of Ole
Pull may be dim. and to brighten 1t
the Rambler hands you these notes
taken from a rather long article in
he Encyclopedia Americana: Ole Bull
was born at Bergen in 1910, and died
near there August Il, 1880. He stud
led the violin under Spohr, went to
Paris, and on his debut there 0833l
met Paganini. from whom he received
instruction. For forty-odd years Ole
Eull gave concerts in Europe and
america land won for himself dis
tinct and unique position in the mu-
~ical world as a virtuoSo OF eXtraor-
talent and a master OF the
VIOLIN And this: "He lost all his
If his countrymen in Pennsylvania,
and had to take to his violin TO repair
his broken fortunes. lie afterWard
married in this country, settled at
'ambridCe. Mass. and retained a sum
mcr residence in Norway.
Mr. widows was manager of Rosa
llersee. singer. "Now To be perfectly
frank and honest with you let me
take back that phrase and please for
get that | wrote it. | never heard a
man say "NoW TO be perfectly frank
and honest with you" who was not
having the way to make himself dis
agreeable or getting ready to swindle
one. But let me admit that / never
heard of Rosa TFersee until | took
ND the widows story and | have not
found a reference to her in the mani
moth library of The Star. Some of
YOU heard her sing and remember her:
You will please write me letter and
denounce me for my ignorance.
= !: j.
I HAVE the American Art Journal.
Iune IS. 1890. on my desk and it
contains long story headed Fred
erick Widdows. Master of the
Chimes Ii was written three years
before Mr.. Widows died, and / am
sure the writer of il was given the
information by Mr.. Widdows. ! will
pass to YOU part of the story. 1t
follows:
Prof. widows was born in 1921
In the cathedral city of Norwich,
England. where as choir boy he
sang in the chorus at the second tri-
emnial musical festival held in Septem-
her, 1927. and which took place in
he cathedral of his native city. AT
this festival the oratorio was the
creation and Madame Pasta, the
great lyric artist, was the prima
donna. Musical festivals We're and