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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1905)
THE SUNDAY OBEGONIAtf, PORTLAOT, JANUABT 8. lf5. 1& A CHAT WITH HILDA THOMAS She Is Singing Coon Songs Now, But Way Down in Her Heart She Cherishes an Ambition to Appear as "Caprice." TO meet Hilda Thomas, the girl who made the song "The Cows Are in the Clover" famous, I meandered up to the Empire Theater, where the "Show Girl" was standing them up last week. I found my way to the wings and through the courtesy of Manager Porter I was introduced, to Miss Thomas. She was in her dressing-room preparing for her rendition of "Come Down, Mr. Man in the Moon," but this did not serve to make the greeting any the less hearty. "I am glad to meet you," said Miss Thomas giving me a strenuous and con" scicntious handshake. Motioning toward one corner of the room where divers bespangled gowns were hung in in orderly way, she continued: "If you can sit down In all that lin gerie, you're a brave man." Then with a twinkle of the" eye and a laugh: "I guess that trunk will hold you." Miss Thomas" hair was being combed by her maid. Seriously, it was lovely hair of a beautiful titlan tinge and not in the least scanty. She was- dressed in an attractive creation, decollette and moderately so from below. I caught a peep of well-contuored shoulders and unblemished, snowy white skin. Miss Thomas Is. I would venture, on the under side of 40, and her features afford generous traces of a beauty over which men have raved. In manner she is Jolly and she talks with a dash of slang. "Ah gas I'se titlvatln' maself too much," said she, grasping a powder puff. A look of vague Idiocy must have surmounted my countenance because Bhe volunteered immediately: "That's a new one on you evidently. You see, I am a Southerner and 1 like to use the darky phrases occasionally. That means to put on your best bib and tucker and is a great favorite among wenches." The strain of "Sing Me a Song of the Sunny South" wafted In from the house very appropriately. "The cat me-ouwed," said a voice from the wings. "Mercy:" exclaimed Miss Thomas, "that's my cue. Leave your hat on the trunk so you will be sure and come ba'k. See you later," and In another ten seconds, she was In the ray of a "spot" singing "Come Down, Mr. Man In the Moon." After four encores. Miss Thomas was again with me and this time we seated ourselves in the wings. "How long have you been on tre stage?" I ventured. With true feminine instinct. Miss Thomas replied evasively. "Let me see? Ever since I was In my teens." "Have you always been in comedy?" "No. One year 1 took out a piece of my own The Fisherman's Daughter.' I played Maggie." "Do you prefer comedy?" "Can't say that I do." was her reply. "I'll tell you a story. Years ago, when I was oh, such a little girl. I was crazy to play a part of some sort. I met Madame Janaushek and she said to me one day: "Eef you ere going to be ze drunken woman, be drunk." You know what I mean. She talked with an ac cent Well, I have always remembered that This part 'Mag Webbington. is nothing but Just the same I remember what Madame Janaushek told me. and when 1 go on, I feel Just like I am 'chuck full of dope. The whole play Is 'dopey. It's nothing but tomfoolery. There Is no plot to the piece and we claim none for It. Just because I go out there and sing coon songs some or the critics roast me mercilessly and say that 'Hilda Thomas COON SONGS HAVE DOUBLE ORIGIN Southern Negro Ditties Plaintive and Pathetic; While Purely African Music Is Martial and Bold (EW YORK. Jan. 2. (Special Cor respondence.) It Is beginning to ! be obvious that New York has no intention to offer any sort of welcome to Coleridge Taylor, one of the greatest composers of ' England, who Is visiting America. Last seas-on his oratorio. "The Atonement" was given at the St Bartholemcws Church, and his "Hiawatha" has been sung In part and-in entirety In many places In this country, but no sort of demonstration has been made even to the mention by the press of the city of his comings or his goings. When one appreciates the amount of hero worship that Is accorded the rrost J insignificant individual tnat plays, or rather, sings a role at the Metropolitan Opera-House, it is more disagreeably noticeable that a man of the remarkable Intelligence, ability and position that Coleridge Taylor represents should be treated with that calm nonchalance which indicates not only a sense of superiority, but the determination to allow no sort of recognition to he offered him by the rep resentative musical center of America. The prejudices of this country are so strong and so stupid that It Is small wonder we are regarded as a people of Eetty Intelligence, unaole to grasp the Ig things that offer themselves, follow ing like a band of sheep a leader who represents even less in the way of in telligence than those who follow. It 1 too bad that Mr. Taylor was ever ln fluced to come to America. There was tlttlo to be gained and much to be lost us It will scarcely be understood In Lon flcn, where he is a welcome figure even In court circles, that in this country color and religion are such Insurmounta ble obstacles that no Intellect, not even the genius of a Shakespeare could over .como them. As I have said before of Mr. Taylor, he 1? a man of exceptional learning, a fine pianist whose early musical studies were pursued on the violin. This Instru ment he followed until he became more Interested in composition at which he has worked from the age of ten. His Btory is one of romance if ever there was one. but this story has not been given at length to the public who are enlightened upon nothing except the facts that he was born in London 29 years ago. that his father was a native of Sierra Leone and a noted physician, while his mother was a white Englishwoman. Mr. Taylor is ery much of an Englishman, and It Is only necessary to hear the beautiful Eng lish that he spoaks to realize this. His personality Is extremely Interesting and, as might well be expected, absolutely unlqe He Is rather shorter than what might be termed the average, and he is slight of build, with a very long face framed In bushy brown hair which he brushes back from his very serious face. His lips are full, even thick, but in his eyes shines 'he spark which tells of the intellect and the higher aspirations of the man. His complexion is that of the mulatto and his bearing that of a cul tured, elegant gentleman. Mr. Taylor Is accompanied by his wife, who is the daughter of a well-known barrister of London. The opinion bf Mr. Taylor on the sub ject of ragtime Is one that must be of passing Interest to those who are de termined to regard this form of music as belonging to the negro, instead -of realizing that It Is created purely and lalmply from the brain ot such composers J who have found that there is money In claptrap, especially when built upon a rhythm so attractive as that of the syn copated measure, which Is not by any HILDA doesn't sing as of yore,' and all that sort of stuff. But they don't know Hilda." "The brutes," thought I. and waking up. "And your ambition. Miss Thomas?" "Well, T would like to play something serious. Really serious and not emotion al. 'Caprice,' Minnie Maddern's old role. That's great" "Caprice." I exclaimed incredulously. "Are you guying me? You don't think I can do it? Well. I am like Nat Good win. He said: I can play Shakespeare If the people will let me. and that Is the way I feel about it If they will only let m." "Do you like problem plays, 'Iris,' for Instance?" "Wasn't that fierce? No. I do not like them, and I can't understand why such miserable, degenerate pieces can play to full houses, but they won't last They can't A little girl once purchased seats for "Sapho." "Yours?" "What? Excuse me. As I was saying, she bought tickets and came to me say ing, 'Miss Thomas, I am going to see means Invented by these so-called com- j posers, but which Is to be found In the J folksongs of many European nations and j In the works of many of the old masters, j Of the "coon-song" and of "rag-time" Mr. Taylor said: "You ask a very difficult question 'What I think of rag-timer What can any musician think of it? And still I am fond of it: but I do not mean the barrel organ coon-song, or the ragtime which is associated with banal words and bad harmonies. There is no doubt that these songs have done a great amount of harm, especially in England, where there are few negroes, and the only Idea that many people have formed of this race Is through the coon songs which come over there from your country. These do not represent the life of the colored man but are simply musical caricatures. They are not even real negro songs, and have nothing in common with the negro melo dies, many of which are remarkably beautiful. "I am deeply interested in the genu ine negro folk-songs which are di vided into two classes those of the African negro, and those of the South ern negro of this country. There is an entire history to be found in the dif ferent characteristics of these songs and those of the Southern negro are plaintive and pathetic, duo no doubt to the influence of slavery, while the music of the African is martial and bold. Have you ever noticed that the folk-songs of the East Indies or of the Chinese never appeal to the Euro peans, but the African songs seem to hit them every time. "The negro is undoubtedly of a mu sical race, and people are beginning to ee that he has a serious side. When his songs are properly .given they are as pretty and as musical as the songs of any other race or nation. One thing more. I must say. and it Is that, bad as the coon songs of this country may be. they are much superior to those of England, where they have no concep tion at all of the. negro and are influ enced by the coon songs from America -which they hear. It will be my at tempt to place the negro song before the public in its true light, and even now I am engaged in writing five bal lads dealing with Longfellow's poem on slavery, which will be sung at the Norwich festival in England. In about two months. I have also Just complet ed, for an American publishing house, a volume of 27 numbers for the piano based upon real negro melodies, eight of which are of Southern origin and the rest African." "This is not a Wagner season!" ex claims the unwary, or rather he is un wary when he exclaims, "The Wagner bubble has burst" Wagner bubble burst. Indeed! Have the operagoers not yet discovered the secret of what constitutes a Wagner ian enthusiasm or a tendency to the old Italian operas? WelL if I must en lighten them here it is. It depends entirely upon the "stars" of the opera company. Caruso holds the boards and he does not sing German or even French roles, so unless this matinee Idol is the center of attraction the houses are not what they are when he is present To this and not to any thing else is to be ascribed the apparent falling off on Wagner nights, and the great attendance on ""Italian" nights. The great stars Include Sembrlch, who never sings Wagnerian works: Melba, who never will again indulge In Wagnerian vagaries; Eaines, whose Wagner begins aci THOMAS. "Sapho," but don't tell me. Well, she went and naturally could not conceive the real Intent of the piece. She came to me afterward and said: " Ge. wasn't Sapho great? I would Just like to get drunk once and see what It feels like." Now, when plays of that character only serve to put idiotic Ideas Into young girls' heads and do not help to preserve our morals, which are bad enough, they should be stopped. Per sonally I do not think "Zaza." The Jpjr of Living or any of them are entitled to any more consideraton than "Sapho." "We certainly have enough of their musical comedy productions, too, but I believe the legitimate drama will be re Juvenated. The best of us have to laugh, but the serious drama must return. There is nothing which is so essential to educa tion as the play and people who for the moment are carried away by extravagan zas will soon regain their senses." And once more Miss Thomas left me to kick Johnny Jones' hat sky-high with her "No. Is'! (I am perfectly serious.) The cutest pedal extremities I have ever beheld. BLAINE PHILLIPS. ends with the harmless part of fclsa; Plandon. Scott! and. of course. Nordlca and Edith Walker. But none of these artists have the drawing power of Wagnerian opera to attract the same following as the combina tion ' of Jean De Reszke. Schumann Helnk. Ternlna and Blspham all of whom were Wagnerian singers of wonderful equipments, but beyond this they had the power to attract Thus It is again proven that the people are de votees to the stars and ndt to the music. And "Parsifal"- What shall xe say of "Parsifal." which will have its last presentation tonlgnt? I believe I have made clear to the readers of The Ore gonlan why "Parsifal" did' not con tinue to draw hundreds more than could be acommodated In the house at every performance. It has become a matter of ancient history and those who are undergoing the loss, which must be doubtless sustained at the present time, are the speculators who at every performance since the two opening nights have offered 510 seats for the "bargain" sale price of Jl 50 But let it not be believed that Mn Conrled Is losing money, because the great expense was Incurred during the first season and now everything is In readiness. In addition to this It must be remembered that there is still so great an advance on the prices asked, that half a house instead of being bet ter than none is as good as a whole one under ordinary circumstances. EMILIE FRANCES BAUER. LYRIC THEATER Corner Alder and Seventh. ? KEATING & FLOOD. Manila Seating Capacity. 700. THREE NORWOODS Triple bar and cradle act. PRINCE GOTO Japanese Juggler. DORA DALE Musical Act. FRY & ALLEN Comedy Sketch Artists. THOMAS W. RAY Illustrated Songs. TOM WEST Monologlst- VITASCOPE Moving Pictures. ADMISSION. 10; NO HIGHER. CONTINUOUS BIU TODAT. 2 to 10-JO. Week shows begin 2:15 and 7:15. A.H.BALLARD Lessee and Mgr. One Week Only, Starting Mat., Today, Jan. JIARY MAGDALENE. Evening- -Best seats. Balcony. . . Gallery Box office open all day at Solly Vorden at theater. Out-of-town orders should tesiinotitsiijijtii,M1iiitJ(i( EMPIRE THEATER EMPIRE NIGHTS THIS WEEK yf 4h STARTING TODAY ( SUNDAY ) MATINEE Hr COMIING ... . A JOLLY AMERICAN TRAMP CUPID IN THE LAND FRAUDS Romance Which Blossomed in Making Bad-Land Entries Will Fade in Court THE path o true love never did run smooth, and upon this can be based the story of Nellie Brown and her husband. Elmer Brown. Both are former residents of Eugene and have been citizens of Portland, and both are soon to be In the toils of a Feder al Indictment for conspiracy to de fraud the Government out of lands in the now famous township. 11 south, of range 7 east, if the story running through the public mini is to be be lieved. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have a romance which commenced amid the snowclad and virgin forest of the Cascade Re grand! THEATER "WEEK OF JANUARY 0. All New Thing I 1 Continuous performance, Samday and Monday from S to 11 P. M. 10 MATtHLESS ACTS 10 2 Concer's Dog Show Rare lot of trained canines. St. Clair and Carlysle Humorous wire duo. Morgan and Chester Laughable comedy aketeh. Hugh McCormlck Ventriloquist. Cook and Oakes Singing and dancing acrobats. Holmes and Dean High-class musical artists. Mr. Alf Bonner's New Song "Why Don't They Play With Mel" The Grandlsc'ope (a) At Mukden. (b) Race xsr a Kiss. (c) Midgets of Mystery, etc Admlasien. any aeat, 10c Box aeals. 36c. COLUMBIA THEATER TKrATTTK PHONE MAIN 411. BOWK-TOWN BOX OFFICE MATN 118. Notwithstanding the enormous expense required to present the Holy' City perfectly, the usual Columbia prices will prevail. 50c .50c, 35c, 25c 15c Candy Shop. 327 Morrison street. Evening be addressed to A. H. Ballard, Manager. THE WAX YOU HAVE TALKED THE PRICES Evenings 15c, 25c, BROADHURST & CURRIE PRESENT THETWO EMPERORS. OF GERMANY RUDOLP AND- ADOLPH With a Great Company of Fun Makers NEW Songs Dances Specialties ORIGINAL serve, ripened through the Intricacies of tbe Puter-Watson conspiracy, blos somed in the warmth, and cheer of Eugene and is now about to fade be fore the wrath of Justice. It is an in teresting story, and troves true the picture drawn by Jolm Hall in his ar gument before the Jury In the Puter Watson case, when he depicted the ru ral pleasures of the little band of set tlers out among the mountain fast nesses barred away from the green world beyond the wall of snow and Ice. Some time ago, so it Is said, the Government came to the conclusion that the name of Nellie Backus, so well known through the trial, was I GREAT NOVELTY ACTS AT THE STAR THEATER? NEW BILL BEGINS TODAY. Raymond Teal Special engagement of one of the master spirits of blackface e comedy. Clipper Quartette a Four high-class singers and instru- men talis ts in a great musical act. Dancing Doyle A laughing hit. a dancing hit. one of the oddest characters on r the vaudeville stage. De Moss and Caldwell A pair of dispensers of cheerful q chatter. In a conversational ' comedy. I . "Daisy Vernon A dasher to a certainty, the mct captivating soubrette that ever visited Portland. Hall and Davis J America's greatest sensation, the 9 world's roller champions in their cycle racing treadle. I Robert Ellis A favorite singer In pictured ballads. Projt lectoscope Showing Electricity vs. Steam, The Swing. First Hunting Day, Amor ous Militiamen. Continuous bill today. 2:30 to 10:30 P. M. "Weekday shows. 2:30 to 40. 7:30. to 10:30 P. iL Admis- slon, 10 cents. Reserved box seats, S cents. THE COLUMBIA STOCK CO. In a Magnificent Production of Broadhurst's Grand ' ? Biblical Play ;. THE HOLY CITY First time ever seen on a Portland stage Positively the most sumptuous produc tion of the Holy City ever given on the Pacific Coast i d& Oriental grandeur Costumes of the ancient world The wonderful story of the Magdalene, fraught with sin, sorrow, reverence and the grand triumph of Christianity $&S Indorsed by the press and pulpit everywhere Matinee- -Best Seats. Balcony .. Gallery ... Next Attraction PAST WEEK MAKES TJS FEEL GOOD 35c, 50c AH Matinees 10c, Thursday, Friday and-Saturday Nights .... Matinee Saturday LINCOLN J. GREATEST TWO A PIiAY TO PLEASE EVERYBODY. LITTLE WAIFS A REVELATION IN STORY, PLOT, CAST AND SCENE SEE The Hudson River by Moonlight The Illuminated Toy Store The Underground Dive The Little Church Around the Corner not without someone to claim It. though perhaps no one could legally wear It. It was so likewise with the name of Alexander Brown. This idea on the part of the Gov ernment secret service men was strengthened fltill further by fresh evidence, and a search was begun for Miss Nellie Gilbert, formerly of Eu gene. Miss Gilbert could not be found, but Mrs. Nellie Brown was, and she was brought before the representa tives of Uncle Sam. At the same time the secret service men were looking for Elmer Brown, but could not And him. "When Mrs. Brown was found, however, she persuaded her husband to appear and from both the story was learned. Miss Nellie Gilbert, persuaded by Dan Tarpley and Horace McKInley, tiled upon land In 11-7 under the name of Nellie Backus. Elmer Brown, also of Eugene and also persuaded by Mc KInley, filed ln the same township IIbaker 5 THEATER 5 Third and Yamhill Streets KEATING & FLOOD. Managers. Larsrest Vaudeville House in America. Week CematenclB Jan. 8. - New York Comedy Four In an up-to-date comedy sketch. Welsch & Maitland ' t Contortionists. The Three Americans : Direct from the Eastern circuit. In a great novelty act- The Three Astons 0 The world's premier aerobata In their a, great casting act. Jennettee Marshal Operatic singer and yodeler. John W. Wood Illustrated, song. The Biograph Edlaon'a latest pictures. - Admission. 10 cents. Performances 2:39, 7:30 and 9 P. M. Fourteenth and Washington Sts. 8 25c .25c, 15c 10c "THE WIFE" GEO. L. BAKER, MANAGER SEATS CAST BE ORDERED BY PHONE .... MA! IN 117 15c, 25c - -1 f -1 -l A jnr Jull. !, 1 J, It, U3 CARTER'S EFFORT A PLAY YOU WILL REMEMBER. under the name of Alexander Brown. Up to this time, neither of the peo ple had known the other, but the ac quaintance formed while making the filings, and perfecting- the proofs led to courtship and marriage." At the time of the Puter-Watson trial. It was supposed that the names of Backus and Brown were fictitious, and all the evidence tended to show that they were. There was a theory that the names had been forged, and still another that someone had repre sented the persons for a consideration and then had disappeared. The later developments brought both Mr. and Mrs. Brown to light, however, and the tes timony against them, it is said, will result in their Indictment on Tuesday next, when the grand jury Is re convened for business. After serious illness Hood's Sarsaparilla Imparts the strength and vigor so much needed. Great Acts at the i Arcade 4 NEW BILL START3 MONDAY. Dalten and Lewis They do the most novel comedy conceit conceivable, differing from all others. The Pattersons Famous exponents of physical culture. Shoenwerk His name means pretty work. He certainly does it, for he is a talkative trickster. , Prager Sisters Two smooth-going soubrettes. who can't be outstyled by anything that moves. Lily Paloma A talented soprano, will sing e illustrated ballads. American Bioscope The best ot the motion picture machines will show up-to- date subjects. 0 Continuous bill today, from 2 to 10:30 P. M. "Weekday shows. 2:30 to 4:30 P. M., 7:30 to 1030 P. M. Admission to any seat. 10 cents. SEE 0