1922 12 24 Salt Lake Telegram-Utahns in New York
From the Salt Lake Tribune 24 December 1922
UTAHNS IN NEW YORK.
BY ELSIE GREENE.
December 23--Two nights before Christmas, and all through New York--the Utah colonites were subwaying, "L"-riding, bussing, taxiing and footing it to the hospitable hall at One Hundred Third street, where a real old time Christmas party was scheduled to take place. It was a regular "home" party held only in a hall because there is no Utah home here large enough to accommodate the 200 or more Utahns invited.
"Les," says Edna, running up the entrance steps of the hall ahead of him, "hurry up! They're shouting and laughing so I know we're missing something."
At the door they were given a number and a bag of beans and told to report to Clix Hake, the captain of their group.
"Every bean counts," warned Clix solemnly, "in an auction. See the Christmas stockings piled up there by the auctioneer? There is one stocking to each group of ten, with ten presents in each sock. One of these ten presents is a real one, the others are from the 'five and ten cent store.' All of you supply me with beans and I'll do the bidding."
Then followed a lively half-hour.
"Two beans, six beans, fifty beans, a hundred."
It was bean porridge hot, all right. Finally Clix came off victor in a spirited contest with Bob Jones for an interestingly lumpy stocking. Each of the ten in his group had a chance to draw for one of the packages in the stocking.
"Hi," shouted Les, "I've been cheated." He held up a bunch of harrassed tissue paper, guiltless of contents.
"Ssh!" from Edna, "look on the floor--you've dropped it." And there lay Les' prize--a mouse trap!
After the noise of the auction had subsided Margaret Summerhays sang, her lovely voice poignantly sweet, a Christmas hym of "Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men." The "Strolling Singers," Ruby Nogle Eames, Jessie Perry, Vivian Scofield, Miss Cutler and Mrs. Rose, pleasingly entertained with Christmas carols.
Close on the heels of the singers appeared Mrs. Sylvia Howells, Mrs. Karl McDonald and Ruby Eames, bearing food fit for the gods. Delicious home made chicken salad, pumpkin pie, fruit punch and chocolate fulge. They were greeted with rapturous approval and Les and Edna were soon seated in a corner, balancing paper plates on their knees.
Bill Peterson, Mrs. Mabel Jenkinson and Reginald Brain contributed piano solos to the program. The party finally climaxed with the appearance of Santa Clause, white beard, fat tummy and ear-to-ear smile, who proceeded to devastate the Christmas tree of presents, candy and fruit, something for everyone present.
The hostesses of the evening were ladies of the Relief society of New York, with Mrs. Howard Driggs in charge. Those assisting her with the decorations were Mrs. Robbins, Mrs. Dankowski and Miss Farney; the committee on amusements consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Driggs, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Howells, Mrs. Hanlon, Mr. and Mrs. Karl McDonald, Jessie Perry and Bob Jones.
Three new missionaries arrived the other day in Brooklyn. They are Percy P. Randall of Ogden, who will labor in the West Virginia conference, and Mesrs. Regner Linde of Oregon and Glen L. Loveland of Payson, Utah, who will work in the west Pennsylvania field.
Over nineteen missionaries will gather about the breakfast table Christmas morning at the mission home with President B. H. Roberts as host. This is a custom observed every Christmas.
Mignon Heywood, with her mother and grandmother, have moved uptown right into the middle of the Utah colony. More Utah people, we believe, live in the Columbia university neighborhood than in any other part of greater New York.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Moyle came up from Washington, D. C., to spend a week in New York shopping and seeing the latest shows. They were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. L. K. Frank.
We have a confession to make. We allowed two whole weeks to go by before we found out that Mrs. Mathew Lyon was in town.
Mrs. Lyon is here paying a holiday visit to her two charming and stagely daughters--Wanda and Camilla.
Mrs. Lyon wouldn't say much about herself, but she did have interesting news of her daughters.
Wanda is rapidly making a name for herself in theatrical circles. All winter long Florence Reed has been starring in "East of Suez" and Wanda has been understudying, waiting for her chance. About a week ago it came. Wanda stepped in, on a moment's notice, and played the lead in Florence Reed's vehicle. The critics were enthusiastic about her performance.
Now she is to play the leading feminine role in "Michael Angelo," with Leo Carillo as leading man.
The opening will take place in New Haven Christmas night, so Mrs. Lyon and the two girls will spend Christmas in the city Yale made famous. We don't know, but we can surmise that there will be a big celebration in honor of Wanda's debut.
We had expected to hear of a like success for Camilla. But theatrical affairs in New York or so uncertain. The play for which Camilla was rehearsing failed to come to an opening. So Camilla is waiting for the right role to present itself.
This is an old story in New York this season. Never was the public taste so fickle. With "Hamlet" booked for twenty solid weeks in advance, and with light flashy comedies falling everywhere by the wayside, anythingg is liable to happen. Managers were never so choosey, and good 'bits' were never so hard to find. But an actress of Camilla's calibre won't have difficulty in finding a role suited to her abilities. We make that prophecy boldy and confidently.
Mrs. Lyon finally did volunteer, concerning herself, that after the holidays she will proceed southward to Washington, there to pay a visit to her son, Kenneth, who is studying law at George Washington university. With all kinds of interesting international transactions now taking place in our capital. Mrs. Lyon should have many choice bits of information to carry back to Salt Lake City.
She couldn't have chosen a better time to visit New York. So many things to do and see. Already she has been to two performances at the Metropolitan Opera house--'Parcifal' and "LaTosca." And of course, she saw Walter Woolf play the leading part in "The Lady in Ermine." Mrs. Lyon was delighted with "our Walter's" performance. But then, so is all New York.
Probably, however, Mrs. Lyon most enjoyed the two showings she saw of "East of Suez" with her own daughter playing the lead.
