As a benefit performance is being given today (Wednesday) for Mrs. Louise Thielemann by [Emil] Hoechster's Company at the North Side Turner Hall, a brief biography may be of general interest.

Mr. Louise Thielemann was born in 1817, in Vienna. Her father, C. Ehlers, professor of the German language, was stage director of the Royal City Theater in Berlin. Louise Thielemann, made her first public appearance when eleven years of age. After leaving Berlin she was engaged as leading lady in Stuttgart, Kassel, Munich, Bremen, and Hamburg, where she continued her studies under such eminent artists as Seidelmann, Chalotte Birchpfeiffer, Stubenrauch, and Wilhelm Kunst. In 1835 while in Kassel she married Christian Thielemann, a former lieutenant in the army, who had resigned during the revolution in 1831. Within less than a year after their marriage they 2left for America, intending to settle in some colony, but an unfortunate experience interfered with their plans. Their agent absconded with a considerable amount of money; however, Thielemann had a small reserve, but not enough to realize their ambitions.

Christian Thielemann came from a good family in Kassel. His brother chief hostler of the Elector of Hessen, was a very well-known man.

Upon arrival in America, the Thielemann family formed a Tyrolean company, and made money. They traveled, had luck, and met the most prominent members of society in Washington, including President Jackson's family. Later, Louise Thielemann became associated with Italian opera, and for a long time was the prima donna of Signor Montresor's company in New Orleans; still later she appeared in English opera under Callwell, in Mobile, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and other cities. She remained in this field for several years and was very successful, particularly in such parts as "Princess Johanna of Paris". For a long period she appeared with the famous dancer Celest, and recalls how she 3saved Celest's life during a performance, regardless of the risk involved.

Then Mrs. Thielemann accepted an engagement on the German stage in St. Louis, where she remained for two years. Her appearances were highly successful. At the conclusion of the St. Louis engagement Christian Thielemann, pioneer among German-American theater managers, organized a company in Cincinnati, where he appeared for the first time as an actor, taking the part of "Borodin" in the "Ancestors". Then followed performances in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and other cities, and finally at the German House in Chicago, in 1858, where the company remained. Here one remembers names of such stars as Johanna Claussen, Emil Hoechster, E. Haerting, D. Bandmann, Westphali-Lund, Becker-Grahn, and others, who appeared as guests on Thielemann's stage.

In 1861, at the time of the Civil War, Thielemann shouldered arms and formed a company of soldiers known as Thielemann's Dragoons, who soon established a reputation for bravery. After the battle at Shiloh he organized the Sixteenth 4Illinois Cavalry regiment at the behest of General Sherman. Thielemann was wounded seriously near Atlanta, returned to Chicago and helped direct his wife's theatrical enterprise at the German House, and, in conjunction with Bonnet, their efforts were exceedingly successful.

During the Chicago fire the Thielemann family lost everything, but, undismayed, they started anew. With the help of friends they built the National Theater on Clybourn Avenue, which proved unprofitable. On August 23, 1875, Christian Thielemann died, and his wife had to give up the theater because of the prevailing hard times.

How easy it would have been to enrich herself at the expense of creditors, but she preferred to satisfy everyone. She relinquished all claims against the property [real estate] in order to pay the mortgage on the building [sic], and returned to private life a poor woman. Her son, Milo, worked to support his aged mother until prolonged illiness incapacitated him. The tears shed by Louise Thielemann during the years, as she sat by the sick bed of her 5son, surrounded by poverty and forsaken, have probably been a contributing cause of her almost total blindness.

All who knew her remember also her liberality toward colleagues, her benevolence whenever the poor appealed for help, her philanthropic efforts in general. Emil Hoechster therefore deserves great credit for his kindness in arranging a benefit performance for today, in order to provide some respite from poverty and give a little pleasure during the declining years of the nearly blind old lady.

Her son, Milo, is recovering slowly; perhaps he may find employment eventually, and so obtain the means to provide the bare necessities of life for his mother.

Every German should consider it a duty--if circumstances permit--to attend the performance given by Emil Hoechster, and thus contribute a small share, so that the old lady may at last exclaim: "Thank God, thou didst not forsake me!"