The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-30
VETERAN EXPERIENCE.
What Yankee" Robinson
knows about Shows.
His trials and triumphs in
Rock island

yankee" Robinson. the veteran show
man was in the city yesterday and related
some of his early experiences as caterer
to the amusement loving public to an
ARGUS representative.
NV first move in the show business
said Yankee" was in August 1915. AT
that time started out exhibiting picture
called 'the raising of Lazarus" 1t didn't
cost much to run it, and as the patronage
was fan, by the time Christmas had arrived
| was well fixed and decided to make a
change For that purpose | sold out the
picture show and bought a coffee house in
st. Louis My coffee house was adjoining
little hall where dramatic performances
were sonnet lines given.
ON ONE OCCASION
the proprietor produced Richard III and
| was asked to impersonate one of the
characters. / did it but the audience felt
saddest whenever / was on the
stage AS an actor of Shakesperian
roles | was not success.
had the stage mania and made up my
mind to try my luck in minstrel show.
gave the first performance in ST Louis, and
q
of us, but in those days that was consid-
cred big troupe. | started out on the
road with my miustrels and continued in
the business until the following June. AT
that time l struck June & Turner's circus
and made an engagement with them. They
engaged me to do the minstrel business af
ter the ring performance was over. This
lasted for two seasons. During the winter
taught dancing, and in "49" started Il
dramatic tent show called the Robinson
Family | came to Rock Island in that
year and also in 1851, when the Bowers &
Robinson circus was the attractive feature
of the season.
EXPERIENCE IN ROCK ISLAND.
When l visited Rock Island in
1857 my partner attempted to cheat
me out of the circus and big
time followed that was not generally adj
vertised. The show was sold, and | was
left high and dry. BY some means a single
wagon was saved, and | was obliged to
winter in this city, gave dancing lessons
in what was known as Lees Hall, and also
turned my attention to the drama. l rent
ed the old court house and arranged the
court room for such exhibitions. A TEN
porary stage was erected and the benches
were utilized for the audience. After this
was accomplished | commenced my search
for actors. They were very scarce in those
days. c. B. Waite, now a judge of Chica-
90, was induced to play Claude Melnotte,
and another old settler named Silas Her
rington took the heavy villain in a. piece
called THE Aged Witness"
The orchestra consisted of a violin and
the violinist was obliged to perform on the
stage as we'll as handle the bow. 1t came
awkward at times, but then the people
didn't seem to mind it, and of course the
management was satisfied as long as the
public didn't grumble.
Well that amateur business was broken
up by the stage giving way on one occa-
sion, by which one of the actors, A. S.
Banks, had his nose hurt. After thatRoc
Island could not supply any amatuer
actors"
LATER DAYS.
After leaving Rock Island in the spring
of $50" with six wagons and circus tent,
all of which he had made while wintering
in this city, yankee" Robinson continued
in the tent business until the fall 80" AT
that time he was in Raleigh, and the wal
breaking out he found his sOubuquet OF
Yankee" anything but taking card with
the southern public. He became frighten-
ed, and left everything at Charleston, and
returned TO New Ork. lie commenced
the dramatic business again, and managed
to start circus in 1865, which he maintain
ed with varying success until 1875. when
he sold out and commenced starring tour
TO piece called the spirit of 10" Dur
ing the summer he travelled with circus
in different capacities, and is now repre-
Senting Coup's show; He states that next
fall he appears under the management of
Chas. Forbes in new play entitled ASA
Bassitt, which he says ''is a pretty picture
of an American flreside." He will pro-
badly visit this city during the winter, when
an opportunity will be offorded him to
show what he can do as an actor.