The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-27
TWO THOUSAND THERE
An Immense Audience Sees the
Modoc Mlnstrels.
PRETTY GOOD SHOW FOR TEN CENTS

9SAn&En& ana O3mCAAS EOCOG0S AOE
the Louisville Trip.
Brownie minstrels made a hit with the
Topeka people. They held the boards at
Garfield park last night Fully two
thousand people attended the perform
ance. The paid admission amounted to
1877. Besides this there were enough
complimentaries and necessary help to
swell the number present to 1000. The
audience was in fact too large to be &C
commodated. The old dance pavilion
served as a stage, and the park
benches we're grouped in a cir
cular form to the north of it. while
back of these were circus seats. The
seating capacity was perhaps 1900. On
the rear of the platform the green rooms
were erected, consisting of two tents and
a roofless enclosure.
At 500 Jake Falls, to use the express
sion of an end man, 'began to reach for
de ribs OBJ de piano" He played the
opening march, and the great and only
Modoc Brownie minstrels were IN opera
ton. From either side of the enclosure
the Modocs marched forward. The
eight end men were in the lead Then
came the Brownie kazoo band of ten
pieces, and the ''band played on" The
end men went through a very pretty
little drill
With a "click, click" from the end
men, the entire aggregation was seated
as by electricity.
Swartz was the first end man of the
bones on the left. Next to him were Al
Fowkes, Will Cassidy and Captain A. A.
Rowley. Lew Wood was the first end
&bo IN
Fred Kingsley, Oscar Woolverton and
Charles Upton. On the first row besides
the end men were fonr brownies ana the
Lotus quartette.
On the second row there were F'eleven
brownies, ten of which composed the
band. The extra one looked pleasant
Charles Upton made some good jokes
and made hit Swartz, Upton and Al
Fowkes have been on the road with min
strel aggregations, and did some good
business. Fowkes sang the popular song,
''Girl Waited" in way that pleased
everybody. His monologue was good.
The Lotus quartette, consisting of
Messrs. Shirer, Holman, Anderson and
Smith, appeared in evening dress. Mr..
Shirer sang Mr.. W. F. Roehr's popular
ballad, "Amorita," and the quartette
joined in the chorus. The solo was very
fine. but the song does not seem to be
we'll adapted to quartette work
Oscar Woolverton had a "josh"
on Tom King all ready to spring.
but just before the opening of the show
he lost confidence in it and ordered the
"josh" cut out
why is So and-so's soda fountain
like a young girl?" asked one of the
funny men.
Because they are both a dam-seL"
"Whah would you go, Mistah Nc
Ginty, if yo' broke yo' knee?" asked
Fred Kingsley.
McGinty thought he would go to a
doctor and have it attended to.
NAH I'd go to Africa, where the ne
groes" said the tambo.
Nov, whah would 20 take yo' wife if
she broke her knee?" again queried
| Kingsley,
"Orn give it oop," said McGinty.
"To Jerusalem, where the Shee--ny
grows"
The end men were dressed in striped
| blue and white shirts and duck trousers.
! They all wore negro wigs and had any
| amount of black grease paint on. Oscar
| WooIverton was a typical plantation
! negro. Captain ROwley was funny, and
at the same time catchy. The following
is one of his verses:
Your eyes is like de diamonds
Dat Sam Radges wears about,
Your mouf is like melon
Wifi Il slice cut out;
Your cheeks am just as rosy
As de new Hop Ale that's here
| And your Twilby feet bigger
Than the corn crop raised dis yeah.
The Brownies were dressed in tight
| fitting brown cloth suits and caps. Their
faces were thoroughly .smeared with
brown and white paint.
Swartz aud Wood had an act together
| in which the latter was % q
ballet dancer. They gave some living
pictures up to date, among which were
| Liberty Enlightening the World" "The
| Darky's Dream" and adam Tempting
| Eve"
Miss Burroughs plays the cornet ex-
ceptionally we'll. Her solo was encored,
as was also the from bone solo by the only
original Prof Jackson.
"Swim Out O'Grady" was we'll sung
| by Chas. Reeske.
The Wyatt sisters sang a quartette
number which was excellent; one of the
! best things of the entertainment. Some
of the jokes made during the olio were q
little too broad and were criticised some
| An amateur show should always be kept
| clean.
The show was closed with the much
{ talked about burlesque bruising bout
between Coroner Bailey and Bert Lucas
Oscar WoOlverton was the time keeper
for the match, and Swartz the referee
In a few words, the latter announced
that the programme would close with 2
three round prize fight between Coroner
Bailey, the lightweight champion of the
Modocs, and Bert Lucas, the champion
| lightweight of the Elks. He requested
that the audience keep as quiet as pos
sible. Then the heroes appeared amid :
thunder of applause.
Lucas, smiling, took the seat on the
right side of the ring, while the coroner
with determined look, stepped nimblJ
to his seat on the right. The
swipes entered and began theiI
| operations. Time was called anC
the principals and seconds rushed to the
! center of the ring Each pair shook