Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-12
JIM CHARLES,
George Washington Dixon, the Father Of
Negro Ainstrelsy and Author Of
the ''COal Black Rose,"
And Charley Smith, the Scene Painter
"reminiscences Of a Night that
Closed at the French Market.

the cool, soft breeze that bic gently from |
the river. As day dwindled away glorious |
night, clear and starry, set In, and still L |
wandered in all the delight OF leisure, |
happy idler. 1t was the spring of 1861, and |
consequently before the war had left its sad |
reflections to embitter the contemplative mo- |
ments of SO many of our people.
Toward 10 o'clock ,fatigued by my long ram
BILE, walked into the Phoenix saloon on st.
Charles street to take little necessary re-
freshment and TO have little chat with
Andy Parle, genial fellow and unsurpassed
master OF the hospitable art. Scarcely had
raised the glass to my lips when in came a
figure known in years that had h-d with
other years to the ever receding past-the
figure of one who, like myself, was IAN old
stsger." 1t was poor Jim Charles, veteran
in he profession, and whose talent, in his
palmy days, was not more admired than his
amiable qualities were esteemed. Pleasant
was our mutual recognition, and an invita-
ton 10 smile" was heartily accepted, when
by one of those condolences that occasionally
occur in lie, still another "old stager"
Joined Us. 1t was Charley Smith, no longer
Charley the dsshing beau, but little later
edition of that prince of good fellows. 1t
wa. Charley, "the lean and slippered pauta-
LOOM" His eyes lighted up with something
OF the old FIRE as he found himself unexp ect-
eddy the third of what had become a trio OF
old stsgers, and a new order set Andy at
work, and he did his mixing with will, for
he fully participated in our satisfaction. But
fate had not yet gone to the bottom OF its
surprise box, for last, but OIL not least, at
that moment George Washington Dixon en-
tered, and the trio became quartettel The
old four!
The pleasure of 30 unlooked-for an assem-
blsge could be equaled only By the wonder
il excited by its occufrence-it was an in
stance OF a link in tine chain of events when
the fortuitous outmasttrs the Intentions of
calculations. Four old stagers, all of US sin
the scar and yellow leaf," full of kind feel
ings toward each other-all of us had seen
life under many phases, and whose memo
ries were trimming with a thousand incl
dents, sad, rscy and merry, were thus thrown
together in that snug corner in The PE@oix.
Fret was Jim Charles, once gay, dashing
fellow, "the glass of fashion and mold of
iorm." He had Just returned from Shreve-
| port, where had managed dramatic COM
pany; the war breaking out had destroyed
| all his schemes, for just then nothing but
| what was warlike could be made "io pay"
From his youth upward Charles had been
an actor. While yet young he married the
( divorced wife of Thomas s. Hsmblin. They
had son and daugler, both of whom were
reared in Memphis. Jim Charles was one
| Of the first managers of q dramatic esiab-
| lishmeut in that city. Along with Dave
| Ash he conducted the theater at the old
/ church on Washington street. He afterward
became a leading an with Ludlow & Smith,
| at their the aters in st. Louis and New Orleans
| He was very much liked, both as an actor
| and a vocalist. He was Irish by birth, but
/ came to this country when a boy and grew up
| to manhood in New York. While residing
| in that city and being very popular with the
young men, he formed a company of volun-
| teers, the LAFAYETTE Guards, OF which he was
captain. When the "cruel war" deranged
his dramatic prospects, his poverty, and not
/ his will" sent him into the army, and his
old skill coming to bis aid, he went "on 10
| Richmond" as drill-sergeant with the CAL
houu Guards. He fell ill after serving a
| year and shared in several engagements, and
1 left the army. At Richmond he formed a
company, comprising Miss De Bar (sister of
BENZ, VIM. H. Crisp and others. They met
i with much favor. At the cessation of hos
Utilities he returned 10 the scenes of HE child
hood and resided there with his brother till
his death.
The second of our company, in the order
Of their arrival, was Charley Smith. When
young Charley was splendid young fellow,
handsome, with magnificent hair and fine
black eyes. He was for many years a scenic
| artist for Ludlow & Smith aud James s.
Caldwell; he always drew fine salary, but
he committed the common error of expect
ing youth to be endless, and in thoughtless
profusion his money melted away, and on
the night of our unlooked-fer meeting he
was homeless, frieudless and pennilesF.
His wife and son had gone before, and
poor, kind-hearted Charley was left alone in
this finiy-hearted world, feebly hobbling
/ about with his stick as his only support
| Charley was New Yorker by birth. He
was originally sign. painter, but became a
member of an amaeur dramatic company.
| Among its members were George Jameson
| and Tom McCu,chen, both of whom became
| professionals.
| Charley painted the scenery, and ended by
| adopting it as business, aud it was by as
sisting him in his art that came TO know
him in the heyday of his prosperity. He
/ was fine artist, and was 30 recogniz ID after
he became resident of New Orleans. His
son died early in life; when his wife was
also taken he was left desolate, without an
| engagement and without dollar. Charley's
last sigh was breathed in the Oh arity Hos
| pital.
George Washington Dixon was a man of
varied fortunes, 50 strange that faithful
| narrative of his adventures would give an
| idea of American life in the middle OF the
| nineteenth century such our literature
| does not possess. He was from Petersburg,
Va, aud more than u ually good looking.
George was the first man 10 raise negro min
strelsy to that hight to which it attained and
| which il long maintained; he aud n gre song
spfahg into iaVor from MS tlnsing OIL Inc
Coal Black Rose" He was adj
mired, applsuded and very well
paid. But G 'orge was as generous as
prince, and his pocket WAS a sieve; nothing
was too good for him, and The shining hour
was all too brief, as such gay, careless mo-
mems are. He was fine ballad singer, and
in $50, when the grand demonstration in
honor of the French revolution of that year
| took place in New York, he and Pste-
R;chipgs, hsbited rs French Chssseurs, in
toned he "Marseillaise" before a multitude
wild with enthusiasm. S,m. time after this
event George went to Boston, and by
strange turn in fortunes wheel, he there be-
came politician. So successful was his new
role performed that the singer CT "The Coal
Black Bose" came only short of eight votes
of bsing mayor OF the city of the Puritans.
"One man in his time plays many parts"
and notably some negro minstrels. His next
position showed that, as is usually the case,
political appreciation had wrought moral
deterioration, for he was in New York, pub
fishing scnrrilous newspaper, the Peiyan-
thus This was in 1S39-40, when Fanny
EIssler was delighting the good citizens of
this country. Dixon's writing was less for
tunate than his singing, for dozen of his
countrymen, instead of applause, award
ed him verdict OF libel, and a
respectable public official was sem
fenced TO pay a fine. George had not the
money 10 pay lOf SUCH luxury, duu the hue
baIlad-singer was sent up to Blackwells
Island for six months at hard labor. Here
toas q change. Almost the mayor of Boston
and now 10 run a wheelb ,rrow IN a striped
suit. These were warnings that the North
ern climate was not his congenial sphere, so
he made his way TO New Orleans. But, alas,
the faint of the Northern politician was still
upon him, for he started publication-lhe
Police GGzette. Withered was "The Coal
Black Rose" its perfume, that had charmed
thousands had gone, and in IFS place a-Po
lice Gazcttey Poor Georgel The fates were
hard upon him, and on he glided along the
descent the poet describes a. being SO facile.
On the night when he made the fourth in
our accidental quartette he was obtaining
living by keeping n cofee-staud in Poydras
market. Many of the old citizens remember
him, and how be used to walk about in
blue coat with epauletted shoulders and
eagle buttons. The simplicity of old age
came over him and made him garrulous, but
the frequenlers OF the market usually en-
joyed chatting with the old man, for there
was q spice of salt about his remarks that
insured attention and always amused.
Among other misfortunes fate had inflicted
on George was that of having been born too
soon; misfortune that was irrepsrable. II
was said that George had a faint OF nj gro
blood about him. Had be been born some
what later, with his talents, he would have
ranked higher than the ablest of his peers.
West Point, the United States Senate or
6rstclzss ambasssdorship, would have rained
4 al L. q 81. Ira ~ L..