The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-03-09


happiness, Il was Emerson In an evil
hour he began to speculate in stocks.
The stocks got the best Of him. Then
he played the combination races, and
that took the last of his fortune. The
drink habit fastened itself upon him,
he began to neglect his engagements,
and the rest of the story is better IN
told. lie made the world brighter and
meTrier in his day.
Emerson, Ehle Allen and John L.
Sullivan met several years ago in the
corridor of the Merchants hotel of St.
Paul Sullivan at the time was sober
and Emerson was not yet ? football of
the streets.
Billy" said John. If you'll come up
in the parlor and sing for me anything
but coon songs for an hour I'll foot
the bin"
And III pay for the supper after
ward, said Allen
And Z. John, said Emerson, will
give whatever you give 10 me to the
tirst hard luck fellow 1 meet after
ward
The three adjourned TO the hotel par
l0Ts. the piano was thr0Wn open and
Emerson began to sing-"Juanita,"
Ben Bolt "Bide a Wee" Annie
Laurie" and 2 collection Of other ven
cradle melodies such as few song books
Of the present day carry. The parlor
filed with listeners. the halls were
crowded, people forgot their engage
ments men neglected their business
Just before the end of the hour Emer-
son turned around and said to the
crowd:
You seem to have enjoyed this. Now
chip in and pay the bill. What l get
goes 10 the first hard-up person
meet tOnight-the first person down on
his luck that appeals to ne"
Sullivan, with one of his many
streaks OF generosity, laid a hundred
dollar bin in Emerson's hand. The
crowd, instead Of hurrying away,
stopped and added to it until Emerson
held $3.50.
Thank you, gentlemen" he said
Now TO see who gets it"
He went downstairs with Allen and
Sullivan TO the Office floor. The three
stood by the cigar stand smoking" up
preparatory To supper. II was raining
outside aud the night was mean. En-
erson noticed a cabman crossing the
CORRIDOR man who had often driven
him when he was in st. Paul He
called to him:
HI Joe, how's Iuck?"
Joe" came over TO him, rubbing his
nose with a wet glove and shaking
mist from his great coat.
Luck, Mr. Emerson" said he, "just
ketched me under the jaw this morn
ing. That old stiff gray mare 1 used
to drive with you broke her leg on
Third street hill, and We have a new
baby; I'm kind a shook up tonight"
Nfre0nr-erv4 r.
one second the $3.50 had passed from
his hands to the thundersruck Joe, -
and Billy was saying in his ear as
I he pushed him TO the door:
You get the gate receipts. That's
for the kid and new mare
Jack" Haverly, another pioneer OF
American mfnstrelsy, died a year ago
in Salt Lake, Utah. and Billy West
died Feb. Is in Chicago.
For several years Emerson was with
HaYerly, and accompanied the MastO-
dons-"40, count 'em, 40'-ou their visit
I to London. Haverly made a fortune
with his minstrel company, but lost it
/ In mine specuIstons.
In recalling incidents Of the visit of
the Haverly Mast0dOn minstrels to
London, Mr.. Emerson once said. Il
remember a funny story connected with
4 our opening night at the Drury Lane
theatre. Charles Frohman, now the
great manager, was at that time the
} treasurer Of our company. and Major
/ Bill FOOte was an assistant man
ager.
. % .
on the opening night Fr0hman and
FOote came 10 the theatre in evening
{ dress. prepared to do the hOnors of the
occasion, just as they had been accus-
f toned to do in America. That is, they
stood inside the doorway, directed la
/ dies TO the check room handed out
/ programmes and made themselves as
! courteous as possible. After they had
: been doing this for about ten minutes
Frohman walked over TO FOOte and
said: See here what I've got He had
! his hand full Of pennies that had been
pushed to him by the people to whom
/ he had shown these attentions.
That's nothing, Bill Foote said ia
/ him I've got just as many as YOU
! have Yes. sir, those English people
/ had insisted on tipping them. I can
/ assure you, this was new. experience
! 10 them They didn't know that in
/ England anyone who does a slight
/ service for another expects to be paid.
/ One night at Her Majesty's theatre a
+ lady in the box dropped her fan.
/ stepped over, picked it up and handed
/ il to her. A few moments later 7 saw
/ her beckoning to me. I went over IL
4 the box, thinking had made a mash
( and what do you think? She handed
/ me a sixpence. I handed It back tc
/ her and said, Excuse me, but I'm an
/ American
{ Billy Emerson was the last Of the
+ great trio Of Ministries. West. Haverly
and Emerson, who popularized Ameri.
I can minstrelsy.