The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-11
All THE PLAY LAST NIGHT.

With a bit of pretty sentiment, the
singing of Aud Lang Syne," the Mas
todon minstrels pirating the high seas
of the theatrical world under the name
of Haverly opened their performance at
the Crawford last night. MaStodon is
rightly used That cumbersome animal
existed in the antedeluvian age. and the
impression of the minstrels is that they
did also.
Poor Jack Haverly. He died two
months ago in Salt Lake, pennileSS, anu
already the bill boards are stuck with
flaring yellow posters bearing his pic
ture and showing the figure of woman
holding over him the palm of mourning
The words below are: Should old ae-
quaintance be forgot?" And the bills
announce 'Haverly's minstrels." 1t
seems pity, especially in this case,
that when a man has won a reputation
that his name should be used after his
death on the strength of his triumphS
to foist upon the unsuspecting public
inferior article. 1t is pity, in this
case especially, because the prince of
minstrels was Haverly- His name was
a trademark which meant the best He
made a fortune, built theaters in Chi
cagO. made money for time, then lost
all, was loved by the theatrical world,
and then died. He was referred to by
thousands as poor Jack Haverly." Old
acquaintance is not forgot. The people
remember Haverly too well for such an
organization to forage over the country
under that name.
The first part" as the interlocutor
always refers to the opening round in
announcing the closing number, was
positively the worst seen in Topeka i'll
many day, and there have been bad
ones. The company carried one old rag
of a drop curtain which hung at the
rear. 1t was faded and worn, and looked
as if it had been bought at an auction
of Sam T. Jack scenery. There was not
one bit of magnificence about the first
part A Haverly opening should be pre-
tentious. There was but total of %
h. -
chestra- And the orchestra! 1t was the
limit. 1t was not even in the ''umta"
grade which ''Bill'' Nye set as his cri-
terion. The cornetist blared away like
an Angora goat with the collie. The first
violinist gave a wonderful imitation of
the Arkansas traveller and swayed his
body and beat time with his feet in reg
ular old mossback Missouri style
There was one redeeming feature
about the first part The singing was
above the average, and in fact at times
was decidedly good. THE Sentinel
Asleep by Edwin Platt "Mr Volun-
teer" by Charles Richards, and "Sousie''
by George Morgan were well received
The jokes were old. They were ante
deluvian like the mastodon. Johnnie
Swor and George Wilson, as the the
atrical people say, tried Ito make good"
as end men, but they were not a, huge
success. Wilson used to sing and say
Waltz me again" every chance he had
and he is supposed to have a reputation
on that account. He isn't so bad, but
he was a little off his feed last night
and roasted the audience because it was
small and did not laugh right heartily
at all the jokes There are many people
who remember years ago the big min
strel quartette of Barlow, Wilson, Prim-
rose and West. They have split. Wilson
is now really the head end of the Hav-
erly MINISTRIES, Barlow is playing Uncle
Tom in a U. T. c. company, Primrose
is with Dockstader and West is alone
in the business. Wilson certainly shows
but a shade Of his former greatness.
The second part was good, every fea-
ture of it. Marion and Pearl did a
clever song and dance turn, Mazier and
Conley, the singing and talking come
dams, pleased; Garden and Somers. the
musical kings, gave a grotesque per-
formance; George Wilson brought
good share of laughter with his mono
logue, and the Young brothers. aero
bats. did some wonderful turnhling