The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-17
AuId Lang Syns Famous Ar
lists in Cork.
These Who Brought the Terpische-
rean Art to Perfection.
Popular Melodies Sung by Former
Public Stage Favorites.

that tho darky "Juba'' had learned much
In his art. Those who witnessed the
marvellous proficiency Of the latter say
that he was beyond question the very
not only OF wonderful and unique execu-
tion, but was also OF unsurpassed grace
and endurance At the time when he
performed at "Pete" Williams in Orange
street, New York, those who passed
through the long hallway and entered the
dance hall, after paying their shilling to
The old darky doorkeeper, whose "box
office" was plain soap box, or q wood
en- one OF that description, saw this pho
nomenon. "Juba, initiate all the dancers
OF the day and their special steps. Then
"Bob" Ellingham, the interlocutor and
master OF ceremonies, would say: snow,
Master Juba, show your own Jig. -
Whereupon he would 60 through all his
own steps and specialties, with never
resemblance IN any OF them to those he
The best in the profession danced there,
rs we'll as Juba. A most amusing feat
ure OF the entertainment was the comic
"walk around" given In true darky
style, with the lean, the fat, the tall, the
short the hunchbacked and the wood
enlegged, all mixed in, and hard at it.
Ii was from one-legged performer
there, whose second leg was a wooden
one, that Dave Reed learned his cele-
brated "stif" leg steps.
. White at the Melodeon, No. SO Bowery;
his place was taken by "Master Marks, 4"
as. II NJ Carroll c"Dick'') was then call
ed, when, In 1876, Juba went to England
on professional tour.
AN OLD VETERAN.
One OF the oldest veterans in the min
strel business, and who is still in active
service, is "Dayen Reed. Everyone
knows him or has heard of hun; every
one respects him and owes him a debt OF
gratitude as faithful, amusing and COM
petent servant Of the pubic. Those who
know him in his private life are fond OF
him, with his genial, simple, frank ways,
talented family. They are the Reed
Birds, " and one and all of them appear
every once in while on our metropolitan
boards, when not 'on the road" in
amusing musical sketches and dances.
No one has ever equalled ..Uncle Dave''
dances are known the world over.
1t was in 1851 that "Davev first
brought out his famous song and dance,
.Sally, Come Up" One Mackeney, an
Englishman, had imported it from the
old country and sung IL here, but with
indifferent success. ssDave" first fancied
and learned the air from hearing some
one strumming 1t on the piano one rainy
day In the hotel in Rome, n. Y. All he
could get was one verse and the chorus
"a
from the Heenan-Sayers tight So "Daven
put in verses of his own and played IL
first son the road" with Woods min
strels, then with Hooley's. At first it did
not seem to go very well, so he improved
the dance with certain comical and char
acetristic movement of the hands, by
placing his elbows near his hips and ex-
tending the rest OF his arms at right
angles TO his body, with the palms OF
his hands down. This, in connection
mi h ltnr
himself at odd times, Ia front of a long
looking-glass in the theater. The NOM
ent he produced IL with these additions,
which he had learned from the negroes
when he used to dance on the steam boat
the Banjo on the Mississippi River, the |
act took like wildfire. The success OF his |
hit caused him TO perform 1t continuous |
Iy for three years. George Swayne Buck |
ley took 1t up afterward and did it ex. |
ceedingly well.
Dave" sang, after that, many songs
that became popular among which were
"Nancy Fat and my Polly Ann" He
first danced at the Half Way House on
broadway, between Grand and Howard
streets, where the old stages were wont
to stop to water their horses. In those
and "Coddie- e-Co-Dinko- Bim,n - two of the
Oldest songs in the business Later on he
performed at the Stuyvesant Hall. His
engagement with Bryant's minstrels was
'for life, but he outlived all the three
"Shoo-Fly" is said to have come origi-
nally from the Isthmus OF Panama, where
the negroes sang ''Shoo Flyn and ssDon't
Bodder Me" antiphonally while at their
work. negro from there, Helon John
son, took ii first to California and taught
the song to "Billy" Birch. "Dick" Car
roll and Others also had versions of 1t
which they performed. Delehanty and
Hengler had theirs, too, and used to sing
1t as an encore when with Bryant's min
strels, slipping on old dresses over their
heads in the interim of the score. 1t was
from hearing them that "Dave" and
s'Dan" fancied the song. "Daven fixed
II up with dance, and original version
thereof. 1t was rehearsed secretly, and
when the time came they "sprang it, on
'the boys" of the company one evening
IN public, with "Come and Kiss Me" as
an encore. Ii was bowling success from
the start, and "Dann Bryant had print |
ed the next day at The Herald Office 20, 900
notices, which he gave TO the company
and Others to scatter about the town
where ever they went. Horse shoes with |
Q fly on them were put In odd and con-
spicuous places, even on the telegraph
wires, and in no time the public was
crazy over the act and "business was
great. >, T.. NJ Hall has version with a
ending "Shoo Fly" etc., $50 WAY.
NY, III cut your wing.
AN EFFEcrIvE DANCE.
A peculiar and effective dance, in which | ,
Dave" Reeo participated, was one where
the performers had q section OF cocoan ut .
attached to each knee and to each hand ,
and on the breast. These they struck to-
gether in time to the music and In connec-
tion with dance. 1t was, of course. !
known as the "Cocoanut Dance" and
was well received. The cocoanuts were
made OF the same material as balls for a
bowling alley-lignum vitae. 1
Thomas ID. Rice, who was born in New 1
York in 1S0S, was the "original Jim ! a
Crow" He took his pattern from an old | Z
negro he had watched from his back win {
dow, and even borrowed his clothes for I
IN effective and accurate presentation OF
The act. Rice was one OF the very ear q
lest delinoators of negro character, and ! I
bad in his repertoire DANDY Jim OF n
Caroline" which was also done by "Bar- [
ney" Williams in old days, when he (
played "tambourine' as end man. {
Dick" Pelham, too, Is to be classed {