The age-herald., 1898-10-14
A MAN-oF-wAR's MINSTREL.
The Performance That the Cincinnati Sail
 ors Gave at san Juan.
From the New York Tribune.

San Juan, Porto Rico-Almost immediate ly after the signing of the peace protocol the United States cruiser Cincinnati en- tered the harbor as an earnest of the desire of the American government for a success full termination of the peace negotiations. Although apparently the relations between the Americans and Spaniards who live here are of the most friendly character, the regulations of the navy require that the precautions usual in time of war should be kept up in the strictest manner. Conse- quently the men who have been behind the guns since April 2l remain there yet and never is there a moment, day or night. when a call to quarters will not ma around each of the guns the men who would serve it in the event of action None of the packies receive ''shore liberty,' on account of the large number of-S spanish soldiers in the city, and altogether the en- listed men are having hard row to hoe. In order to lessen the strain on the men Father Chadwick, the chaplain of the ship, who is well remembered as the chaplain of the Maine, is constantly seeking to provide Advertisement which will give the sailors something to think about. At time these entertainments take the form of in- formal concerts; at another games Of sklll are contested on the deck and occasionally races among the various boats crews are arranged. Last Monday evening, however, the good priest essayed a more pretent1ous entertainment in the shape of minstrel performance by the "U. $. s. Cincinnati Minstrel Troupe" i'-
 For several days there had been myster-. ious conferences in the -"foo'sle,' and, while some of the ships company were in the secret, by far the greater number were kept in ignorance. Occasionally a blue- iscket " ould e seSr addressing th, chaI- lain and showing him piece Of paper on which there was something written that would bring a smile to the chaplain's face. Then, far off, in an out-of-the-way corner of the ship, could be heard the sound of deep voice essaying a song to the accom- paniment of the ships piano. Other signs of the times there were, especially down in the salroom, where the ships tailor was fashioning a couple of gaudy suits out of such material as came to his hand. Finally, when all the preparations were finished, 1t was announced that there would be minstrel show; that admission would be free. and that several hitfArto unknown geniuses would make their svt public ap- pearance on the only real American stage in Porto Rico.
 Willing hands from the ''carpenter's gang built the stage; others decorated 1t with the victorious Stars and Stripes and the vanquished red and yellow, while men from the engineers department provided the lighting arrangements, and by the time "colors" was sounded the otherwise grim looking man-of-war had assumed sort of al fresco appearance that, was to say the least, unique.
 The audience which greeted the minstrels as the curtain rose was large and distin- gushed gathering, numbering, as it did, nearly all the Americans at present in the city. First and foremost of these was ,iva1 1.f. there was delegation of officers from the cruiser New Orleans, besides the comple- ment of the Cincinnati herself. Two Amer ican women graced the assemblage-Mrs. Philip Hanna, wife of the United States consul at San Juan, and Mrs Trllmbull White, the wife of a Chicago newspaper correspondent. The rest of the audience, barring several newspaper correspondents, comprised the ships company and a num- Der of bluejackets and marines from the New Orleans The American women. how ever, were the real centers of interest, for few men in the assemblage had seen countrywoman since the war began.
 The programme was the usual one in a performance of the kind, and what 1t lacked in quality was more than compen- sated for by the gusto with which the performers entered into 1t. The jokes, as a rule, were local" and they bore a good deal on the chances for the ships return to America. After farce "Black Justice," Cue programme, db pIlHteu cdlleu IOT "Tuiule. No one seemed to know what "Tuiule" meant, and every one present ex- pected a novelty. The treat was denied to them, however. and the curtain went down with the singing of "Auld Lang Syne." It was afterward explained that the printer, a Spanard had made 'bull' by printing '.fuiule' for finale" though the managers of the entertainment say that the printer could not be held responsible for the error, which, they say. was. due to the unique chirography of Naval Cadet Edward MeIn- tyre, who provided the typographer with copy.
 Naval Cadet A. B. Heating. of the class of '90 drilled the minstrels in their songs and played the accompaniments, and T. F. Welsh acted as stage manager and inter- Iocutor While the performance was going on the guns crews remained at their posts, just as they were in hostile harbor; the watch officers patrolled the bridge and decks; the lookout was at his proper sta- tion. and not one detail usual during time of hostilities was neglected