Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-04-10

beautiful crest ring as token of her
maiestys approval. Dumbolton took
a second company to England shortly
afterward.
company organized about that
time in Philadelphia and calling them
selves the Virginia serenaders, was
comnosed of Jim" Sanford (Cool
White, Richard Myers cole Bull My
ers) and Robert Edwards. The "Har-
monians," containing Frank Lynch
and L. V. H Crosby, Whites Serena
ders who remained in New York from
1886 until 1857; the Sable Brothers,
of which Cleveland, Turpin and Evans
were members, and the Sable Har-
mOnians," including Plumer, Archer,
Jim" Farrell, Nelson Kneass, the au-
thor of Ben Bolt, and 'JOe" Murphy,
were well known companies OF that
time. The best known and perhaps
the most successful company was the
"Original Campbell Ministries" as it
became known later TO distinguish it
from the many companies which took
the name Campbell. John Campbell,
a hotelkeeper of New York, who or
ganfzed the troupe, finally went to law
TO protect his name. In his company
were William B. Donaldson, Jerry
Bryant, John Rea, later Judge Rea Of
Paterson. n. J., James Carter, Harry
Mestayer and David Raymond.
The First Performances.
Banios, tambourines and bones
we're the principal musical instru-
ments of the first minstrel companies.
Some one invented the ''jawbone"
which at first was in fact the jawbone
of a horse or mule to which small
bells were affixed. The performer
scraped upon the loose teeth in the
Jaw with a file or a small piece of
iron, and the grating Of the iron on
the teeth mingled with the juggling
of the bells was the music" Negro
comic songs, sentimental slave songs
and a series of wild negro chants were
the principal songs of the original
minstrels.
Performances, at first consisting Of
few songs, jokes and humorous Sto-
VI
Jig dancers. The bone player, usually
an Adonis and the much admired
member, was called "Brudder Bones"
while the tambourine player answered
to the name of Julius" The middle
man was always Sam Johnson" The
style and dress of the MINISTRIES soon
changed, the plantation darkies of
the south" in checked shirts, striped
trousers and straw hats of the first
part being replaced by the dandy ne
grOes Of the north" in full evening
dress of the second part. Later the
plantation costume gave way entirely
to the evening dress, being retained
only for the comic sketches and
farces in the oliO.
With other improvements comets,
flutes, double basses, viOIOncellOs and
ac~OrdeCns were added to the Orches-
ira One instrument whose use was
confined almost entirely to the min
strels and which disappeared with the
fall of that amusement was the melO-
phone 1t reSembled a guitar. with
ACCORDION reeds inside and bellows
within to furnish the power for the
reeds Most OF these instruments, of
which, perhaps, not more than one
hundred were ever made, occupy
places in museums. Fred Buckley s
melOphOnc is now owned by Frank
Dumont, who still uses it.
Fosters Songs Win Popularity.
About 1850 Stephen G. Foster began
to write his famous songs, which, sung
by f. p. Christy and other popular
MINISTRIES, took the country by storm.
Nelly Bly,, Nelly Was a Lady. Oh, Su-
sauna, Nancy Trill, Way Down Upon
the Swanee Ribber, Massas in the
Cold, Cold Ground, Old Dog Tray, Old
Uncle Ned, Old Kentucky Home, Will
lie, We Have Missed You, Old Black
Joe, Come Whore My Love lies
Dreaming, and Hard Times Come
Again No More were all tavOrites
which added to the popularity of the
MINISTRIES who sang them. Foster,
who was the author of about one hun
dred songs died in poverty and with
out care in 1864 at the age of 81.
ers who made his songs famous have,
like him. died in poverty and neglect.
Famous Actors in sIackface.
Some of the most famous men Of
the American stage appeared with
bIackened faces as negro characters.
In 1928 Edwin Forrest, the tragedian,
appeared as a negro in the farce The
Tailor in Distress, in the Globe thea
ter, Cincinnati. Edwin Booth and J.
Sleeper Clarke were giving minstrel
performances in 1850 They were
billed for a date in Belair. Md, but the
negro bill poster pasted all the bills
upside down and the two men were
compelled to walk home.
Thomas D. Rice. better known as
Daddy" Rice and sometimes called
the father of minstrelsy," was IA
nous as a singer of negro songs. Rice,
however. was not recognized by the
as one of them. He gave in
dividual performances and was not
connected with any company His ia
nous song. Jim Grow" made him
popular at once,
Wheel about, turn about;
l do jess so.
And every time l wheel about
l jump Jim Grow.
was sung and whistled over all the
world. Joe Jefferson, as a boy, in
1888, made his first appearance on a |
stage with Rice in Washington. En-
.ering with bag on his back. Rice