The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-18

IF any one went to the Ell<s' min
strels last night with the expectation
that he would have to rely on ludricity
for his laugh he was greatly and
agreeably disappointed. There was
much in 1t, of course, that was up
roariously ludicrous. 1t was intended
that there should be. A local talent
minstrel show without it would be fiat,
| stale and Improbable. But this fea-
ture of the entertainment was by no
| means predominant Some of the num-
bers were of the professional standard,
and none of them that aimed at clev-
| erness were lacking in that quality.
One of them, the competitive cake
walk was without question the best
| thing of its kind ever presented here
The staging of the performance was
| quite as elaborate as anything at
tempted by the leading professional
| companies and in everything that came
under the scope of the stage manager
! there was nothing amateursh. In
setting, costuming. arrangement of the
| programme and all that sort of thing
| the show was particularly commend
able, and when it had concluded at II
| O'Clock there was nothing but the
| warmest praise for the manager,
Thomas d. Van Osten.
THEATRE WAS PACKED.
| \Every seat, box and loge in the
house was filled and many were stand
| ing in the rear and along the sides of
the parquet. 1t was a friendly audi
| ence, of course, but it was also a thor
oughly amused audience. 1t is no rash
| statement to say that more laughter
was never crowded into three hours in
the history OF the Lyceum.
| To enumerate the noteworthy fca-
| lures would mean a repetition Of the
| complete programme Some Of them
more than others might be mentioned
as having won especial applause. First
in this category must come "DeI' Sim
rell in the cake walk, and then comes
the cake walk itself. Not only is It
side-splittinC to the danger limit but
artistic beyond all expectations.
The participants are j. J. LOTUS and
V. A. Smrell Frank j. McCann and r.
A. Ruddy, j. NJ. Corbett and John Gar
man, Emil Schimpff and Tom Carroll,
w. L. Holbert and Ike Brown, Alex.
Schreifer and p. r. Madden. Alex.
| Dunn was master of ceremonies. BY
vote of the audience the contest was
narrowed down to the first two couples
and finally Mr.. Mccain and Miss
Ituddy were awarded the cake.
Leo Coyne's speciality, Hello. My
| Baby" Thomas d. Van Osten's inn
| personation of Sousa, with the assist
| ance of Bauers band, and Mr. Ely's
| whistling speciality were the three par
| ticularly clever numbers. Mr.. Coyne
and Mr.. Van Osten We're each, recalled
| three times and at that the audience
| was not satisfied. Mr.. Ely came on
| unexpected and unannounced to take
the place of Pianist Linder, who at the
last moment disappointed. He gave a
| speciality that was fully as clever as
his Lazy Bill' in the Home mnstres
| THE TOPICAL SONGS.
In the topical songs Emil Schimpff
| and Will Weichel did most creditably.
| Their hits were well put and they sang
with good effect. Large luscious bou-
quets of rhubarb. radishes and other
fragrant spring-time garnishings tied
with the most impossible e-hued ribbons
were acknowledgements to the topical
songsters from ex-Sheriff Robinson S
box, where the irrepressble Billy
Craig occupied front seat.
| musical uulllDtlS we're
rendered by the Elks' quartette, John
| r. Watkins, Phil Warren, Dave
Stephens and John T. Evans. and f.
| C. Hand and w. j. Allies. The latter
two and Messrs. Warren, stephens and
Evans rendered ballads with chorus
| accompaniment. 1t Is only necessary
to say that the chorus singing was one
| of the most praiseworthy features of
the whole entertainment. The ability
of the soloists is too we'll known to
| need mention.
Dave" Reedy's mOnologue was
| bristling with happy hits, and was
| cleverly done. Charles A. Hartley's
ventriloquical contribution to the fun
fund was one of the most liberal Of
the evening. The finale to the first
| part. Polly McGJlligan's Band" was
positively bad, but as it was intended
to be such. it must be recorded as
| being the most eminently successful
thing of the evening. Buck dancing
by w. j. Dunn, was a pleasant diver
sion preceding the cake walk
SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS.
| In the opening carnival where most
| of the harm was done the performers
were: VIII Weichel, Emil Schimpff,
j. NJ. Corbett Emil Weichel, +. J..
| McCann, w. l.. Holbert, V. y. Simrell,
Leo Coyne, j. ID. Ecrber Tom Carroll,
! Alex Schrefer, II. \. Ruddy, John j.
LOTUS, Alex Durk, Al. Rose p. f.
! Madden Fred Smith and Ike Brown,
the first nine manipulating the tam
bourines and the other nine, the bones
| Gene Strong was the interlocutOr and
good one, He also acquitted him
| self most creditably in the funny af-
| terpioce, THE narktown Swelrs Ini-
| tiation." Messrs. Mccain and LOTUS
burlesque of a song and dance team
| in the closing piece was one Of
| the good things of the show.
Assisting the end men i'm the chorus
| singing We're u. Moses, Sam McEachen,
NJ. p. McCann, NJ, II. Higgins, John
| Atkinson, VIII Collins. II. j. McTiGhe,
| Thomas Reynolds and w. II. Logan.
| Bauers full orchestra assisted.
The performance will be repeated
! this evening. and in the near future
will be given in Pittston and Wilkes
| BARRE
After the performance last night the
performers were entertained by T..
l