The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-08
hvhNT CORN LORE.
s.orss Chri.ty's Partner, the Veteran orifnn.
In n Communicative Mood.

Whom Harrigan Hart put tho name OF
n " II. Griffin at the head VI their bills as
bu,ness manager Of tho Theatre ComiIuO. they
.osurrocted 80 far as the general public Is con-
sernod an old-timo iavorite. who during thirty
year4 has boon prominent in minstrel lilo. The
present generation know very little OF the glory
OF tho Ethiopian minstrosy. when the Chrlstys
and Bryants were young. and Eph Horn and
frank Brewer and Barney Williams were the
cocks Of tina, particular walk.
MI Grinln Is one of the oldest-probably the
vc,cran-in that line oflifc. Areportcr for THE
EvN found him IN the office Of the COmiduc, and
in response TO n question he said:
Il began t' black in 1915; but my first prnc-
IDEAL ougag mcnt in minstrclsy was in 1850
when opened in Palmyra. New York. with the
Boston lIarmonsts. | was middle man and
basso. There was crack band then known us
iho Gray WARRIORS. in which were somo OF the
best known minstrels There was Lon Morris.
now a rich householder in Boston; Billy Morris
who introduced the hooking bird song. and
Dick Sitter. the greatest iiR dancer the world
ever saw, Dick is dead and SO is George
Brown. who handled the bones in a way that
would make you howl"
Were you ever In tho noted i4l BroadwayY'
Yes l opened there with Henry Wood.
brother u Fernando and benjamin Wood. We
were ri,1.s to T. 7. Chrsty. then further W
town II brother. George Christy. left him
md Ioinel our troupe. George was great
Hearted Nld a ght-heartod follow perfect
sunbeam IN the stage. and lively duck away
from it, L. was all the rage at one time. Sam
Wells WIS our middle man. He was killed in
California. At that time was bass singer aud
Ballad It. In those days II ballad singer had
good how. One Of the best was John A. Her
man He had charming voice. lie keeps a
buttn or shop In Fulton strect-rcal name John
n. imonson"
Where were the Bryants them"
They were little boys at the time. all bright
az )uttons but Jerry. who dicd young. was the
bri .htest He was chock full Of life and vivacity
Da was quick as lightning. too. Tom Briggs
wa great banjo player lie and sher Camp
bell went to California. and Tom died on the
steamer"
Campbell and William Castle were with YOU
were they not?"
Ycs and always rs quiet and we'll behaved
o. any mon in the world. Twenty years ag o. in
George Christys Minstrels. We had q great
quartet William Castle was tho tenor; Her
mau also Campbell was baritone. and was
The basso. Castle made hit. Of cou rse so
did sher Campbell. They both went into Eng
iish opera where they did we'll until poor
Campbell died and Castle is still iayorite with
the English opera troupe"
There is always a curiosity 10 know about
the female inpcrsouators. Who was the first
IN that ine;'
Barney Williams"
4" The Irish oomelianf'
Precisely Let me sec he BACKED up and
sung and danced in that famous song. Lucy
Long Everybody heard it ami enjoyed it.
and the town rang from end to end with tn re-
frain oi Lucy. Lucy Long But the best, in
many res,'' Is, WAS Eugene. who made his first
a. a female
Mode Theatre with Christy, at "A Broadway
lay 10 lNl3 He played 7opseH, in Uncle
Ellsworth, young Canadian. 81 good family.
who. With him. ngured through the States, the
partnership, and each made a will. leaving 10
lhe other all his, properly. Ellsworth diod some
years ago. and Eugene inherited about 500. 100.
b. used to mash the fellows was most extraOr-
is P aa and 0 well fo beS Say d. HI. real real
t9nhSi + EGSene AmSyli He Is very well or
nysc. 5hoH cS%4pbo' S and 70 o a@S BH5s
MI one Of the best trQupes ever seen here;
radt biz IN My Groenwood Home, am
haney Tonight, Really snail Expre,'
Not aStr from Our flag and other original
song y my own composition.
,.l i.v l99g have stump speeches been iea-
On amost from tho very nrst. George
Chrsty W. inimiialle N them, md he had ma;
tye ~; lNe Dan bryant: 10 back him, and
gags that brought down the house. Bob Sena-
tor Hart is AZ old timer. He used TO preach
genuine sernnns in Methodist churches and
married one a. his congregation. II Is plous III
f.. didn't last very 'pug ana he drnel into min
E'rglsy His real uame is James NJ; sutherland
md he Is q Jolly gaol fellow He dates back "a
1859 rs singer ast tinker. Cnsw nth was Il
wonderful iAyorlto In his stump specially he
beat the dock. II tnd Eugene were sincerely
attached o. ca } Other and made great team
toe her He lied -ufsi My. hut not before ht
made his mark. Theyre nearly all gone now
n" grotesquen"ss q Bob Herts humor and Of
Al. hyMan's too; is Ole Oi the chief attrae-
tons. Tie Bob Ridley " Ben Cotton was
triumph e ART. think. aAtits popularity never
wand
= Whore did Ricardo come from ,"
Won he can hardly BE- s'led an old timer
H. first appear,- with Kelly Leon IN New
York where he was alr-gd y Known as the So
Irin, In =. G."rge's CIurcn. H. Las many
admirers. INT h.. style Is entiIely un,. Ike tA(
Qule' way 81 Eugene In the olden laws"
Wei, Charley White aniedates no by severa