The New York herald., 1871-12-28
BEECHEH'S NEGRO MINSTRELS.

Man''-A Euli Troupe of Real Live Dnrlkies
in the rabernacle Of tho Lord Clicking
ChOruses, but No sand Shaking or Jig
Dancing.
Mr. Henry Ward Beecher, the eminent divine o
BROOKLYN. our sister city, Is man remarkable for
many things. His great am and chief object In life
Is never 10 be like anybody else. This achieved and
he s perfectly satisfied unto himself and his
very peculiar congregation, Or as the irreve-
rent term them, his audience" Bnt never be-
lore In his life has Mr.. Beecher essayed
to appear as a manager OF negro mlnstrels
or as an lend man, as was apparent from the
nature OF the performances last evening at
Plymouth church. A Jubilee singers Concert - to
be gwen by band OF nine negroes, male and
female, had Deen largely advertised among the
faithful Consequently last evening, to answer this
call upon the pious and meek and lOwly congrega-
ton OF Zion, about twenty-five hundred persons
had assembled IN Plymouth church, composed
about equally OF ladies' and gentlemen. The
ladies-blcss their dear little precious tootsey
pootseyf hearts were als dressed up III
the latest styles, just rs If they were
present at matinee or merely listening an open
Ing chorus at Hooleys or q tamborine solo at
Bryant's Minsrrels The precious little dears mad
their NUNS and their kids and their lace collars
and their lorgnettes and their white handkerchiers
anu the little dears laughed and flrted and wlnked
a. the young men Just as il they were in a ball
room or at the Central Park, and "all went merry
as marriage bell" or young lnaiden's first love.
When the curtain rose the stage door, or rather
the door leading To the stage opened, and be, ore
many a. ss nSa saken ne seats nine
otner In parallel line. sitting In an awkward
fasnlOn.
the HERALD reporter sat at the end OF the gal
ery, on the rghthand side, near the hig organ, and
In the neigh oOrhoOd Of two very pretty glris-one
blonde with dImpe In her chin, the other a Dru-
wicked n
big brother with her, who looked s0urly at every
one who cast an eve at his pretty sister and, ike
all big brothers, he made nuisance or himself.
The performers we're nine IN number-f0ur girls,
ranging from sixteen to twenty.three years OF age
presided ~ the piano and played all the accom-
paniments. Then there were fonr extremely decent
looking darkies all IN black broadcloth and uuder
thirty years OF age, beside very precoclous lad OF
twelve, who was dressed as u clog dancer. When
chorus was sung or a quartet then four girls stood
up all In row like staircase the taest at one
end and the shortest at the other. The biggest girl
was Miss Jennie Jackson, tall brunette, dressed
In green dress, with a cherry DOW. This cheerful
blending Of cOlOrs lent an irrdescent charm to her
feat ures, which were as black as . stoveplpe The
next ballet glr was MISS Maggie Porter, OF = coffee
colored complexion, and who had, despite her
hideous brown dress really exquisite voice, fresh
as as, lark ss aud tnnelal as oran the narps Of
desire TO hear singing tnat viii take them
down peg let him go and hear Miss Maggie
Maggie Porter came MISS Minnie Tate and Miss
Shepperd, the 1Ormer Cr the two rvalllng MISS
Maggie POrter l0r freshness Oh ner voice.
Tne quadr0on girl at the piano PLAYED in accom-.
panment and the nine performers chanted the
LORDS Prayer III bar9aric African fashion which
set the HERALD reporters teeth ajar.
BLONDE GIRL WITH THE DlMPLE-Do you like
to hear coored people sing when they are SO badly
BRUNETTE WITH WICKED EYEs-rm sure I don't
know what to think OF the girl In green she has .
good voice. though. what ,aon,I wonderful man Mr.
every one Is laughing at the Lords Prayer sup
pose because they are making grimacek when they
NUISANCE OF Big BROTHER Kate. who Is that
fellow with the red nose, staring at your suppose
allows every body TO make joke OF religion; ana
men and women are ike mOnkeys-all tncy want Is
leader and they are willing to walk IN the broad
way to destruction. Now this Is u precious hum
bug, see all these people come here ana patr0nze
these poor niggers, VINO ought to oe home In their
beds. People OF superior race-or who fancy they
belong 10 a superior race-like to patrOnize those
whom they iancy to be OF an inferior and d0cile
A WHITE MAN RISES TO ExpLAIN-Ladies and
gentlemen, Will state that no collection Will De
taken up lor the benefit OF the FISK University,
Nashville, Tenn, at which place these young people
NUISANCE OF A BIG BRorHER-Buly for You,
Old fellow An elephant sat ON my pocKctbook
WHITE MAS EXPLAINS FURTHER But you can
send any money you may deem lit that you should
York city. These people were all slaves before the
war, and VIII sing the songs OF their bondage.
like to see George L. White get spare stamp from
me; Just now am not giving ANYTHING away.
BLONDE WITH DIMPLE-Oh, Billy, hush the peo.
pie VIII hear you talking that horrld slang,
BRUNETTE WITH WICKED EYES-I wonder who |
that man IS with the handsome black eyes, He |
looks real sweet; doesn't ne, MnnieY 500
This Is sample OF the conversation which was |
continually buzzing Ia the reporters ears while the
negroes were going through q very mon0tonous
minstrel performance. The little boy Master Wells,
VINO wore q clog dancers costume. recIteo that |
dreadful poem, "Sheridan's Ride" anq. as all |
patriotic bosh will be applauded, he was stamped |
anu capped back into his seat and into quietness
at the u ose OF his monotone. eco Down, M0ses,n |
"RoIl, Jordan, Rol." ''Swng Low, Sweet |
Chariot the cnorus ''0h Hail Us, Ye |
Frce,o from Ernanl 'The Old Folks at Home |
Didn't My Lord Deliver DanielYn 'Hone, sweet |
Home,n Babylon IL Falienn ana other negro mel0- |
dies were sang just as they would be sung In u |
concert hall, and the behavior OF the audience was |
Just as IL would 90 IN negro minstrel hail. AS II |
is liooeys Will hereafter have rival IN Plymouth
church, an | Mr. Beecner can safely claim that his |
con2regatio are now supplied with all the neces-
saiy attractions aud amusencnts that can make he
cndprablc and cheerful,