New-York tribune., 1895-05-24
AN EXHIBITION OF SOUTHERN LIFE.
"BLACK AMERICA" TO OPEN TOMORROW AT
AMBROSE PARK.

Another attempt to amuss the public on large
scale will be made this summer at Ambrose Park.
which viii open for the season tomorrow after-
noon The entertainment Is called BLACK America
and 500 Southern colored people are announced 10
take part In It, The managers announce that II
will afford more music. mrth, merrment for the
masses: more fun. jollity humor and character.
presented in marveIlously massive lyric magnitude
for the millions. than since the days of Cleopatra
1t s well understood OF course that Cleopatra VINO
was also an African. provided almost boundless
mrth and merriment for the masses, and that too.
In massive lyric magnitude bu. 1t might require
some special research In the history OF public
amuscmcnts to determine whether any OF her fell
low-managers since her time have reached the
standard OF BLACK America" Whether It's equal
can be found this side OF Egypt and since the be-
ginning OF the Christian era. not, BLACK Amer
lea" has doubt many interesting and entertain
ing and some instructive features.
The attempt is to picture the negro life OF the
Southern plantations in much the same way that
the wild West delineated Indian and cowboy
life. The colored people who have been Drought
from the South for the exhibition all live on the
grounds, and their cabins naturally form q part OF
the show They are actual log cabins and all their
exterior and interior arrangements accord with
their models. There Is good-szed cotton field. and
there is a cotton gin. OF the style of 1872. which will
be shown In operation The work OF picking cotton
and tobacco. and preparing them for market VIII
both be illustrated. In corner OF the grounds
IS an encampment OF the 9Th Cavalry.
Two entertainments each day will be given In the
space inclosed by the big amphItheare. This Is to
be largely musical. II would be impossible to say
from the rehearsal that was given yesterday wheth-
or the 800 people advertised actually present,
bu. there were certainly a great many OF them.
They made long professions when they marched
around the field. and they made a large crowd when
they all stood together The chorus singing had a
fine volume and showed the quality OF voice that Is
characteristic OF negro music The selections are
also supposed TO represent negro music. but this
they do to only limited extent. Among those which
were sung yesterday were my Old Cabin Home"
John Browns Body" Marching Through Geor-
gia Tramp. Tramp. Tramp. the Boys Are March.
ing" My O.d Kentucky Home" and America"
will be, observed that not one or these u gen.
uine neg-o song. and that the most OF them make no
pr.tence whatever Of being so. Few OF the real
camp-meeting ana plantation airs were sung, but
there ought be far more Of them. and they should
form a much larger proportion OF the who.e pro-
grammc. II said that only small part OF the
whole entertainment was given at the renearsal
Yesterday. II H. TO be- hoped that when the music
is heard as n whole II Will have more character.
and will better r.presen, the marked and interesting
hoped that a threatened amazonian march Will be
aba ndoneI II H. hard 20 see how II can nave any
place in truthful exhibition OF the negro life OF the
south
The buck and wing dancing entertaining
feature OF the programme yesterday. The dancers
were numerous a nj many Of them skl.ful The cav
alrymen also performed credtable eyolutions. con-
sdering that Their horses were comparatively un-
trained when the exhibition Is fully In order II
viii have much to commend II.