The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-13
OF TIE MINSTREL STAGE.
a Tam UfTH AZ ON PERFoRMER
dBOUT NEGRO MTMICRY

Yes. all that - left of the wardrobe Of
Frank Browcr, ono Of the first troupe Of negro
MINISTRIES In this country, or that ever was any.
where this side Of Congo, IA IN that little nat
trunk. which got only yesterday from his vie.
who Is now living in rhladelphl,. That red
and black check coat--lm going to put 1t on la
. few minutes he used to wear"
ghe speaker il Billy Birch, one of the Oldest
az negro MINISTRIES; and ns he speaks he deftly
removes With his burn,-cork fingers huge
diamond pin. Of the headlight" pattern, from
the frilled breast Of the white shirt which has
lust done duty IN tho decOrous cosiuming Of
the nrst part" of the evenings entertainments
Near him IL Charley Birkus, APPLYING a dab Of
burnt-cOrk paste to a portion Uf his phNsiognomy
which seems, to his critical eye, lacking in the
uniform bloom Of tho "coa-black rose" which
he desire. to present Governor" Ryman Is
lust completing the artistic disposition Of the
struggling gray locks he is about to shake in his
rhetorical wreste with 1.-THE school question:
"What was that first troupef"
"They were Gale the virginia Mnstreis.'"
There were only four Of them-Dan Emmett,
banjo playcr-hes on the stage yet. out in Chi
tago now; Dick pelham-whO went over to
ENGLAND, made fortune, and mover came back
bones; william whtlock aud Frank Brown.
They were not the lrst 10 appear BACKED up on
the stage, you know. Actors used to play
negro characters long before that in recu-
lar pieces, and there were even Niger
songs sung IN character outside ~ PLAYS
by imdivdual pcrf.rmcrl; Why white ha.
hill dated IN l;gg Of the old Federal
Street Theatre IN IIoston. in which appears
performer nuncd Young WHO sang the Gay
Negro Roy ~ ch racter. Bnt the Nirsinia
Minstrcls were the lrst troupe Thcy orrani2ed
IN lsi., and started M 1873 In The cid Cnatntn,
street Theatre. That Is where Dandy jim
was nrst sung"
"wENcn" INrrRsoNAron.
A figure In fashion iblo female evening dress
dashes ~ from the direction of the stage, ana
Gov. LYMAN darts out Beiore the pldudits
which have rewarded the performance Of the
former and greeted the appearance Of the latter
have ended the fashionable female has done
some uuhOoking uuiinning, aud unnuttoning,
the volumiuous skirts have slipped to the door,
leaving the wearcr In the scdnt eostune of one
skirt, corset, chignOD, and that Is abO al all.
and the great Iucardo" Is busy in donniue an
other dress. His movements are thoroughly
feminine in all except their rapidity there he
Is masculine. but he jaus in a yin somewhere
among tue mass OF pauier behind HIN, gives
couple Il sideong pats 10 the piotruding bunch,
humps II up little with both haud- twists be
fore the tail pier glass aud gives concluding
wnggle Of Satisfaction with an ak Throughout
that Is stnrilinsN WON nish.
"rhumAs ID. Rice. better known as Daddy
Rice continues Kan lnrch. sirug-hn. into a
pair Of huEgj hfceche-, winch seem ~ have pill
lows stumId In them all about The les, . Is
called tine father OF negro Wlu-frci-f. hAt iucor-
ItttN 80. lie NA- Uf hctDr all took ut gro paris
Ia pys lat he wasn't whal we would cal "a
negro minstrel. jim Cfur u4 le him famous
Niger oprrn. 'Oh. flush Vas writtet, Tor him
J., judge Phillips. I've O-cn told. L. Wa "a
beautiful thing. just fu.i of gem. of SONGS. You
remember the 'Soil-blusk Koses'-wei, that
what was lie next troupe after the virginia
80 Dumbleton's Ethiopian s-renaders' s'aried
w Major Dumbletnn the year alter the lfgfnil
Mnsues. hut come outside b. the stove. II is
y scent Is made to anotheranl larger apart
meni' which a. tNe gtnef ID drr--llE room of the
lest Oi the troupe. In the ceutre stands "a Vcry
hig stove, almost rod hot. on iho ton 81 which A.
huge tn buicr hiled with water. which sends
forth cloud Of steam. Three OF four men.
naked to the waist are pusv washing tins burnt
cork from their ia'es; nechs' anu hands at
IN the trough. Each man theoretically his 81
special right To one particular pail as his wash
bowl-a nction OF possession which seemingly
serves only as occasion for indignant eXclama-
lions and Objurgations when the Iight l. in
Naded, IS u GENERALLY Is.
ONE OF THE OLD TRouPEs.
THE Dumbleton party continues Mr.. Birch.
rlacidly, as he dOdges splash Of boiling water
former Is drawing from the boiler TO temper the
half bath he Is about to take, event over TO
England and were an enormous success, played
before tue Queen, and all that SORT Of thing.
Major DumDleton was tho first to dress his
troupe like gentlemen In the first part. Before
that they were always mere ragged plantation
nggers good enough for character, as lar as theS
went, but no style about them you see. The
taste that directed his innovation has been pro-
crossing ever since. Now IL extends rot merely
g. the dress Of the performers Ia thar first part,
there, for instance" drawing come sheets from
on a set Of elegant furniture rs he speaks, we
use that set in our Hat part-yellOw satin, cost
two thousand dollars just as you see IL; none
handsomer In any theatre IN the city; aud then
We have hronzes- there's one pair over ther--
and flowers TO dress the stage with aud our fits
are a. pretty interiors as you Viii ind anywhere
All that Is a great advance from what Niger
minstrcl-Y used to be; aud YOU won't have {
80 Us far back - the Virginia Ministries time to
Ind the contrast either"
do you not run some risk Of selling with
l9ur ol,shened uNgeFs So delicate tin as that
MOT at all. The color doesn't come Oh easily
hands on tins pair Of brrecbes~weli thI'v r0
the whltest Of white Things, but they are lisht
enough To show tho rubbing doesn't soil them
any more We don't coil even our White shuts
with our fingers as readily IS You would suu-
pc.e;
ms humorous speech on the prpui-cuouS issues
OF the day, " one Of these zig white coll rs lasts
TIE a week.
Prepare IT Ourselves. Just burn the corks
nnd pas the dust through a paint mill 70 get It
oil ine and well mixed with water and then It
- ready for use. Champagne corlks are the best
Ton e-mako the finest dust"
IT Is less injurious to the skin than the VIII tie
ana iel used By the pale faces OF the drama, Is
Not at an injurious. In fact it's good for
the skin. nave known II TO cure skin diseases.
Just look al the old Niger MINISTRIES ana see
how smooth and fresh and fair tneir faces are.
Ihat Is due Ia great measure to the cork some
thing also 40 doubt to our frequent and thor
ough washings.
the cHRIsTys AND THE BucKLEYa.
" Alter the Dunn bletOns,' Birch goes on, re-
summing the broken thread of his "reminiscences
came George ChIisty'H. Christy started IN
Buffalo. lie had been In circus before he cot
npa troupe OF Niger MINISTRIES. From the stsrt
he was n great fayorite, aud when his party came
g. New York In 1916 snd opened In the Alham-
bri, they did IN enormous business. Then, Ia
1871 or 1913, the Buckleys started the Peedse
Ministries, They made splendid music, had q
great deal of talent, and whcn they went over
TO EnRl nd, fairly took the country by storm, as
you may say -"
"Well, YOU were a blasted fool TO play that
ten there. You Just lost big casino by II" Is
Tue critical comment ana reprOOf uttered at this
1uncture, in "a horse, baritone voice, by a Tall
person attred in female gdrb, who stands over
Looking "A game OF cards which l. being played |
by a coupe of performers VINO do not have TO |
20 on before the concluding farce. The dis
pusted critic seats himself at uno her table, ard |
pcking ~ % pack Of cards, proceeds, in Keeping |
WIN INC feminine character he Is assuming, to |
t'l fortunes. Probably spades turn up too ne. |
quentiy aud aces are too scarce IN his combine.
tons TO cheer his spirits, for with grunt Of
disgust ne nlnHe tho cards from him, HOSTS Ills |
skirts ~ most unmaideuly way, dud fishes a |
paper Of chewing tobacco from the pistol pocket
Of his pantaloous.
BirchW lew ''''
I'm lSi played frat as a boy for Ned Under
Illlh iathei, VINO was then "a botanical doctor in