Waterbury Democrat., 1902-03-15

be given at the Chestnut Street theater' Philadelphia, on April 4. A heavy ad- vance sale is reported.
 :I:
 William O'Day, who has been play ing s.Uncle Tom' with John l.. Sulll- vans company, has resigned lie says it was impossible for him to play tUncle Tom' while Sullivan was play ing simon Legree."
 :II:
 The company engaged to suLRort Joseph Jefferson during his five weeks spring tour. beginning March 31 ill Mobile, Ala, will include Ffolliott Pa get, Georgie Mendum, Blanche Ben der, Myrtle N1cGrain, Boyd Putnam, John Jack, Henry l.. Keane, George Dunham, Joseph Jefferson, jr, and :William Winter Jefferson.
 III:
 The American tour of Henry Irving Ellen Terry and the London Lyceum company will close with an engage ment of five nights at the Harlem opera house. opening on March IT. "The Merchant of Venice'' will be played on Monday and Friday nights and Thurs day matinee; on Tuesday night, "Charles L. and ''Waterloo'; Wednes- day night. ..Nance Oldfield'' and 'The Bells,'s and on Thursday night, Louis XI.' The company will sail for Eng land on the Minneapolis on March 22. Il:
 The will of the late William H. West. who died in Chicago last month, was filed for probate on March inethe surrogate's office in Brooklyn. The will was executed in Chicago on De cember 31, 1901. The value of the es- tate is supposed to be in the neighbor- hood of $500.000. The testator be queaths to his sister, Eliza Gibbons, $1,O00, and to his nephew, William H. Flynn, his gold watch. All his re- maining personal property he gives to his widow, Emma c. West, together with one-third of his real estate. The remaining two-thirdS of his real estate he divides between his brothers and his sister. Robert R. Flynn of Syracuse, John J. Fitzgerald of Auburn and Mar garet E. Peabody of Auburn. The last bequest is subject to devise of 5000 for the erection of a monument in Greenwood cemetery. The will con- tains q clause setting forth the tes- tator's wish that the company known as William H. Vests big minstrel
 
 agement of Sandford B. Ricaby. and that one-ha1f of the net proceeds each season shall be used by Mrs West in paying the indebtedness upon the real estate until it is free of encumbrance A request is also made that the prop erty in Mount Vernon known as AlIer- ton farm, in which George H. Primrose owns half interest, be sold within a year, provided that the executors can realize from the sale not less than $50.- GOO for the teStator'S interest MT Vests family name was Flynn. Early Ill his stage career he had it changed to West by legal process The John J. Fitzgerald mentioned in the will is the festator's half-brother.
 II:
 Neil Bryant. nearly the last of the old-time black-face minstrels. died last week in St Mary's hospital Brooklyn.
 Bryant's real name was Cornelius O'Brien. He was seventy-two years old, and was the oldest of entertain CTS of black-face minstrelsy. Mir Bry- ant began his stage career nearly hali century ago, when, with his broth CTS, Daniel and Jerry Bryant, Inc travelled all over the world. the trio l ants" From 1857 to 1867 the three brothers conducted a theater or Broadway
 Neil Bryant continued on the stage until 1883, when he retired and tool up a position under the government He held this place until nearly two years ago, when failing health ant his advanced age made his retiremen necessary. He suffered from a vari ety of ailments, and was admitted t, St Mary's hospital last April remain ing there up to the time of his death MT Bryan was born in Keesville, N H. He survived both his brothers Jerry" died in the sixties. Afte his death, Neil and Dan moved thei company-the Bryant Minstrels- from 472 Broadway to a theater ol Fourteenth street, near Third ayenue They remained there until 1875, whe1 Dan died. The company included q different times ''Eph'' Horn. Charley White, Billy Birch, Dave" Reed s'Billy'' Newcomb, ''Tony'' Hart s'Sam" Deyere, "'Add'' Ryman. Georg Hhatcher and "Nelse'' Seymour. Nei Bryant's last stage venture was a re organization of the Bryant Minstrel m New York, which he abandoned t take a position in the coast survey of flee in Washington The funeral fool place Saturday.
 Four famous minstrel performer have now passed away and all die, within two weeks. They includ Billy West, Billy Rice. Billy Emerson and Neil Bryant. Of in few who are alive, the most prominen are George Fl. Primrose, Milt c. Bar low, Al G. Field, George Wilson Lev Doekstader. Frank Dumont. W. F Sweatman. William Harris Dan En mett and Lew Sully.
 Fl:
 s.The Village Postmaster playe 227 nights in New York, 100 nights i Boston, and has just finished a run Q 125 nights in Chicago, playing to Ire mendous business ei the time. Aneri can Audiences demand novelty, alway novelty. in their different plays, as i everything else in the amusement line The novelty this time is ssThe Villag Postmaster" which comes to Poli' on Saturday, March 22nd. The stor of the play is brightly intersperse with clements of pathos and brigh comedy, pretty old-fashoned song: country dances and most familia scenes from down east. The author, lT T.