[Volume XXV
THE CHICAGO BANKER
20
TOM RANDOLPH, President ALBERT N. EDWARDS, Yice-Prest. EDWARD HIDDEN, Vice-President W. L. MCDONALD. Vice-President L. B. TEBBETTS, Vice-President THOS. W. CROUCH, Vice-President HENRY KOEHLER, Jr., Vice-Prest. W C. FORDYCE, Vice-President J. M. WOODS, Secretary L. S. MITCHELL, Treasurer A. G. DOUGLASS, Asst. Secretary R. L. GURNEY, Mgr. Savings Dept. W. V. DELAHUNT, Trust Officer ROBT. H. CORNELL, Rl. Est. Officer BRYAN & CHRISTIE, Counsel
COMMONWEALTH
TRUST COMPANY, ST. LOUIS
<| Accounts of Banks and Bankers receive special attention. Collections promptly made and remitted. Corporation and individual accounts solicited. Special departments for handling Estates, Trusts, Real Estate, Bonds, Farm Loans and Mortgages.
Resources over Fifteen Millions
Capital and Surplus $5,500,000
MECHANICS ■AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK
OF ST. lOllIS
CAPITAL $2,000,000	SURPLUS $2,500,000
Superior Facilities Offered to Correspondents
WALKER HILL, President	H. P. HILLIARD, Vice President	EPHRON CATLIN, Vice President	L. A. BATTAILE, Cashier
J. S. CALFEE, Ass’t Cashier	J. A. BERNINGHAUS, Ass’t Cashier G. M. TRUMBO, Ass’t Cashier	C. L. ALLEN, Ass’t Cashier
The overture, with opening chorus, was a minstrel show in black face and effective costuming in green and red, the numerous supports appearing in evening dress. Leroy H. Civille was the interlocutor, and to the manner born. Civille was in white silk and knee breeches, and brought out the catchy “gits,” the happy hits and quips that made everybody laugh. Several well known bankers were “given theirs” and the audience roared each time. Mr. Civille was supported by the following: Bones, W. M. Boyle, W. H. Lutz, F. P. Rivas, E. W. Elliott, Geo. S. Ragland, Chas. S. Greene, and A. A. Gifford. Tambourines, W. E. Shipley, Jack Schulze, J. M. Hutchison, C. F. Seidel, F. W. Force, H. H. Holland and Dunn Van Geisen. The balladists were A. R. Angell and R. L. Phister, and the comedians, vocalists and specialists numbered over a hundred.
“Don’t Get Married Any More Ma,” by F. P. Rivas, was an acceptable number and freely applauded; “Right Church but the Wrong Pew,” by F. W. Force, was another; and A. R. Angell struck a sympathetic chord in his sweet rendering of “My Old Kentucky Home.” C. F. Seidel sang “I was a Hero Too” in fine style, and was obliged to respond to several encores. So, too, G. S. Ragland, in “Indians Along Broadway.” W. E. Ripley sang “Jungle Town,” and caught the house by his spirited rendering. “Grace O’Moore,” by R. L. Phister, and “Dat Friend of Mine,” by Jack Schulze, were both given a warm welcome. W. M. Boyle’s “I’m So Sleepy,” was so well done it scored one of the decided hits of the evening, and in response to repeated calls sang “Ida” again, one of the number that brought down the house last year. “A Few Moments with Bonnell” was another taking card the audience could not get enough of. Bonnell is an artist in his varied specialties in black face song and dance, in instrumental music, and in saying funny things in an original way. There was some clever dancing and stage work, and the entire bill was one of decided merit.
For the results much credit is due G. P. Towle, the musical director, under whose able coaching and the songs he produced for the occasion the boys were given the opportunity they needed to make their show the success it was.
roaring of a sea lion, the clucking of chickens, the yelping of a dog that has been run over, and the sound of a train. This was rather unusual at grand opera, and may have contained a hidden meaning; but it went all right, and the audience even wanted more. It may be that Madame Sembrich sees her finish at grand opera and is trying out another role for the vaudeville stage. This seems plausible, for in her funny speciality she assumes the name of Clarence Winchell.
But Madame Sembrich was only one of the artistes. W. E. Shipley, whom Los Angeles theatregoers heard a year ago under the same auspices, appeared in “The Follies of 1908,” in which (s)he interpreted, with excellent taste and drollery, the directoire fashion. Madame Shipley was quite at home in her limb-revealing skirt. She didn’t seem to mind showing her leg a little bit, for she had a beautiful diamond on her garter, and it would have been a pity not to let the people know about it. Madame Shipley was supported by the “following famous beaus and beauties”: J. V. Caldwell, J. C. Bradley, Carroll Johnson, Ray S. Padrick, G• M. Jay, G. S. Thatcher, Carl Petrie, T. J. Flinn, F. A. Greth, A. M. Sparks, G. H. Naegele, K. W. Wiseman, C. E. Turner, J. K. Bryon, F. T. Pennington, and J. E. Pink'ham.
“A Dip With the Bathing Beauties” was still another attraction, in which four charming creatures disrobed in a bath house in plain view of the audience, and afterwards cavorted on the stage in pronounced neglige, led by R. L. Phister, a very attractive and rather amusing female. Madame Phister was assisted by the following galaxy of beauties: The Misses Boyle, Ragland, Schulze and Seidel; and E. W. Elliott gave a most charming Salome dance. Elliott, who has a tuneful voice, made the now famous dance a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
And they were all such excellent representation of femininity, of the girl of the period, that they might easily have passed muster before less critical eyes. The occasion was the Los Angeles’ Chapter Second Annual Musical Comedy and Minstrel Show. The clerks played to a full house on both nights, and scored another success. There was not a dull moment or a serious one from beginning to end, or a suggestion of the amateur, and the same company is assured a hearty welcome at any subsequent appearance.
currency. The St. Paul Chapter, at its last meeting, was addressed by General C. C. Andrews, forestry commissioner for Minnesota, and at the close pledged their support in securing a larger appropriation from the coming legislature for forestry protection. Genera¡ Andrews spoke on “Forestry and Forestry Preservation.”
Los Angeles Chapter Show
Madame Sembrich sang to delighted audiences at the Mason Opera House last Thursday and Friday nights, and the welcome she received to the local footlights must have been pleasing to the famous prima donna. She wore a cream princess dress with train, and had a wonderful coiffure with flowing aigrette, which set off her peculiar beauty to excellent advantage. Her dress fairly scintillated diamonds, which flashed and almost dazzled, and were greatly admired by the ladies. It was noticed that the pictures and photographs purporting to be likenesses of the opera singer do not really represent her at all. They are all palpable frauds. Madame Sembrich almost approaches the petite, and in place of nicely rounded shoulders and embonpoint, her shoulders are rather square and near the bone, while so far as bosom is concerned—well, that is largely a matter of imagination. The Los Angeles people who listened to and saw Madame Sembrich last week may have been the first to discover her real physical peculiarities ; but there could be no mistaking the truth, for her dress was decidedly decollete. She was in excellent voice, however; not the strong, powerful voice that music critics have led us to believe is hers, but clear, tuneful, farfetching, if you will only listen, while her interpretation of an aria from Lucia had that dramatic quality that stamps her at once as a great exponent of classic song. Madame Sembrich was several times recalled, and responded once, if not twice, but not to any length. Opera singing comes rather high, and the other times she merely appeared before the footlights and smiled and bowed, which seemed to be worth the money.
Following the aria the prima donna gave a clever imitation of the braying of an ass, the