Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-28

as n humble Niger, and one of the end
men. When John Raynor and his partner
took the Christy Minstrels 20 London
Pony" was not one of the troupe which
opened at the st. James Theatre in 1887.
They did badly, the boys having 90 sell or
pawn even their clothes: but at last the
Duchess Of Sutherland extended her
patronage TO them and their success was
only matter OF time thenoefOrward. They
wired 20 Moore to join them. and he came
over in 1859 rs n tambOurine man. The
troupe then consisted Of nine performers.
Moore became one Of the partners; met
with Mr. Burgess, got him TO fight the
ehancery suit which occurred in the strug-
gle 90 wTest the title Of "Christy's" from
the troupe which had split of from the
parent band, then bought out the other
partners End TOOK in Mr.. Enrgcss.
What rs your most popular song so far
as you can rcmcmbcr?N | asked.
The moro popular among the scnti-
mental SONGS ne answered without mo-
meuts hesitation. was On, would We're
bird sung bv Robinson. The greatest
comic hit was the Nuiiigan Guards and
'TGpioca.' ] sang il for over ten years.
The next approach 10 this is he Whist
ling Coon which my son-in-law. Eugene
Stratton. Is now singing nightly II il only
al old medley OF mine worked up into the
whistle"
You have always managed to outdis-
tance rivals?"
Yes. we have had the largest bands in
the world with az many as q hundred per-
formers. have had many troupes try 10
fight me but most of them have gone
broke"
TIE BANJO.
The banjo is getting rather popular in
this country, isn't ityn
9" IL is becoming a very popular instru-
ment. The Prince of Wales plays 1t and
hear his daughters are learning It. You
see whereas il was originally nothing but
pumpkin-head stuck through, it has
now become quite a scientific instrument,
and you will find one in almost every good
house now"
What is the secret Of your success?"
"All nv men are art SIS in themselves.
never allow one Of them TO be dummy.
As for the boys of course ! have all the Ca
thedral chorIsters 10 pick from, and
have turned out at least fifty Of my boys
thorough good performers. | had rather
discover q voice at any time than singer.
Give me the voice and I'll soon make the
singer"
Does minstrelsy grow or wane in popu-
larity?p
well. my theatre holds over a thousand
people and is always crowded At the same
time the new-fangled smoking concerts IN
terfere with us rs with all other classes of
entertainment"
You have no trouble in getting fresh
talent?"
NO, I discovered IL tor myself. My bass
singer could not sing q note when took
him on. | get hundred letters IN the
course Of a week sometimes from c0ndi-
dates. chiefly from amateur troupes. some
of them are queer chaps, too, who can't
do ANYTHING nj all. We cannot resist lark
with such at such times, making them
dress up and black and sending them of
so. One we bucketcd with water IN order
that he should sing the Bay % Biscay
more realistically and then left him 20 grope
his way out in the dark
In further conversation Mr. Moore point
ed ont that nj Englishman can never per-
senate with much success the genuine
characteristics of the southern darky.
The London comedians always drop
their his too much. and that's letter
the niger always uses. Moore himself
doesn't know "A note of music. but hc has
composed over hundred melodies. lie
picks them out on his banjo or with one
finger on the piano and gets his musical
director 10 do the rest. one can rarely
drop into the Moore House without find
ing some pet Of the public, some famou-
entertainer, but on the 9Th Of July all the
talent of the profession assemblies 10 dane
and reye and SEQ the fireworks display, for
things hum on that day from early morn
ing till the succeeding one.