The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1880-06-25
DEVILS IN THE CHURCH.
/ lus story ii Burnt CORK HunOr On ns Rsad.

"Never heard Of such thing BEFORE"
said Charley Bennett, after prying open
awindow and plunging head first into
little wayside church to escape the
driving and chilling storm.
"Heard Of what2' questioned Johnny
Lyon, carefully unwrapping his coat
from around his banjo and restoring it
to his shivering person.
"a church theatrical. and that's what
this is bound to. be tonight" and Char
ley also removed the wrappings from his
violin, the rest Of the boys following his
example, and producing bones and tam
BOURNE they had guarded from the
snow and sleet.
"Not much,n put in Dick Lamb, with
q nonchalant whistle. I" It's something
entirely new on the programme, and
ought to take"
ltsomebody dom take us for burglar
izing church, I'll be satisfied" laughed
Larry Conners the fourth of the quar-
tstte that had busted upon the road,
slid out Of the hotel window after dark
With their instruments (ali the va'ua-
bles hey hadl, leaving the landlord
minus for three days board, and were
"hrofng2 it back to Chicago.
:" No danger Of that" answered Char
ley, but it's an entirely new wrinkle
in the minstrel biz is a church theatrical,
and ought to draw a crowded house."
!" Yes" said Johnny Lyon reaectiyely,
I've heard Of an orthodox dissen ing,
and even a militant, but never my
thing like this before.
Evcnpf ~ s,.4 NIL N
one that was church up stairs, and a
saloon be'ow, and on the pillars of which
Edgar A. Poe is said to have written:
THERE'S spirit above and spirit below,
Az spirit otiay and spirit ofwoe;
The spirit above is the spirit divine
And the spirit below Is the spirit Of wine."
Larry.
"Where2 In the churchT'
i, No, you fool, in the gin mill. ]
ntyer was so dry in my life" etes
Wet, you mean.p
Yes, outside, but dry as powder
house within.p
No matter, we are in snug quarters
i0r The night, and can take things com
for u.s. = 80 ~ : ' -
g I'm not going to freeze, anyhow
searching around, Charley found
sIcEe; pile of wood, and by the aid o
matches as and unused programmes of tn
9reat and unrivaled Congo Minstrel
anu un'pproachable delineators of Al
icAh character ETC., ETC.. he soon hal
leheertul fire, and the boys we're gath
sred round the roaring stove, and in
pense.
they were what is (was) called ,
snap company though the term wa
s,ncoined then, for it was in the earl,
nays OF burnt cork artists in the West
M sIa country. The original Christy'
sMnlnstrels, ~ with "Neda at the head, ans
Heorge" atthe end. had made theirfirs
sat to hicago, and the boys were wil'
sith delight. Everybody who coul,
snunh string, draw boy. manipulat
uohes beat Deacon skin and sing a
~ tune, fancied they saw an unworke
snn y. ma ot.untQld wealth and waded iI
me 'Songo's were among the earliei
70 u take the field and leave it. Wit
aiisndated instruments, old songs, gsy
ana cons = very short aliowans
II money and large stock of assuranc
saey started out to astonish the nativ'
oau rake in their pile. OF their origin
SSseupatlons S one was a printer, one was
ss gsu'cners sub, one general loafer, ar
ne other bar-keeper, and through Il
Satt1lng Sst OF the first named, they were i
sooeed Tor their bills -and always won
With advance agent and treasur