Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-11-03
THE CLEVELAND WILSON COMBINATION DIS
 BANDS.
Made Their Last Appearance At Mont gomefy, Aia.---A History of
 Their Troubles.

early this season came to grief at # Montgomery, Ala, on Saturday, # Oct. 29th. A prominent member of $ that late organization is in our city 2 today and the following facts we learned from him.
 @ Geo. Wilson who has been prom jnent minstrel star with Primrose &5 # West since the failure of his own company four years ago, started in @# to organize q minstrel Ecompany for the present theatrical season. The many failures he experienced while managing his own show made man. agers hesitate in dating his compa- Inv. Hemet W. $. Cleveland in New York, where Cleveland fgave Wilson to understand that he (CleveIand) \ eontrolled the bookings for good eompany and that klaw and Err Iangar. tla ~ II f'9t.vn booking smanagers wao control many of the Reading theaters over the country, were his personal friends and would book company controlled by him in all their houses. Under these con dltions Wilson associated himself Eith Cleveland. I t seems that Will sOn possessed all the money while Cleveland furnished the gall. Aug. Ist, the Geo. Wilson Model Minstrel and W. $. Cleyeland's s Massive Min Strels were launched upon the public 8ea, heralded in big letters as two blg shows in one, two performances Simultaneously.
 N 1t was apparent that all of one Of These performances and part of the EAther previous to their appearance ln this city, were lost.
 On Aug. l2th the Al G. Field aiin- strels were to appear at the Grand 0pera House at Dayton, Ohio. The Nleyeland- Wilson two simultaneous Blows had a date there some three &eeks later. Mr. Cley e.aAd, the Ma 4oleon of minstrel managers, con- Hived the idea of pushing Fields Minstrels off the earth. His masto pnic head would not have room on Frth If any other minstrel organi- ption. excepting his twb simulta- tous shows, existed, We learn from e member Of the Cleveland Wills n hA ic fh1s pnpany played at Dayton to less Ran $500 house. He also said that newspaper men had told him Rat the Al. G. Field Minstrel had med away people three weeks pre- pus. This gentleman claims that
 troubles of the tx 0 simultaneous
 Ws began at this point.
 ! Louisville, Ky, they had oG-
 ption with the Fields Minstrels
 m, and the business of the two
 lltaneous shows was nothing. , evansville another fierce battle
 waged. AS usual the Gle vein ad-
 eon show suffered. Billy Emer | ard other prominent members
 them at that place. Their
 'oles continued. Cleveland issu circular, sending it to numerous
 es of Elks and other fraternal }. clatlons. The circular was in
 ed to iniure Al. j Fields per
 lly,
 was a boOmerangf it seems, for
 business went from bad to
 e' Performers and musicians
 hold the show after the first
 uhti' they would receive pit
 to pay their hotel bills.
 snow was virtually stranded
 ]" Orleans; their gross receipts
 eitire week was not su lIicient
 nsport them from that city. 5. ahd by hustling ana wish the trends, succeeded in leaving < 0fieans. At Nashville, Coat fS 'sa' Atlanta and Knoxville the ha1 uh fairly good business,
 gave them q longer lease on
 p'tr Sth, CaIeedo. the wire
 Fr' left them in disgust. This
 ''e drawing card of their per
 nce. After this performers , us'clans received less money
 on1gomery, Ala, they breath x last. Cleveland took the re- 'nd Jailed to give his people
 sntly pittance. All the per oiankly refused to perform
 a'ence became restless an,l
 threatened the arrest of the