Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-01-20
Johnny ThomPsou, the .Lively Mckee,

tietsct-SOcES Vi ills scCttOi. ny aus
means, but, on the contrary, signally
failed to make people here see that hi
was anything above the common run o
"nigger minstrels." In fact, his only
speciality, the "Lively MoSe," had
been played entirely out by Billy Ash
croft. under the title of the "Activt
Boy" yes, and in some respects ever
better performed than Johnny himself
did the misunderstanding that il wa.
original with him, which is disputed,
The result was, that "Johnny Thomp.
sons Minstrels" only played to one
fair house, which was the first, and
even that was not a paying one. Few
went to see them u second time, there.
fore johnny had to throw up his Ell.
gagement, and his company naturally
dissolved-a complete failure for wan,
Of support. The worst feature with
Johnny was his ~unreliability and gen.
cral disposition to "bilk" everybody
who had anything TO do with him
either newspaper men. theatrical man.
ayers or his fellows in the profession.
In the absence of interesting local
matter, we give the following relative
to him from the San Francisco Figaro
OF last Monday:
"Some time last February, the
agent of +. G. Bert, proprietor of the
Olympic Theater Of this city, who was
in New York in quest of talent for
that house, closed 4 six months ell
gacemcnt with Johnny Thompson,
Known rs the Lively Moae, and his
wife, whose stage name was Maggie
Wells. They were to play at the Olym-
bic or wherever else Bert or his agent
might designate. at a salary of$i50 per
week. gold. About the time Thomp-
son arrived here. pecuniary difficulties
overlook Bert, and the Olympic Thea
ter changed hands, Bert's agent, with
the knowledge and approval of Ihomp-
o II transferring the contract to Thomas
Mcguire Of the Opera House; but
Mcguire neglected the precaution OF
having the contract legally signed
over, not ~srlspectinS how slippery a
customer he had to deal with. Under
this arrangement Thompson appeared
ut the Opera House OH 1.-The 18th OF
April, in conjunction with the Muir
phy-Mack-C Cotton minstrel combina-
ton. His Lively Moke act lthc only
one he excels in proved to be an ut
tractiye feature. and everything went
on lively till the middle OF July. when
Mcssrs. Tracy & Rogers took the Al
hambra Theatre, and went Mcguire
$50 better on ThompSon's salary, offer
i'm" him 5000 q week. The 'Moke
eyincing 4 lively appreciation of this
raise. suddenly made the discovery
that he was not being properly adycr-
tiScd-in short that, like Hamlet, he
lacked advancement abruptly left
Mcguire and appeared at the rival es-
adjustment. The Injunction suit that
ensucd has already been fully chron.
iclcd In these columns, and has passed
into history IS one of the most remark
able causes eelebrss of the CalitorniG
.Court and Stage Thomas had jus
tice and fair-dcaling on his side, bul
John had the letter of the law, and
was allowed to so scot free, while tht
philosophic manager conSoled himself
with the reflection that the game WIS
hardly worth the candle.
..ThrouSh the popular excitement
that grew out of this legal episode
Thompson drew full houses for about ;
week. But it soon became apparent
that his repertoire was almost entirely
limited TO his sLivcly Moke," the I'M
VARYING monotony of which so satiatet
tbe pu6lic appetite that his constantl!
reiterated inquiry, "Do you want som
more?" soon received a negative aii
swcr from empty benches Ai.era rev
weeks our hero went 10 Slcra'ie'ito
under n contract to play ~ tie -aclu
envy OF Music Oil shares. me o'iSiheS
not realizing what the avariclo''S MN
strcl expected. he "sonreu on the man
agement." and refused o 90 on uI htyI.
n certain sum was guaranteed n'Sn'ts
This imposition was submitted 10 Io' =
few nights, when the managers Were
so Indignant at his ref,iSai 10 lnili'i n,I
contract. that they le,l upon . ,ha
beat him iSnom'n'onsiy from Wy
alter, he creating quite an eNea.c,le,i ~
by rushing. through tue auu''ori.n ~
the street, shouting Tor 'he Poi'ee III
terror-stricSen accents. -,
AFTER this unpleasant htile epiSoue
he returneds to this city with Il sore
head and a lame foot. Is the rewards OF
his treachery. After n short nrne ne
leased the ALEXANDRIA for 4 minstrel
season of four weeks, and we are as
sured by his business manager mat ne
cleared $l.5M on the sPee4Ia5,nn' S exe.
allowing tlit ne pau ~" M, ~ dn
which he was very careful not ."Mo'
lie had engaged 4 iair nl'is.,.' haI ~,
and should nave hIi'.e uTI;it ,o mean.
bad management, ahn IN. d;s%,.tat
neSSeS oil thompson ni'nse, 'rLs eon,
people wherever tnys My ;a CIV ,yher,
pany broke up y. SaS .biiIed" by
,]a"Sinc h,a o,era house 10 the wander
leasing MS 1pe.S ~ II few night.
my nnl res,.aI 10 carry ont the lease
anu ma .hem ta"L. tbe hack track to thi
lie 'nen 700" 1"e IS liz I;sorcanize,
CITY ledN'nS mi ,Lo;r vr,y hack n
company 10 hiiu tne IaS,;n" nm,
best they in,sh., anu m a ,l,af ncstI
bers of the conndthS peop,v 'I nayiJso
under the Shallow Oh Mou
to whistle Tor 'he,r h,u x.;fa ,cn prl
'ihomp,oh asau morn;p" for I'M
Fast, per W. Tos, manv hundred dol
XXI NANNN $50