The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-12
JOE EMMET's START.
His Debut I'm Cincinnati q Big
Success.
[Pittsburg Leader.J

"Joe Ganfrau" Is an odd sort of a
name to read in print. 1t is not even as
common as Thompson or Jones, and lacks
any striking feature 10 stamp it on the
mind except its oddity. It was a little
before the days Of the draft in 1862 that
a young man of the name mentioned was
doing duty behind the bar of the Palace
Varieties in Cincinnati, O. Fhe theater
occupied the spot on which the splendid
arcade now stands on Vine street, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets. The
cholera season came along with all its
horrors, and the Queen City of the West
for many weeks was little less than an
American Pere La Chaise. ..
The people we're dying in all direc-
tions. The undertakers were busy; the
funeral professions were frequent, and
many times three and four bodies were
conveyed to the cemetery in the same
cortege. The policemen had their coat
pockets supplied with little bottles of
cholera medicine for free distribution,
and the houses and the streets were filled
with the odors of lime, tar and ether dis
infectants that reminded one so much of
the eharnel-house or a Partisan morgue
Friends parted at night never TO meet
again in this world. The sporadic fiend
did its work quickly and efectually.
1t was during this season Of sickness
and death that the Palace Varieties Com
pany lost several of its members by
cholera. The acting corps was greatly
reduced, and performers could not be in
duced to visit Cincinnati at any price.
The news of the plague was telegraphed
in all directions, and the New York
Herald bulletin board at Nassau and
Beekman streets then was apt to state
"a10 deaths from cholera in Cincinnati
yesterday-the plague spreading, ETC.,
etc" It was then that performers at
''the Palace" ran short. Four or five
had died of the cholera, and one, banjo
player named Frank Lum, that many
old variety patrons in this city will re-
member, had fallen out of the third story
window Of his boarding house and broken
his neck. 1t was an awful hot day, and
the poor fellow had been up all night
with fellow actor who was suffering
from the dread disease. He was sitting
in the window cooling of, when he fell
asleep and the sad circumstance oc-
Cured.
Performers at the Varieties, good
deal like the audience, had greatly fallen
off. The manager, in fit Of despair, did
not know how to keep up company
sufficient to keep the house open. The
patronage was poor at the best, as most
everybody came home at night tired
from funeral. As noted, Joe Ganfrau
was behind the bar of "1he Palace" and
in his dull moments, and he had plenty
of them that lamentable season, he was
always keeping his courage up by play
ing upon mouth harmonicon. He had
mastered the little instrument very sue
cessfully, and in his emergency one day
the manager said to him. evgr
"Joe, you play that harmonicon well
enough to do an act on the stage and help
us out" l....
"Oh, Lord! me 60 on the stage-why
what did I ever do to you?' was joel
query.
II am really in earnest" said the man
ager. II can't get performers to come
to Cincinnati during this cholera scare
and you can help us out. l am paying
you $50 a month for keeping bar, and
I'll make it $l2 "a week if you will go on
the stage and play that Home, Sweet
Home thing that you are always at."
Joe considered the proposition and
accepted the situation, and on the bills
of the next week "the famous harmoni
, con soloist, Mr.. Joseph Ganfrau," wa.
, duly announced. He made his debut as
all debutants do. His friends received
, him most enthusiastically, and they
alone, almost, composed the entire audi
, ence, as Joe had been talking over hi
/ debut ever since he had consented to ap
, pear
| When the piano part of the variation
of "Home, Sweet Home" were reached
: the audience became spell-bound, ant
the fun that was anticipated at joe
D expense changed into substantial In
. dorsement of his merits as an artist III
had many a warm shake of the ham
! that night, and really felt proud Of him
! self. He was young and really good
I. looking young fellow then, aud he stoo
=. his success like little man. A Sain
r Louis variety firm, Esher and Peterson
heard Of his success, and he was offere
salary Of $25 or $50 a week to 60 there
' Anxious to leave "the city of tn
{ dead" he accepted, and then he passe
/ at that time from the writer's view unit
: some years later, he earned world-wid
! reputation as "Joe Emmett, in his ow
4? creation of our German Cousin Fritz.
e To-day Mr.. Emmett is one of the best
e paying stars in the theatrical business
= although rumor tells us he has accuml
y lated but little Cor himself. He has ha
!. his ups and downs, and perhaps has Il
o his great popularity and surrounding ci
9 cumstances interfere with his pecuniar
+ prosperity; but that he enjoys life on h
a own plan and never forgets friend ar
! facts fully established in the circle j
!. which he moves.
g 'rn Had q Choice.
Detroit Free Press1
| D1. 1lxl>rray, Eoul s,rak