The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-12-13
I'M 'ENDENTS'
"GRIDIRON'
Third Annual Entertainments
Successful Conclusion We'd
neSday Night.

Drills In Program - !" Pr ofess0r -
I CarrelI, I'D. F." Sturgls, ..Andy''
/ 0uerin, 'Lias zimmerman now
Heavy Purchasers Of "Dr.'' Whites
!. s.Invigorator.
The third annual minstrel enter
Etainment of Independent Hose Com
pany was given in the Lyceum on
Wednesday night and as usual pack
ed house honored the Oldest fire or
ganization in Morristown. That In
dependent Hose Company occupies a
warm place in the hearts of Morris
tonians and their fellow firemen was
evidenced by an audience which was
one Of the finest ever gathered in the
Lyceum; Boxes were taken by dele
cations from Resolute Hook s. Ladder
Co., Washington Steamer, The First
Ward Hose Co., of this city, and a
score of good-looking firemen from
Summit with Chief Muahmore, Ia
former independently at their head.
4 The rehearsals had been under way
for sometime and barring length the
show was successful from every stand
point One of the features Of these
entertainments is the opening scene
when nearly the entire company ap-
pear in pyramid form in full uni
form, with black face, and shiny
eyes, Hanked by eight end men ar
rayed in manner which would have
put even Solomon to shame. AS the
curtain rolled up chorus was we'll
rendered to the familiar strains OF
Auld Lang Syne:n
l"Shonld old cuuaintance be forgot
and the Independents too,
4 For fear of such thing as that we
are here again on view.
We're glad that we are here again
q and gladder still that you
Have come to see our faces black thus
proving you true blue.
l"You've suffered once, You We suffered
twice and you must suffer more,
For we have got you in the house and
guarded we'll the door.
Now stand our music and onr jokes
be brave and true like men,
And pr'haps we'll let you 60 to bed
hard by the stroke of ten.
Orange, the company color was no.
ticeable in the stage settings, and
} also in the make up OF the shining
lights of the company, which included
the front row of curiosities'i with
several from the perch. y
| Prof. Voss, of Newark, with his
orchestra under the direction of j.
| Fred Runyon, musical director of the
company, gave the accompanlnlents
in a charming manner while the over
ture and orchestral parts were rend-
cred in manner which called forth
repeated encores.
| Where the number OF those partici-
pating is so large it is hard to parti-
oularize. The ballad singing of Vance
and Dobbins was fine, while the
comic, selections by Carroll, Hoffman,
zimmerman. p erson, d. f. Sturgis. and
Brown we're of style that could not
help but excite your admiration what
ever the effect might have upon your
nerves. These singers are possessors
of remarkably fine voices that would
certainly bring fame and fortune to
their owners if they could but dis
cover the channel for which they els
adapted. But seriously speaking, they
did we'll with their singing. and were
aided very efficiently by their arms
and legs which should, of course, re-
ceive share of the praise. The jokes
were principally of local character
and most of them Lit the members OF
Independent Hose Co., few of them
however, went astray and struck
some of our fellow citizens. All who
, were not hit enjoyed the minstrels,
some who were hit enjoyed them
more or less. A telephone upon the
stage proved an attractive feature.
Every time it rang the interlocutoi
sent one of the end men to answer it,
Once he asked Mr.. Pierson to ring VI
265 Madison, and that gentleman at
tempted to get Madison, with result
so familiar to all telephone users tina
it brought down the house. . 1t il
hardly necessary to state that he dix
not get Madison. 1t would be impos
sible to enumerato the jokes here, O
course much depended upon the wa,
they were sprurg and probably Eu
geneiCarrell exhibited the most talen
along those lines. but none of the res
were very far behind, Sturgis excell
ed in original work, zimmerman il
quaintness, Pierson in movement
Hoffman in enunciation, Brown il
singing, Guerin in literature an,
Headley in understanding.
The drill squads showed great pro
3 ficiency; the regulars" under Cap
tain Dobbins wheeled, marched, an,
countermarohed with the precision o
: West, Point cadets included Parker
(; zimmerman, Melick, Vance, Becker
VanCleve, Hoffman and Headley.
r The irregulars" with J. Fred Run
yon as chief whistler, and Major DOM
Carroll carrying the broad-sword
b who comprised the following member