Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-23
JOLLY "PONY,, MOORE.

From the Philadelphia Press.


a Fortune In England.
Prom the Philadelphia Press.
Amongst the upper-tendom OF London Boz
hemanism. and in sporting and dramatic circles
In that latter-day Babylon, there are few better
known figures than that Of George Washington
Moore, dear to his intimates, as to every burnt
cork artist In the profession, as "Pony" Moore.
New Yorker by birth, and an American to the
backbone, Mr.. Moore may fairly lay claim to
having been the first man to recognize at It's
full value the principle of out-advertising all
competitors In the race in the amusement
field for popular patronage. Some fifteen
years ago, in conjunction with Messrs. Bur-
CESS, Croker and Ritter, at time when
negro minstrelsy was at an exceedingly low
ebb In England the original Christy minstrel
troupe was at the time disbanded, and Burton
and other managers were roaming the provinces
with inferior artistes, playing to poor busness),
MI. Moore boldly leased the lesser st. James
Hall, Piccadflly, and. gathering around him the
best available talent In the business established
permanent Christy Minstrel Company in that
weli-known fashionable resort. Everybody said
that the doors would be closed amid financial
disaster within the space of few weeks but
Moore and his partners went to work and out
advertised everybody in the theatrical musical
and variety business In London, and before wear
had passed away the st. James Hall, known
from one end of England to the other as the
Zone OF refined negro minstrelsy, was without
any exception, the most popular family resort in
London. Later on, as the Moore and Burgess
1sais who never perform out of London"
their reputation became worldwide. While
the comic element as represented by the banjo.
bones and tambOurne performers, and the
sketch artists were retained as leading feature
of the entertainments, the ballad singing was
elevatedby the employment of such writer's as
9 i inh md
graceful couplets of these skllful versiiers were
welded to appropriate music by some of the
nrst musical composers of the day. Henry
RaWlinson, Stanley Grey and other sweet
toned tenors Were not above backing their faces
and rendering such well known ballads as THE
Harbor Bal" Sweet Hawthorn Tree" and
score OF other plantive ballads that fairly took
London by storm, and to-day Moore and Bur-
CESS. his sole remaining partner, can boast that
they nave, In addition to amassing enormous
fortunes, performed a feat in management hith-
erto unheard Of in the annals of theatrical and
musical enterprise. For nearly fifteen years
the st. James Hall has KEEP. up one continuous
sound winter and summer, giving an evening
performance every day except Sunday, and ma
tinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The only
break has been one Of six weeks, while the hall
was undergoing complete internal reconstruc-
ton
Mr.. Moore ohatted on theatrical matters for a
few minutes with Press reporter at the CONT
mental Hotel yesterday. His present visit to
America Is owing to the fact that some time ago
he executed q will in New York, leaving his ex-
tensive property In the Empire state to his wife,
Mrs. Moore died last December in London and
the existing state Of the United States law as
affecting willis, rendered it necessary, for the
protection Of his children's interests, that he
should execute a new will In this country. He
Is also on the lookout for fresh talent Tor st.
James Hall, and purposes concluding summer
engagements with several artists before he re-
turns to England. When asked how he
thought Henry Irving would succeed here,
Mr.. Moore said: 81 have not q doubt as to
his scoring great success. I am by no means
sure that the Americans will accept his rendition
OF Hamlet and other Of Shakespeare's characters
as being equal to the work Of Booth, Barrett
and other American actors, but every member of
and the support will consequently be so perfect
that think pronounced success Is q matter Of
certainty. Again, the costumes, stage setting,
and the most minute details, whenever and
wherever Mr.. Irving plays, receives an attention
that has effected q complete revolution in stage
management. That Irving himself ia a great
actor is past question no doubt. Whether his
mannerisms and methods will please the critics
here experiment alone can demonstrate"
"How will London play-goers like Mary An
dersOn, do you Think"
''She will catch on instantaneously. Now,
Just watch and see II I am not right. She is
fortunate In her support, too, as O'Neil goes
over with her. Her style will capture the Eng
lish right off. Now you see lit does not"
"Have American actors been doing much in
London of late?"
Not much. The Fun on the Bristol COM
pany have made money, but only at second
Class theater5. They were wise to play at that
Class of houses; In the fashionable theaters they
would have lost money"