The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-04
HAS HAD A LONG CAREER
A Talk by George Primrose of
Primrose and West.
OLD DAYS OF MINSTRELSY
Its Decadence Due to the Farce Com
edy Companies - Minstrelsy to
Be Successful Must Keep
Abreast of the Times.

George Primrose of the Primrose &
West minstrels. who will be at Ma
CURES opera house tonight, has had
a long and successful career as a per-
former and manager. His first appear
ance in the West was probably Is or 20
years ago. when he was associated with
william III. West in a company known
as Barlow, Wilson, Primrose & Vests
minstrels. George Wilson. the
dian with the present was a
member Of that organization. MIR.
Primrose, when in a reminiscent mood.
likes to dwell upon the good old days
of minstrelsy.
THE of minstrelsy. IL il
may be so described" said Mr.. Prim-
rose, lis due to the farce-comedy COM
panies. which lave combined the vaude-
vile and minstrel performers. That Is
why there are so few minstrel compa-
MES in existence, our company being
the only one of Importance in the coun-
try. 1t is not because the public is tired
of Ministries. That is shown by the
success we have met with. We play to
the largest audiences that theaters can
hold in all parts of the country. There
Is no form of entertainment that is more
popular.
Some of the most popular perform
ers in h field of farce-comedy are
from III minstrel stage. Willie Collier.
who is making a success of the Man
FROM Mexico that recently appeared
in the West, was a minstrel until a few
years ago; Mathews n Bulger, who
were out here a short time ago; all of
Hoyt's comedians are mostly graduates
of minstrelsy: you can hardly find a
prominent comedian in farce comedy
who has not been BACKED up.
The f-arce-comedies as well are the
old minstrel one-act farces worked
over; that is, the business of the farces,
for which the performers are, for the
most part. responsible. is taken from
the minstrel acts
I'VE frequently are told that min
strels are not what they used to be-
This statement is made with a sigh of
regret by some old-timer who remem-
bers the MINISTRIES as they were when
he was a boy. The average citizen who
has passed the 40-mark will recall with
Keen delight his first minstrel entertain
ment; the first performance of black
race minstrelsy. 1t is a pleasant m
preston. He objects to the tinsel and
elaboration of the minstrel entertain
ments of to-day and will declare that
they are not legitimate. He wants to
see old-time MINISTRIES. as he terms 1t.
1t is safe to predict that il he were
to see the minstrel performance of his
boyhood's days he wou be very much
disappointed. The recollections of child
hood are h brightest in memory. A
VIII recall a running brook that
him When he was a boy: he
has not seen any streams since that
were as charming: in which the water
was as clear, or the grass as green along
It's banks. He may recall a rock on
which he used to fish when a lad. 1t
was an immense rock as he remembers
II. He has not seen any as large since.
But let this man go back to the
scenes of his boyhood's days, and visit
the stream that charmed him then. He
viii be sorry he made the visit. One of
he flowers of memory will be DESTROYED.
He will find the brook to be a very COM
monplace affair; just The same as any
other everyday brook: the rock which
seemed 80 large will be an ordinary
stone that is found along the banks of
my stream in the country. He finds
that as he o at the scenes CT youth
through the eyes of ages the charm
has vanished.
1t is the same win ne old-tlme
The people do not want
hem. The entertainment would be a
disappointment to old All ycdng. The
I'D gentleman who remembers the MIN
'trels of his youth vou!1 declare that
I was not the same show.
"Mfnstrelsy. like everything else. to be
Iuccessful. must keep up with the times.
would be very glad to present such
In entertainment as we gave IL years
lgo. l could do il at one-fourth the
of the show we give now.
mo, the old-time minstrels, as hey
re termed. Will never be seen again,
or the who attempted il
would soon be forced into bankruptcy.
{ would be like the minstrel show that
Bill Nye used to tell about. in which
he performers ~outnumbered the audi
nee two to one"