New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-30
MINSTREL EXPERIENCES.
.ryrPRyInwINGn AN "END-Miyp

THE Ex-sINsTRzL AUTHOR OF "yAGABoND AL
VENTURES mfr.f.l
TO the Edftor Of The TrtbunG lTs4
SIR: Happening in at Dan Bryants Minstrels
the other evening recognized the voice and the mo-
tons and the boneplaying and then finally, the bill
the name OF my old friend, Mr. Dave Reed He tho
end-man, who sat opposite tho great Daniel himself In
his den OF black ons IL ia just IS since saw
David filing simar place upon show-bcat on the
Mississippi River. Had he been ratDg the same Dobhs
striking the positions and propounding the same
conundrums uninterruptedy from that day TO thi. M
der a spell OF black-cork enchantmentt don't know
IL seemed Just then. curious learn N he r.
membered me, and delighted when he sent vord
for me to wait for him after the show Then he told me-
ia the very slow way OF his, that he only remeu-
bcrcd me, but had book Of mine home about min
sres; book, he said, that had caused him good dear
OF trouble to read; he didn't know when he had had
such hard work. IL took him whole week: very tire
some. very tiresome indeed, he at 1t every day
aud stuck to 1t, he said TIL he got tired he eouIdns
go on and then he would put 1t away I'll the next day
the glare OF the footlights made his eyes so badi
could not that be had changed In the least except
the OF years In falling lightly upon his honest
old head had polished the bald places down 70
the snow line OF his ears And found HIM. after our
long talk, the Same Dave Reed, who seems TO
have been created good and kept IN spite OF hnsef
and all circumstances He went into the show business
the age thirteen and has been in It SINCE
associate Of all sorts of people, not necessarily born
worse than anybody else but having hundred times
more temptation, and filling all his reminiscent yesrs
with the pathos OF their stories. Yet be is simple
natured and uDsophsticated a child lie used
oath drank glass Of strong liquor in his life, and
believe had malice toward any man, did any
a willful wrong. II knew any one else Of whom
might write this would 90 and interview him too.
David told me, among other curious thin gs OF the d
cutes an end-man has in collecting jokes He said
could have no idea what lengths he was sometimes
driven to, in getting up new lot every week He
sured that he employed the rstclass literary talent
OF the land, gentlemen who wrote for Frank Lesies
publications and others, and yet they could not suit him.
Their jokes would not with the public. You are
sure of Joke either, he says until you have tried it.
The public is very odd He at first thought his famous
song and dance, "say Come Up might possibly run
week. lie had sing and dance it night for nine
months Then he went back 20 his early experiences to
the times before there any minstrel bands, when
they mix their burned cork with hogs lard TO
make their faces shine. II seems that DAVID learned TO
dance under difficulties taking the early mornings and
the paternal backstoop, and also taking the eonse-
ouences regularly after breakfast In sound drubog.
His parents did not like 10 be, shufied out
OF their morning maps. His hrst engagement,
was with O menagerie, which was established
at what was called in those times the Half Way House,
on Broadway, between Grand and Howard-stA Ho
contracted to dance and beat bass-drum. The ne
humorous mnuteness-cOnssted Of q sx-leggcd bull
threc-legged cow bear, seal, anteater, and some
monkeys. The band was composed OF hurdy-gufdy
and bass-drum. 1t their custom TO play I'll they
had entced crowd inside, and then David would per-
form his dance TO the OF the whole band, except
ing thedrum His fame spread about the neighborhood
so that he was finally engaged by the museum three
doors further down Here the hrst organized
band OF minstrels that he knows anything about is
was made up white fiddler who sat In the orchestra,
and four bOnepayers who sat the stage and played
bones, each with one hand playing them WITH TWO
hands had not then been discovered One OF the ehef
attractions Of this museum Mr.. Reed says, Wae group
of wax satuary representing the deathseene OF George
Washington Among the figures posed about the bed IN
the wonted imbecile attitudes Of this branch OK
the fine arts, was negro boy; mat IA
to say, a negro boy was observed thero ana
admired Of country people and others who visited tho
exhibition during the daytime his patriotic, waxep
fidelity being very popular indeed, except 10 those who
knew now mystenOusly not TO say how basey. he de-
ceiyed the dying sage and the public too, every night
Now Mr. Reeds negro performances were given only IN
the evenings, and Mr. Reed was not, OF his own night,
possessed of negro wig and just before the mu-
scum opened every night he used to 70 the waxwOrE
case scalp the negro hey OF his wig place IL bis
own head, and hide the rest Of the negro boy away
under the bed OF 1.-The Father OF his Country" People
who had been thrilled by the satuary during tho
day. and brought their friends there to admire by
night never could understand what had become Of
WashingtOns faithful servant. Still did IL puzzle
| the snpersttOus usher OF the museum who had the
wax-works especially in charge He too fright
ened first watch the where the negro boy APP
peared regularly by day and disappeared regularly BY
night. Finally, however he mustered up courage and
caught young David in the act David escaped aud
threw up his The next day the manager took
him into his Office and locked the door, and pulling
down the curtains in the greatest privacy, put David
Oh fnoIa and p1daa 70 win btpnh hack
David was the statue man was going TO whip
him and he was going To leave. The manager offered
his protection but that did nducement enough;
Dayids salary had, hitherto, been dollar werk The
manager offered raise him shilling and that decided
tue matter. With nine shillDgs week who couldn't
afford his own wigs
In the early epochs of negro mnstrelsy David tray
eled with the sdeshow OF This OF the
saddest periods only OF bis boyhood but OF bis whole
life. For besides having TO do work by day
he had sleep with candypeddler by night, and THAI
candy -pedder had fits The did not want ms atc-
ton known. and threatened DAVID II he betrayed
him. SO the poor boy was about scared
by the candy.pedder when he didn't have fits
as when he did. sun David mad courage TO intimate
10 nearly every member OF the circus company that
was not well with the candypedder hut 0De
would believe him. and, at last David took 10 sleeping
on a CHAIR the door. anything that happened 10
catch HIM when be few terror from his bedfellow.
This went for two weeks when finally one night
after the show the poor dypetdler taken in the
bar OF their tavern, which is the saying the
presence Of majority of the troupe There is probably
no more warm-hearted compassionate man In tho
world than Mr. Reed but tina; wac he thiGks the hap
piest moment Of his life. he got upon a stool and
pointed at the candy pedder "5ee, that he said
"You would MT believe me, eh Look there; the
way he kicks me III the night! How would you like
sleep with him % &C. a. And David did not have TO
sleep with him after tat