Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-07-03
TOOK THE CAKE. :
ELLSWORTH PEOPLE AS BURNT
CORK ARTISTS.
MIRTHFUL MINsTRELs, FRoLrCsoME
PICKANINNIEs AND LIGHT-FooTED
cAKE-wALKERs, sNAPPY jokes
AND JINGLING SONGS.

CAKE WALKERS, sNAPPY jokes
AND JINGLING SONGS.
The minstrel show Monday evening
| under the auspices of the Unity club OF
the Unitarian society, was a big success.
Hancock hall was crowded to standing
room only, and little OF that.
The performance as a whole was excel
lent. From the time the curtain went up
on the opening chorus until it fell amid
the applause for the successful cake
walkers, there was no time during the
evening when the performance dragged.
The jokes went off with snap, the songs
with jingle. The audience was liberal
with its applause.
The performance opened with the min-
strel part. The curtain rose on the chorus
OF thirty-five coons seated upon the stage.
The costumes and arrangement of the
seats combined to make a striking effect.
l.. j. Roden baugh was interlocutor. The
ends were: N. P. Cutler, Miss Ella Call and
l.. F. Giles, bones; and John Linnehan,
Miss Harriet Mason and Roswell Murch,
tambos.
In the chorus were Mesdames N. P. Cut
Ter, E. J. Walsh, ]. A. Cunningham,
s. Smith, l.. F. Giles, j. L. Mcdonald,
Misses Grace Lord, Maud Raymond, Julia
Ellington, Ella Morang, Sarah Jarvis,
Mary F. Robinson, Ruby McGown, Grace
Smith, Margaret Dresser, Ruby Phillips,
Hattie Dyer, Bessie Byrn, Messrs. j. A.
Cunning ham, George r. Caldwell, L. NJ.
Moore, Charles Hurley, P. e. Latin,
Harry L. Crabtree, Harry Rowe, e. F..
Robinson, jr., Ernest Brown and e. T..
Barrie. Miss Lora Parsons acted as pianist
during the evening. The programme of
the minstrel part was as follows:
Grand opening overture......... Entire chorus
/ Can't Tell Why Love YOU. Miss Ellington
The Coolest Coon in Town.............Mr Giles
The Mockingbird's Message. .......Mrs Walsh
1 Amt Coin to Weep no More. Miss Morang
Ma Belle Creole. MIR CrafItree
Ma Lady Africa. ..................Mr Mrs Walker
The Luckiest Coon. ..............Mr Linnehan
Honeymoon March,. Entire Chorus
The ends did their work well. The
choruses for the most part were good, the
closing chorus Of the minstrel part being
especially SO. The soloists received their
share Of the applause, each being recalled.
1.-THE Mocking Birds Message" by Mrs.
Walsh, "Ms Lady Africa" by Mrs. Walk
81 7 t~,yM M C,kI
1.-The Luckiest Coon," by Mr.. Linnehan,
were especially good.
The pickaninnies' frolic was one Of the
most pleasing features Of the evening.
The audience was in roars of laughter
most of the time the little coons were on
the stage.
The pickaninnies were Alice Dresser,
Bernice Eldridge, Marion Woodward,
Erva Giles, Margaret Grant, Jessie Mo-
rang, David Hale, Charles Dresser, Bryant
Moore, Harry Brooks, Fred, Walter and
Philip Mason.
But the cake walk, which was reserved
for the last, was the browning feature of
the evening. This was genuine contest
for "really truly" cake. Each of the
five couples competing had been drilled
separately by Mrs. Rodenbaugh, and
neither was allowed to see the steps OF
the other until the night OF the perform
ance. The audience entered into the
spirit OF the thing, and was quick to
applaud graceful or diff ult steps or
movements.
The couples competing, in the order in
which they walked, were Mrs. j. L. Nc
Donald and p. E. Latin, Mrs. Howard
Walker and Harry Rowe, Miss Ruby Nc
Gown and John Linnehan, Miss Mary f.
Robinson and e. F. Robinson, jr., Miss
Sarah Jarvis and Charles Hurley.
Each couple had entirely different steps,
and all did we'll. 1t was a most difficult
task TO say which did the best. After
each couple had walked, the cake was Of
fered in turn to each, and the applause
Of the audience at this time determined
the winners. 1t was merely the duty of
the referees to say which couple received
the greatest applause, but even this was
no easy task. The cake was awarded to
Mrs. Mcdonald and Mr.. Latin.
The referees in the cake walk were
Mayor A. w. Greedy, Judge John A.
Peters, jr., and Henry M. Hall. DR..
George X. Caldwell acted as master of
ceremonies in a manner that won for him
good share of the applause and huge
bouquet.
The success of the performance is due
in no small measure to Mr.. and Mrs.
Rodenbaugh, who managed it, and who
brought to the work preparation, ex-
perience and energy.
The gross receipts from the perform
ance were about S225.