The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-06-17
GENERAL SHERMAN'S FRIEND.
A Mfnstrei whose Dancing Recon-
mended Him 10 Government
Office.
New York sun, June 10. }

New York sun, June 49,
"les, sir, suspect that am one of the
Oldest, II not the very oldest, living min.
strel." The speaker was red.faced jovial
penonage, with grizzIed moustache,
who looked as though he had enjoyed and
suffered his share OF the good and bad
things Of this life. He was found 10 little
hotel on Sixth avenue, whose proprietor
was once minstrel and owner ofthe fatal
emerald that Tony Pastor pounded to dust
that it nigh. bring harm to no more of the
profession. "But promised to fell you
about Fred Wilson and Sherman" contin.
usd the ancient minstrel. "Well, when
Wilson was running his opera-house in st.
Louis in 1867, General sherman was fire.
quent and generous patron, He liked FRED,
and he used. when he had poor house
was connected with the tropIe--to pay
the admission of what children there hap.
pened 10 be waiting around the entrance,
and thus Ill the benches. What sort OF q
man is Wilson! Well, he is big, broad.
che.ted, pug nosed English bully, that's
what he II, and he was the man that first
introduced clog dancing into this country.
saw notice saying that Tim Hayes-no
relation to Rutherford, you folks say
who died lately, was the original og
dancer, but he wasn't. Billy was good
fellow for all his pug.nose, and, as said,
Sherman liked him. We used often to 60
up to the generals house and give him .
sareuade. and be always invited - In, and
then you bet we had hign old time. The
general used to return the compliment,
too, and come and see us, and then We b ID
n CHER time than eyer. But the houses
grew simmer and simmer, and at last
Wilson had to close up, and the high old
times seemed at an end. When the worst
had happened Wilson went to Sherman
and told him he was In whole, ant what
do you think the general did9 He had
him made United States Marshal to China,
by thuLder, and so of Wilson goes, with
his wife and servants, and travels at the
Government expense from San Francisco
to Australia and SO to China. He stayed
there two years doing nothing, do be.
lieve, but travelling around and pocketing
his salary. He couldt do much, know,
for he was an ignorant fellow, and only
knew how to dance. Well, at the end Of
two years, he came back very suddenly,
and suspect he was recslled on account
of incompetency. Although he went away
poor, he brought back with him lots OF
Chinese dresses and curiosites. He wore
on his shirt bosom, the last time saw him,
q big pearl, classped in the claw Of an eagle,
which bauble had decended from one great
Mogul to another since Confusius. But the
best thing he brought from China was his
limitations of the heather. He learned their
lingo, and he Is in England now with his
Chinese dresses, and making hit with bis
pigeon English. was with him there not
two months ago. When he first got back
from China he joined Colonel Wagners
troupe, where was then, and he used Ia
tell lots OF stories about his Eastern expert
ences. What were his duties when In
China? Well, don't know, ana don't
believe he did. He called himself United
States Marshal and Detective. 1t was q
great bit Of luck certainly. Fred did some-
thing while there, though. He got 80 he
could talkee, talkee, pretty well, and that
II good two years job. lie talks 80 well
that once when he met Chinaman In a.
Louis whom he had known In Hong Kong,
or somewhere, he was Slibber, ! thought
than the heather fellow"