Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-27
A COMEDIAN HAS SOME FUN
Dressed as Verdant Visitor, He Spreads
Laughter Through the Town
Looking for His "Uncle Abner"-His
Appearance at the Hotels
Crowds Follow Him.

| The face Of fair Washington was SUM-
dered by smile and ripped I'D into a.
yawning grin last night. The mirth
stretched from 18th street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue to 18th and New York ave-
| nue.. with the storm center in the Riggs
| House. Crowds were following a man. He
looked like a Reuben rare. and about him
| chung the perfume of hemlock bark and
maple sugar. The Pied Piper of Hamelin
could net have struck the people harder.
Folks shouted, Gee whizz" what is it,"
| 'Turnip top" rs 1t alive" whoa Hish,"
Julius Caesar. look at it," "Hah! ha. no,
no"
The man was William Vino, the comedian
| hayseed impersonator," famed in the stage
| world as THE Jay Of Bethel
| The Star man met him last evening, and,
in response to a proposition from Vino ITO
| guy the town., said: Let her CO."
| MIR. Vino was costumed as the typical
| stage rustic from wayback. His shoes were
| almost too big for the sidewalk laced with
| leather thongs and sawed off short at the
| tops SO that blood-hued wealth of red
| yarn socks showed up. His narrow trous-
ers reached within almost a foot OF the
| pavement and tapped around midway be-
| tween his knee and ankle. His coat was
Of the most approved rural style and his
| shirt was Of brown and white be6tick. He
wore white turn-down collar. and glor-
| iously gory-colored necktie. He had a white
| hat of the fried-egg block, and from under
| this his long. uncut. ill-kempt hair fell in
| matted and tangled masses over his ears,
eyes and collar: a pair of exaggerated
rested benignly on his big nose. In his
hand he carried carpet bag, with a rope
| handle.
| His clothes seemed to have shrunk or
| to Awe been outgrown. His countenance
was straight and immovable and his gait
| was that of a man who has spent his life
| in walking over ploughed ground. He would
| lift his shoes several sizes too high, and
stumble over the slightest obstacle. His
| football could be heard on the next square.
| Mr.. Vino is a good comedian. and as he
| has studied his special part for years and
| acted II successfully for similar period.
he was well fitted to guy the city.
1t was $50 when he said to The Star
man, Let's get out. Now, you keep a
| right distance from me and don't know
me worth a cent"
The Crowds Gather.
As the alleged countryman shambled
across the avenue a newsboy gave the
alarm by yelling, "Hully gee! look at the
| jay" Then the circus began. Men and
women whom ne met stopped and turned
round to look at the strange object. Then
| they would begin to laugh and would say.
| Il wonder where he could have come from"
Some people turned around and followed
\ MIN. Many Olun I KNOW WhSlESE tEty
should laugh or turn in fire alarm. They
| usually did the former. At 18th and the
avenue. while the crowd was staring at
him. and people had run to the shop doors
to see the marvel, just as he stepped OF the
sidewalk something tripped him and he
fell He seemed to drop In all directions
| at the same time, and his carpet bag rolled
half a square. That was too much for the
street corner gang, and 1t exploded. They
attempted to assist him to his feet. but in
a strong nasal twang and with pungent
down-east dialect he told them, that lie
| reckoned he could wait on himself. With
his head thrown back and his shoulders
forward, he proceeded Mp the street totally
oblivious to the commonts OF the crowd in
his rear. He invaded Wizards first The
rotund clerk with the glistening head vas
behind the bar. Everybody IL the Office
clustered around the stranger and the peo-
pie came out Of the billiard room to see the
freak.
Looking for Uncle Abner.
The Jay stopped about six feet short Of
the counter and said in his quaint New
England drawl, Are you the man that runs
this hotel?" mo. sir" said the clerk, in a
puzzled and giggling way. "Well. you work
here, don't your Yes" ken yaou tell
me WHARF Abner Hicks lives. Abner is
my unkle. Father told me I'd find him in
Washington" Where. No. 40" No.
ha," shrieked the crowd. but the jay didn't
seem to see IT. Whats yer manner" said
the clerk. Willie Taylor, Bethel, Vauer-
mont Bethel Is twenty miles the other side
of White River. Abner runs the farm leNt
to fathers" drawled out Willie Taylor.
lis that the post office up there point
ing to the letter boxes. Have you a letter
for Willie Taylor Get on to the jays
coat?' asked another. II was in Balti-
more at hotel. a brick hotel with a lamp
out in front of ii, / paid - cents for
lodgin and a man in the next room told
10 nd oh ara
of ii, and he gave me a check for it," Willie
| pulled out his pocketbook large size shot
sack, with a draw-string at the neck, and
| the mob howled; but Willie didn't seem to
| know it. After some talk with the clerk
he concluded that the prices at willard's
| were somewhat higher than he had been
paying and he was directed to the Owen
House. One kindly man in the crowd Of
| and another man wanted to take up a col
lection. The owen House was invaded, hut
the bartender was anxious to get rid Of The
crowd that was in the wake Of Reuben,
and directed him to next door.
Sending n Message.
| The next point of attack was the Western
Union telegraph Office. DO you send tele-
| graphs here?' Yes" We'll / want to
write Uncle Abner a telegraph that 1 got
| here all right" "Where?" "Jaybird, Vaou-
ermont" No office at that point" well.
you just send il. Alb. will get it," After
| varying attempts with the pencil, which he
| anointed with his lips after every letter,
! he wrote this dispatch:
u Abner Hicks
Care VIM Taylor Jaybird VT
| Willie Taylor
Telegraphic rates were too high, and ne
compromised on a postage stamp which a
bystander gave him and sealed the dispatch
| In an envelope.
The Riggs House next. rs this a hotel -
| 1T is the Riggs House. rs he in /?
What do you charge a week for board?'
| The hotel was full. "kin-kin l get lodgln'
| here tonightT "Whatn IL cost?' 81 ="
| Gee whizz I'll give you a quarter" Some
| OF the wise young men in the crowd
| were telling each other. Hes an advertiser
| for cigarettes" NO, he amt, he's adver-
| Using SOAP. Hes a bunko man in dis
guise," said another.
Just then a morning paper reporter came
up and began to interview Willie on farm
Ing and agricultural things. and Willie was