Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-12-31
NEGRO MI STRELSY.

NEGRO MIN STR BETSY
THE INFLUENCE cHRisTYs TROUPE
HAD ON ITS FAME.
John b. Cough, Edwin Forrest and
Joseph Jen erson Appeared In Burnt
Cork ~ Thomas ID. Rice, the Man
Who Created Jim Crow.
Negro minstresy today has settled into
a regular thing. People 30 to a show, en-
JOY it, memor'izc the gags. work them
off with an unconscious and spontaneous
air on less fortunate friends, and then
wait for The return of the show to lay in
u new supply. But there was a time
when minstrolsy had a beginning, just
/ like the earth and Adam and Eve, and it
was beginning with a boom, and every
thing else gave way before it.
There is some disagreement as to which
was the first minstrel organization, but
undoubtedly it was Christy's minstrels
that first spread the fame of the organ
lied troupe and made an impression on
1.-THE country. And az for its impression
OH the old world. where the band made
4 its home for several years., Thackeray
himself stands witness. Christy became
i Synonymous with the word minstrel, as
4 my own cx poricnoc we'll attests
\ minstrel in this country has the salts
faction of knowing that he is working in
IA kind of amusement that is the genuine
product Of America suppose, however,
that Shakespeare put the first negro on
the stage Ga Moor to him was a negro,
but Oihelo was not Il minstrel, he played
a heavier line Of business. From almost
the beginning Of American stage history
there We're negroes of the minstrel varie-
ty unprecedented On the stage, though it
was not until about the forties that they
were organized into bands. Some of the
greatest actors os later days had their
experience al; nliiistrels, among them doe
Jefferson ana Igtlwiu Forrest.
Forrest was given d negro Song and
dance act To do when he WIS Very young,
and after he had studied it up he asked
where was the '.old negro lady" that was
to act as Lis assistant in the piece. The
mana cement tried several of the women
who We're members of the company. but
none of them would consent TO blacken
UP, and,sin fact, they were very indignant
overt the proposition. The actor, however.
WINS net easily discouraged, and on the
Il night of the first performance he black
ened upsend went around the corner 10 an
old negro woman who did his washing.
'IIellc, Dinah".' he said on entering.
How You be er feel;n dis berry fine
Il ehening2'
Hello, yo'n, replied the african lady.
Pears to NE yo' am er berry fresh mig
ger
re no niger. answered Forrest
And then. time beng rather Short. he as
s,,,ncsl his natural voice and told Din;ih
much ID Her surprise tint he was For
resi-. the aeto,.. aud that he wanted hel
to 90 81. the Stage with him that night
ana laugh loudly at frequent intervals
which was all %thc female part called FOR
The two made q. great hit and were KEEP
on for some time. which goes 10 shpv
5 that Forrest might have been a gooe
minstrel had he been OF an ambition
: nature.
: The point is TINT when the nlinstre
bands wara taking On character ans
{ shnnine themselves for the future lin
women refused to take part. which
i without being ,ngaIlant think wa
instsas wen.
g 1'he minstrel organization as it is
known today was brought about bv III
wortierf,i success that cert ain men n, Il
I, ~ ,,g,;,..;3l,,al, ,fosr az tl,nsa ,,,, :, 1.
hut ait,,Iy remembered today. One 3
= them. curious 10 relate. w.as John
Cough. afterw:.rd famous as a temper
4 ance orator. Another Was the fa,no,i
Thomas u. Rice. whose Jim Crow Ee
longs 10 tl,e history If nations. II9s
! Jim Crow found his wav.sn tiie stage
~, ,,fa,,aet; "a, -, f th,.% star,. ~ =, +,
str1lsv.
i, III Isos wllilc Rice was doing 4 srsa
negro aet at lie I.oilisvills ,seater, i
hapuersd ia leuk our Of the back vii
dow. which faced a stable kept llgs an ol
and brel;en down negro called Jim 0'ros
One Of Grow s shoulders WAS much low
3. or than tie other. his left leg was sti
and croaked at tAe knee 50 that vine
he walked he wel.t up aud down in
q, most lnGierons fashion.