The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-14
OLD TINE MTNSTRELSY.
THE MIDDLE MANS" STORY Or
HIS BURNT CORK CAREER.
with the Chri.ties Thirty Years Ag"-lhs
DAYS Of Small Salsries-A Disastrous
Tonr In Cuba-IIvinc Several Days On
Five Craekers-Besfing "a Ride.

Days of Small Salsries-A Disasfr"h
Tour to Cuba-LivinG Several Days 81
Five Craekers-Beafing "a Ride.
A genuine Old timer in the minstrel bus
ness IS Joseph w. Norcross. the lovial inter
locufor of the iIavcrly- Cleveland MINISTRIES
Mr. Norcros. is not very old IN years onl'
nbout g. bnt there are few wh01o term 4"
service il, the ranks of min,frclsy apprcaclc
All. f. was lust about fhirtY-two year, ne
that he blscsod himself np aud earned h'
first dollar ns q mlser Of iau-hs IL TOOK
cool many laughs to mako dollar 80 th"-
t DAYS. and backing np vas not then the sinpf
operation 20 D. today
! Now. carefully prepared burnt cork can %
purchased ready Cor use by the barrel. hu
/ the dark faced artists OF third ~ a cen'ui
AGO Thought burned wool rlHi enough Zoo.
Thorn lie had an excellent alto voice ani T.
ta.te for instrumental music. md nai r1f
something Of a reputation from l~fiofn'
ances with amateurs Assuming ihe nam
Of Joe Nofrio and purchasing 'ia.onceH"
be ORGANIZED "a minstrel COM .lF IN' of
.an1ati0n was SHOWN Sharply aTi so
ri.., mfu-trrls. and included seven perform
.rs The Instruments ~ the orchestra "oi
isfel OF a violin. banjo. vi0loncelio and D."
bone
50 ENCOURAGED was Nr Norcross with hl
success that Do iS'9 he joined tho c"mnn'
controlled by William ami Byfam Christie
SONS oi the original Christie.
MAT IMP ID CUBA ASD BACG
IT, next joined the .Eolian musircls anu
,na,ls "a tour Oh cuba and Mexico Tho per
lormancrs w.rs given under canvas, aud th,
company. meeting with financial reverse,
reduced expenses 5Y dischareng all the can
va. men and ma.ilg the stage star. perform
fh,'r duties. HacJy Iart called for "a salary
1i s1Da week s'merhnr really en1ruous tur
those days il5 nls win the company 81.
months. during which timo horcceivel ok
0ctiy two weels salary paid 80 numcrou
lsia.iments
They Lli many adventures during thei
N,Hcan tour lf was me- the time 81 tho re
billion. aud while playing az nasald ASA
Iatamous pass was obtained from th0
coliederao. allowing taem to cross tho river
and .l0a boo Brownsville SIR Norcr0es ha.
That pass in uH p, .-slol today Whom thc
.lmp1ly desired % return t0 tho United
states ve-si was chartered ~ take them o.
Sew Orleans fl WIS expected that the voy
$50 wound De- snpiishri n less t.wn Csc
ngs cd only provision, enough i0r tha.
myth ol tme were tasen Contrary winds
lI dead calms heightened the VOYAGE %
Aearly two wcsss and they would certainly
aaye starved nld they nat fairn "a with
-uali schooner from which a barrel ofcrack
ar5 was obtained The crackers Were OF
laxican make. balf foot square. nearly as
h.rk through and hard as brick They
Fcro equally divided among all on board.
Och receiving I've
Whom Mr. Nogcr0ss and biz company
re1rhei New Orleans they were dead broke
Without dollar between them. four ex
members ol the bankrupt minstrel company
set ont from New Orleans for home IL wa
3 remarkable journey, and can best be told in
he words oil SIR A0rer0-, said he.
We went aboard the steamer Ruth, which
sas bound up taa Mississippi 10 Cairo, where
$50 hoped % lind another boat which would
carry Us O. Cincinnati from where we could
take tho cars TO Philadelphia. I oxplained o.
le captan ouratItooi finances, and be- agreed
.o give ns our passage DC $50 would help pat
'le cargo on board Having served as can
,usmel. we aI nor mind hard work. and
hustled tho bl.ei of cotton about with suca
good Wil that tle captain soon eqliei us upon
e-f md said ue hlIdola enough. Weeayo
d concert that night and pleased tho captain
80 much that we were given statcro0ms ".
continued to entertain tAe pa. encefs. and
shen $50 reached Cairo wer0 pre- auted with
4 purse of $50
"llearuedtrom tho steward that thesteamer
Darling, which was then about % leave tor
'ncinnati, was nun by splendid sort OF PEG
'.e, 50 determined 70 try aaI get passage /
without paying for D. | went To tho captain |
With tho recommendation 90 the steward and /
.sled him Of be would not svo us our pas /
aSo 10 exchange Tor musical entertainments /
g turned out that She steward was thorough
y hated by our captain, wuo, la great rage (
ciusel ms request
Tie sad Chat tAe steward tried 10 pass oily 4
10 him 0ll tho dead. beats he could rake up.
jue OF my companions was clever piano .
Ilaycl and just heloro tho boat was 20 start
10 began % performance upon tho steam cal
.Ope uu instrument with which all Mssis-
IppI river boats were then provided. So
aerrily did he play that tho captain heart
Vas s0iteIei and be Informed us tia, we
eed not go ashore
TIE nAXED LANDLORD