The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1880-01-03

the end from Wilson. With this crowd
backed up by 6rst-ciass quartette, "
made HaYerly's fortune. He Is now til
biggest manager in the country. Il.
gambles desperately, or he would be
| very rich man.
Who is the richest minstrel man II
the country ?''
Cal Wagner. In spite of his failure.
as q manager he has pnt aside ovel
$l00, GOO. He will be very rich man q
he lives, as he has good wife who saves
his money. If Billy Emerson had moi
gambled and drank to such an extent he
would have all that man wanted. He
is still good for S400 or $500 week and
may come out all right. Poor Lew Ben.
edict, who was one of the handsomest
and brightest man that ever corked his
face, has scattered fortune from his
fingers, and is now end man in female
minstrel troupe. Barlow is young vet,
but will be rich man. He has proba,
bly, 800, 900 slowed away, and can add
that much to it tevery year if be wants to.
He has lovely wife, who travels with
him. Wilson is married also, and his
wife is with him now. He is better Of
than Barlow, perhaps. Primrose and
West are laying up money rapidly and
have no bad habits. AS dancing team
they are considered the best in the busi-
ness.
"What has become Of Duprez, the old
manager ?"
HE Is not doing much. He is one of
the old fashioned sort, and still sticks to
the old style. That won't do in these
days. The minstrel business is rushing
all the time, and a man must go with the
current"
"Is the forty-man minstrel troupe of
Haverly's doing well ~
sThat idea has worked well. Hayerly
started it ont, but Nick Roberts origi-
mated it. A stock company was organized
in Cincinnati to send out forty man
troupe, but Haver1y took the idea and
started one himself. It paid like gold
mine. There is now troupe on the
road that has fifty men, and understand
that ii pays handsomely"
What about the negro. troupes in
New York %
They have all made money. The San
Francisco Minstrels have crowded houses
month after month. No matter what
happens they are always full. They bur
lesque all the sensations at the other the
aters, and require the best comedians to
play them. 1t is considered in New York,
as it is on the road, the safest branch Of
tbe show business.
How have the genuine negro troupes
done?"
"A good many of them failed because
they did not have proper managers. But
Hayerly's Georgia Minstrels have paid
him enormously. You see in the North
sensation. In the South the darkies all
turn out to see them.
"What is the reason of the fnror over
minstrels for the past few years.
It is simply that the minstreis have in
creased the attractions OF these entertain
ments. We engage the best singers to be
found anywhere, and our ballads are
rendered in style that pleases the
masses much better than opera. The
dancing is always feature, and there is
the clog-dancing for the ladies, and the
rough and tumble for the men, The
music is always fine. The comedians OF
the troupe must be such men as would
be stars in a regular dramatic troupe, sc
that the audience, besides getting the old
plantation essence, which is dear t6
Southern hearts and a revelation te
Northern people, has comedy or farce
that is just as good as they can get else
where. The character of minstrel shows
is changed, and gags" that were com
mon on the stage few years ago would
not be tolerated now, because of their in
delicacy. The minstrels here drew tn,
most refined audiences, and it has com,
to be note that the best general show
given are minstrel shows. They draw
houses when everything else fails.
The above contains many points o
! truth. The best voice that we hav,
heard on the stage this season, in oper,
or out of it, was that of Billy Kersands,
negro minstrel. The finest bit of com
edy acting was George Wilson's spark
ing scene, while two subtle or more deli
cate comedians than MiIt Barlow and Ca
Wagner we have never seen upon th
stage. Billy Emerson is the most up
roarious hog that we ever saw on th
stage, cooked or uncooked And so tn
negro minstrel show, the peculiar pre-
duct of the South, shall live and fouris
like green bay tree.