The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-22
WYE LA LEMONADE.
A Chat with Manager Wright, of Hav-
erly's Company on Minstrel Top
les, Particular and General.

There never was more mistaken idea
than that minstrel men, as rule, are
vulgar, loud and obtrusive lot off the
stage, said Manager Fred E. Wright, of
Haverly's American and European Mas
todons, TO an ARGUS reporter last night.
Eyes, | dare say the people may have
had just cause for forming the idea in the
past, but different state of affairs exists
now. Good influences have been abroad
for some time, and now minstrel men
generally are as gentemamly a lot of fell
lows as one would care to meet"
Il have observed" suggested third
party, that MINISTRIES are very easily in
tluenced for good and bad. Let someone
of gentle and firm character who appre>
ciates their little short cOmings, and who
is clothed with authority, set them good
example, and they follow 1t naturally,
apparently unknown to themselves
That's true said Mr. Wright, for
instance, young fellow, and good per-
former, too, joined our company a short
time ago; he was loud and uncouth in his
manners to a marked degree, in fact he
came pretty near the popular idea of a
/ h., Of ha
hotel was crowded and the service was
not so prompt as one could desire. All
the boys, except this one, were very
patient, and beguiled the time with inn
proving versation. The new man
growled as though he wanted to spoil his
appetite, and when one of the waiter girls
passed him on her way to another table.
he shouted after her loud enough to dis
turb the equanimity of the dining room:
Say, what's the matter with that steak |?
We're here for supper, not for breakfast.
At the first opportunity | tapped the
young man on the shoulder and spoke to
him in kind, fatherly sort of way:
Now, said ! to him, that is
no way to act in the dining
room, particularly when you are speaking
to a lady Why, what am doin'Y he
asked, getting rather ugly. Well, said |,
you have not just now been acting like
other members of this company, and your
actious are liable to create an impression
to the prejudice of your companions. If
it has been the custom of the company
you were with before to address walters
after that fashion, ii is your &tllt But
a different state of affairs exists in this
one, and you will do me a favor if you
will observe your companions, and cory
their demeanor as nearly as you can. By
exercising a little patience, the time
elapsing between your order and the ar
rival of your viands will not seem SO Ions
in passing OF course he demurred f.,
trine but my little lecture took effect
the good influence began to work forth
with, and now he is fitted to act as mon
itor over those who set him the example
He is one of the most energetic worker,
in our Temperance society.
Tell me something about that society
Mr.. Wright, requested the reporter; how
,, does the good work progress?'
''Nobly." said Mr.. Wright, with quie
enthusiasm, We have now twenty
seven members on the roll, with severa
candidates in the pickle, to use Saliva
ton army phrase. Mr.. Norcross is pres
ident, and a capital one he is, too. Why
!, the executive ability of that man is wor
thy of a bigger, if not a better, cause
We have received letters of congratula
ton and encouragement from Revs. Henr
Ward Beecher, Dewitt Talmagc and sew
eral other noted temperance advocate:
both lay and clerical The progress c
the work is duly recorded IN the prom
nent total abstinence organs. The meet
ings are frequent, though necessarily il
regular"
How are they conducted
8 Just the same as in any similar OIL
st ganization- not particle of difference
If We proceed in parliamentary mannr
e, with the business After that is tram
J.. acted impromptu speeches are mad
he There are some very good story tellers
e, the party, and We never run short
ID something to entertain us. Occasional
re some one gets up and tells what he's bet
d through-relates his experience in fac
- Told in much the same manner as bt
ID unbosoms himself to his nearest fema
+, relative, and these experiences are We
es interesting The business is conduct,
IS with all due Seriousness and dccorun
Of Every one works for the well being
the society
DO You ever have any back sliders
ID mo sir. There are no whilom habi
al ual drinkers in the society, None of L
lie dare say, ever INDUCED for the pu
love of liquor-merely for sociability
h, Sake. That kind of sociability is liable
y cause a man to neglect his business
ne hence the society. Several occasions tn
III some people might think could not
e. celebrated without cracking a bottl
ic present themselves, but we manage
get along without cracking it. VII,
at johnson, Slavin and Bowles were lea
III ing the company at Bloomington. III