The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-09-30
THE PLAYER FOLK

This is the last season of the Prim-
rose and Dockstader minstreIs. Next
year each member Of the firm of min
streIs viii be the head Of his own com
pany.
Mr.. Primrose will direct his own en-
! teFprise. while KIaw & Erlanger viii
/ look after the business affairs Of the
Doekstader venture
/ This viii not be Dockstader's first at
| tempt TO go It alone in the minstrel
world. for as long ago as 1890 Dockstad-
( er's MINISTRIES under the direction OF
Harry Chaplain toured the country with
! q good deal of artistic success. even If
the money did not oh into the box Of
flee in large enough quantities to make
the company an out and out success
DOckstader kept Pegging away indus
/ triously for several seasons. and then
gave up the work in disgust and went
into vaudeville, where he regained his
/ lost fortune Dockstader has always
been ranked nigh up in his profession
! as a performer, even II his management
/ has not always been of the best
George Primrose viii no doubt feel a
( bit lonesome as he goes around the
I country next year with his merry min
streis, for il viii be the first time in his
rather extensive career that he has not
/ had one or more partners to share his
successes. for it should be remembered
that Primrose has never yet known any
thing but success in the minstrel bush
ness
Back in 1873, the Hayerly Ministries
contained four very promising perform
ers, They were IiIt Barlow, George
Wilson, Billy West and George Prim-
rose, or 'Prim" as he was commonly
known. Mtnstrelsy, like every other
feature Of the theatrical business, was
not so well developed then as it is to-
day. The companies @trouped' from
( town to town. renting the local op'ry
houses or halls in such places that did
not boast Of a temple of Thespis-
The Haverly organization did not have
a regular treasurer. and in the evening
during the "-arst part" it was part of
Primrose's duties 10 stand on the door.
jingle seven CT eight silver dollars in
his hand just 20 show that ne was with
the troupe. and watch the people pass
in TO see the performance. the while
keeping a sharp lookout that Mr.. Haver-
" was not IMPOSED upon and that he
got every cent that was coming TO him.
IN many instances, 'Prim'' was called
and sell tickets. especially in towns
where the company rented the only
available place TO give its show. In this
manner the young dancer-for at that
time Primrose was a clog dancer and
nobody ever thought OF his occupying
one Of the positions Of prominence OF
the ends: either banging the tambourine
or shaking the bones-obtained an early
business training that has stood him in
good stead IN later life
During the 1873 tour OF the HaverIy
ninstrels-and that season Charles
Frohman was with the company in the
capacity Of advance agent-Bar1ow, WI
son. Primrose. and West. got the idea
into tbeir heads that it would be fine
thing to start minstrel show of their
own, and following the custom Of min
streI performers, the quartet had cards
printed. showing the heads OF the four.
and containing the words. Barlow, VIII
son. Primrose. and Vests Minstrels,
These cards we're literally distributed
in every theater in which the Haverly
company played that year, and toward
the end Of the season. Col. Jack" Hav-
erly. came to Primrose and said:
'.Prfm. want a good agent next year?''
4 don't know, whom have you got in
mind?"
Myself" answered the colonel, you
boys are sure to rake a go Of it and I
want TO be with you
However. Jack HaverlY was not with
the show wherS it commenced its career
at Wilmington, Del. August 20. 1874.
#z
The first Barlow. Wilson. Primrose.
and West company was distinctly
dancing show
The organization contained such MIN
bIe-footed gentlemen A. Primrose and
West. John Doyle, Frank McNish, Fox
and Ward, Jimmy Mackin, and Barney
Pagan.
McNish soon gr- duated from the dane
ing class and established himself in pop
ular favor by his Silence and Fun" spe-
cialty, which ~as one of the earliest de-
partures from the cId-time acrobatje
turns McNish prospect surprisingly
for several years, but D. was Initiated SO
much that his style OF performance soon
fell into the commonF lace.
Barney Fagin is still dancing. and is At
present playing the music halls of Eng
land with Henrietta Byron
Jimmy Mack.n later came into pronf-
hence as the dancing partner of Fran
els Wilson. the comic opera comedian
and the team of Mackin and Wilson was
counted among the best in the business
for many years. until Wilson commenced
to read books and aspire to something
better than the minstrel field offered