Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-04-10

Billy" Emerson, Neil Bryant,
BILLY" Rice and John Queen, favorite
minstrel men of thirty years ago, have
died--leaying alive but few of the
~blackface comedians" who won fame
In the troupes which toured the coun-
try in the period following the civil
war But more than a score OF the
old line Ministries who made names
for themselves before 1860 are still
alive. Dan Emmett, one, of the men
Who organized the first minstrel
troupe in America in 1543, and the au-
thor of Dixie, ~ still living in Mount
Vernon, Ohio.
Dave" Reed of New York is the
only performer of that time who Is
still on the stage. With his family of
Reed birds" he occasionally appears
In other cities. Others of that time
still alive are Lew" Benedict of Bos-
ton, John b. Douniker of Penn Yam, ~
Y, s. 8. Sanford, Add Weaver. Tony
Pastor, Frank Kent and A. J. Talbot
Of New York, Leon. Of Kelly and Leon,
Chicago; Sam Devere and Eugene OF
Unsworth end Eugene. Brooklyn,
Charles A. Morris, who, with his
brother. first put on the burnt cork in
1874, of Boston, Tony Moore and John
X. Kemble Of London. Charles r. Du-
PREF, of Lowell, Mass, William Porter,
an original Christy minstrel" of
I846. of Spring Valley. NJ Y. Edwin
Kelly, who has theater In Australia.
Sam Price of Toms River, N. j.. and
J. l.. Carncross, the great singer.
whose home is in Philadelphia.
Negro .ninstrelsy is of American or
igin and had It's greatest popularity in
this country, although many compa-
MES made successful trips to England
and Europe Purely of American
growth in it's first development II
dealt with southern plantation life, de
picting in song and story its scenes
and incidents. In the early years of
the nineteenth century performers
with blackened faces appeared in the
theaters between the acts of the regu
lar shows. These men sang negro
songs and told stories In the negro di-
aiect. Perhaps the first record OF
such an appearance is a program of
the Federal Street theater. Boston, for
December 80. 1899. on which appears
Song of the Negro Boy Tin character)
Mr.. Grampner. In the circus compa-
MES which toured the country the
principal and most popular clowns
were blackface comedians.
First Troupe Organized.
Not until lS43, however. was
troupe organized solely to give a min
strel show. This was the result of an
accidental meeting in New York of
four minstrel performers, Dan EN-
nett, the author of Dixey; Frank
Brewer of Philadelphia; Dick Pelham
and BILLY" Whitlock. This meeting
is best described by Emmett himself
In letter to Frank Dumont of Phila-
deIphia. dated March n. 1896. He
writes:
I'm the old times each circus com.
pany had one or more performers who
were called Ethiopian Delineators, in
other words, singing of negro songs in
character In the summer of 1912
located in New York and played the
violin and also the banjo, and thus be
came acquainted with others. who
like. myself performed here and there
throughout the city. In the spring OF
lSiS ] was residing ut No, 81 Catha
rine street and one day. while playing
rpon my violin. and accompanied by
Billy Whitlock on the banjo, the door
opened and Frank Brown entered
For awhile he listened and then Joined
In with the bones. We We're delighted
with the idea and the music and were
again through our performance when
Dick Pelham entered. and with his
tambourine the fourth man Joined in
this iiapromptu rehearsal Struck by
the idea we four began a series of re
hearsals which ended In forming a
partnership. We performed in sever
al places, but the first appearance in
public was made at the Chatham the
alter. and for the benefit of Dick Pei
ham.
I'VE gave concerts in the fremont
Temple. Boston. for six weeks. tn,
new amusement, minstrels.' goinE
like wildfire at all times. We theI
sailed for England. giving concerts il
Liverpool. Birmingham and Manches
ter to immense business. We opened
In the Adelphi theater. London. II
connection with Professor Anderson
the wizard. Then we performe,
throughout the United Kingdom ant
disbanded in Glasgow. Upon GU
hrst appearance in London. and jus
as we came upon the stage, persol
rose in the audience and shouted &
us: Go home, go home and pay you
honest debts, We don't want yo'
here. Let me explain that Pennsyl
vania had repudiated some debt an'
we, as Americans. we're being held I,
account for t. This person was pu
out of the theater and the minstrel
proceeded"
Scores OF Troupes Organized.
When the four, who called them