Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-19
PIXIES OPERA HOUSE.
Notable Events in the History Of the
Famous Cincinnati Tbeater.

SluClundIl IDeaCer.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean
To the Editor.-The Pike Opera House.
Cincinnati. partially destroyed by fire sun
day. is one of the most historical buildings
OF its character in the country 1t occupIes
half block on the south side Of 4th street.
between Vine and Walnut. the leading re-
tail street of the city. II was built during
the civil war by Samuel N Pike. a dis
tiller who cody smoked a cigar while II was
being totally destroyed by fire during the
COS. and had valuable gold watch stolen
from him at the time. He afterward caus-
ed to be built in its place a new and mod
ern theater
1t was from the stage Of Pixies Opera
House that James Z. Murdoch gave the first
recitation of ''Sherfdan's Ride which vas
composed Immediately after General Philip
Sheridans famous victory at Winchester
by l. Buchanan Read, who locked himself
in a room and composed the poem which a
few hours later Murdoch recited before an
audience that packed the opera house The
poem and its recitation made Murdoch and
Read famous. 1t was in this same theater
that, shortly before the firing upon Fort
Sumter Wendell Phillips was driven from
the stage by the throwing by unknown per-
sons or ill-smelltng eggs for his abolition
utterances; and here, on the night OF the
assassination of President Lincoln IL re
quired the greatest strategy upon the mart
OF the police to allow Junius Brutus Booth
Drolner OF JOnn Wilkes Booth, the assassin.
TO escape from the opera house. as a mob
was forcing itself up the high marble stair
way from the street to the second or thea
ter floor. as soldier and detective friends
hustled Booth out of a rear way to a place
of safety. 1t was in Pixies Opera House
that the late Billy Emerson got his start
on the road to a fortune that be recklessly
dissipated in after years.
The first performance Of what was prob-
ably the greatest minstrel aggregation that
ever was organized as a strictly negro min
strel company was given there, the stars
being Billy Emerson, Johnnie Allen and
Billy Manning, each being without equal in
his particular sphere. The company was
known as Emerson, Allen & Mannings
Minstrels. There have crept into print a
number of errors regarding Billy Emerson
since his death. IL was not he who made
| I'm Just as Happy as a Big Sunfiower''
famous. but it was his partner. Johnnie
Alien, who sang the song from one end OF
the continent to the other Emerson after
ward singing it. Emersons songs that made
him the most popular were I'm Captain
links of the Horse Marines" I'm Every
Inch a Soldier. Girls" las Through the
Park | Go" and IF | Only Had a Dollah
I'd Put 1t on the Bobtailed Nag"
Adah Isaacs Menkin and r. f. J. Miles
played here "Mazeppa." Menkin startling
then staid community by appearing strap
ped to horse in skin-tight flesh-colored
tights. Such row was stirred up that the
performance was withdrawn. but several
months after repeated at the National The
alter, 'Old Drury. theater where Ned
Forrest. Edwin Booth. Joseph Jefferson.
Edwin Adams and many of the famous
stars made their first regulations. When
the Pike Opera House burned down the first
time, the fire was discovered shortly before
midnight, and just the audience had
been dismissed after witnessing the spec
tacular performance of "A Midsummer
Nights Dream"
During the civil war the citizens of Gin
cinnau organized a sanitary fair, the pur
pose being to sell articles. the proceeds TO
be given to purchasing medicines, food. uni
forms and caring for sick and wounded
Union soldiers. In Pixies Opera House, I'm
aid OF the sanitary fair. was given a rem
dition Of Hamlet" in which governors of
states. Union generals, other military men
and the best women in Kentucky and the
western states assumed characters. To
every Cincinnatian Pixies Opera House is
held dear. There are hundreds of former
residents of the Queen City of the West
now residents of Chicago and thousands OF
Ohio Buckeyes who will recall some OF
the events here alluded to.