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Until this summer she has found this | almost impossible, but early this year j she made her plans to spend the season near the salt water and have a complete rest. Today, hqf whole attention is occupied by her painting and I she has banished all thought of busi-, *- 'fShe deplores the Europeap war and expressed her thankfulness that this country was at peace. Her sympathies lie with the mothers and orphans left desolate by the ravages of war and it has been with gieat sorrow that she has heard of historic towns and villages, quaint cathedrals and moss-grown castles in scenes with which she was’ once acquainted, that have been destroyed by shell-flreHer plans for the winter are, as yet, unclt;*rtaiq, she said. At present, her beautiful8 home at Lake Hopatcong, N. J., is occupied by an intimate friend of hers who Is strongly urging her to.return there for the winter, but spe not sure that her business interests will permit it.. Favors Birth ControlShe takes an absorbing interest in the news of the day and is strongly in favor of birth control.“I want to go on record as saying that I bebeve in birth control,” she exclaimed with fiery energy, emphasizing her remarks with the quick, animated gestures which characterized her when on the stage.“Birth control iR a more important subject than the European war! The men and women who are engaged in spreading this knowledge are doing a great work—a wonderful work for future generations. It is to these future generations that civilization must look for its advancement.“Think of the poor children who are brought unwillingly into the world to eke out a miserable existence in our hospitals and asylums, or, worse yet, to suffer untold physical tortures through no fault of their own and live in squalor, deprived of the necessities of life.“The people who cry out against birth control are ignorant, they know nothing of the subject. False modesty is worse than none at all because it | harms the innocent. I hope the sub-| ject of birth control will awaken widespread interest throughout the country and wili keep that interest alive until ; our legislators are compelled to take ! favorable action on it.”Her Eventful CareerThe career of Miss Lotta Crabtree is stranger than fiction. Born in New York she went to California w'hen about 2 years old. Her father formerly kept a book store in Nassau street, but in 1851 he sold out his business to go in search of gold in the mountains | of California. His wife and child followed him, but lie did not make his anticipated fortune as a gold miner.That little Lotta ventured forth upon a stage career was purely accidental.| When she was eight years old she appeared in an amateur performance at LaPorte and showed such evident histrionic talent that her mother .encour-[ aged her training for the stage.Eventually she secured professional engagements and from the start showed unusual aptitude for theatrical work. During the years from I860 to 1864 she often appeared in the theatres of San Francisco and her inimitable mannerisms and catchy laugh quickly won the hearts of the rough and ready miners, who demonstrated their admiration by j showering her with gold dust and nug-I gets whenever she appeared on the stage. It is said that it was not unusual for her to receive as much as $1000 in a night in this way, all the gift of admiring friends in the audience.Coming east in 1864, she made her first appearance in Niblo's Garden, New York, i wrhere she took small parts in spectacular plays. She first attracted wide attention in ‘'Little Nell and the Marchioness,” and her excellent wrork jn this I production eventually paved the wray for her future success in histrionic lines.Always a shrewd business woman and ambitious to make a success in life, Lotta wforked hard and saved the money which apparently came so easily for a while. Eventually, she h?d enough capital to spare money for investments and again she showed good judgment by putting her money into real estate. Since those days she has made other investments, but always of a conservative nature and almost invariably profitable.Today, she owns much real estate in Boston and other cities and is the proprietor of the Park Theatre. She is reputed to be one -of the wealthiest women of the American stage and, although long retired, she follows the careers of present day stars with keen interest.She has owrned many trotting horses, Sonoma Girl being probably the most famous member of her stables, and in the days of the Readville races enjoyed the zest and excitement of a race fully as much as she did the frenzied applause of the audiences wThen she was the reigning stage favorite.She spent considerable time abroad and proved a great success in Europe, but nothing could take the place of the United States, to which she returned, happy with the plaudits of royality, but thankful to be again inthe land of her birth.I
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