The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-09-27


n was the first man to "a je negro min
!" streisyAto a high standard. He ana
negro song sprang into favor from M
singing of the "Coalblack Rose" Ht
was admired, applauded and well paid
But George was as gorgeous as aprlnce
and his pocket was sieve nothing wa;
too good for him, and the shining hour
was all too brief. He was line ballad
:. singer, and in 1880, when the grand
revolution of that year took place IN
New York, he and Peter Richings,
habited as French chasseurs, lntoned
the "Marseillaise," before multitude
q wild with enthusiasm Some time after
Z this event George went to Boston, and
q by strange turn in fortunes wheel he
there became politician. Sc success
fully was his now role performed that
the singer of 'Coal-black Rose came
only short of eight votes of being mayor
of the city of the Puritans. "0ne man
IN ms time plays many parts" and
: natably same negro Ministries.
| His next position showed that, as is
usually the case political association
had wrought moral deterioration, for
) be was In New York publishing sour
rIious newspaper = Tim POtyanthus
This was in 1870, when Fanny Els
sler was delighting the good citizens OF
this country. DIxoh's writing was less
fortunate than his singing, for a dozen
of his countrymen. instead of applause,
awarded a verdict of libel, and a respec.
table public official followed the verdict
with sentence to pay fine. George
mad not the money to pay for such a
luxury, and the ballad singer was sent
up to Blackwell's Island for SIX months
at hard labor. Here was change. Al
| Of i
run wheelbarrow in a striped suit
These were warnings that northern
climate was not his congenial sphere, so
he made his way to New Orleans. But
| alas the faint of the Northern politi |
clan was still upon him, for he started |
a publication The Police Gazette. |
Withered was the Goal black Rose" |
its perfume, that had charmed thou |
sands, had gone. and in its place "a
Police Gaeettet Poor George! The fates
were hard upon mimi On the night
when he made the fourth in our acct
dental quartette he was obtaining liy-
drass Market. Many of the old citizens
remembered him, and how he used to
walk about in blue coat with epau-
letted shoulders and eagle buttons. The
simplicity OF old age came over him and
made him garrulUuS, but the frequent
ers OF the market usually enjoyed chat
tlng with the old man, for there was
spice OF salt about his remarks that in
sured attention and always amused.
Among other misfortunes Fate had
lhlcted on George was that of having
Detn born too soon-a misfortune that
was 1rreparable. 1t was said that George
mad faint of negro blood in him. Had
he been born somewhat later, with his
talents he would have ranked higher
than the sablest of his peers. West
Point, the United States Senate OF a
first-class ambassadorship would have
ralned their honors upon him. One +
defect he had that might have marred !
the proud course of his career "as q 1
man and a brother" had his advent to /
this reconstructed sphere occurred some
decades later; he was honest; with all
his faults, he had this great virtue emf :
nently-a great bar in the way of mod
ern advancement. Like Charley Smith,
poor George Washington Dixon, the 4
.ather OF negro minstrelsy, died in the /
New Orleans Charity Hospital. Ifa de- n
served tomb stone is ever raised to his F
let it bear the inscription (
Born too Soon" Ii
hat spring night at the Phoenix, u and | "
leenly we relished the recital of anec- =
tote and the revival of recollections of
luld lang syne, as we drank and talked
md fought our battles DER. It was lin
ne wee sma' hours ayant the tWal' " b
Vhen We bid the warm-hearted ANDY | 8,
Goodnight, and even then we could not Oh
art but paced the silent str cts in ami x
mated conversation, until four clock u
ound US at the French market, whore Gt
re took our morning cup Of cafe noir. II
nd reluctantly parted.
As ID proof of the kindly feeling tina:
xisted in these mems hearts, NAV I add
ne relation Of an incident at parting.
'lxon was the first to go away, shaking
18th all, and last with Jim Charles, leay. In
lg in his hanI as he did so a dollar. clc
harles held it up towards US, and his Oc
dice was shaking with emotion as he be
aid, See what that good fellow has
one!" and with touch OF the pride of Oc
y-gone days he added: "But am not
ithout money; | am better off than he
links, and l will find him tomorrow
nd return the the money. Till then let 80
i'm feel as man ought TO feel who has
one good action"
This was our last adieu. We never
let again. That sweet, starlight morn
lg in New Orleans, that chance meet We
Ig. those too swift hours, that friendly Sc
1ItJ nave ever SllCC DeeD ueeDIV
-sfted on my memory. As write / Io1
} not simply remember It'll live il
yer again; l see those kindly faces. l saI
ear their voices, CHEEKY with the ex- sid
tement of the unexpected meeting,
Ieir animated countenances, their mo-
entary silence, as they heaved sigh
the memory OF some old actor gone
'er the river" Their bursts of laugh {
T when some old witicism was remem- pin
red and told once more, before it sank @6
to endless oblivion; the generous re!
ance of Andy, as he sympathized with 2.5t
cry touch of emotion and laughed re- q Il
oAse to every mirthful EXPRESSION lei
ese are all before me now. The TIE,
ought of that night has become Z
cred, for since then death has sancti- rou
ID it by moving with hallowed scythe am
ose who were my companions. They 4.2C
.dbeen thoughtless intheir lives, butnot s
cked; they revered virtue, and were 65
It insensible to those pure truths that ives
e talked of in 1.-THE Little Church Ian
'ound the Corner " But the curtain 9
lst fall upon my treasured scene-my
,ital OF it may not point moral, I"
it might adorn tale,'