The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-02

l Williams Comedy Company All Tednesday and Saturday.
 About four weeks ago this company was at McDonalds. IL attracted large audiences ana was received with so much favor that when Manager Mcdonald had the opportunity to secure the company Billie" Lehr. the owner and manager of the company, made many friends while in Montgomery, and they will be glad . of ' Ginty." "Leoni. the Street Singer" "Triss. in The Blue Canyon" Precious Baby" "Gyp, the Mountain Girl. 2 .The Iron Mas not been seen in Montgomery. The conn., pany also produces Hazel Kirk" and other favorites.
 The company gives continuous per- formance. In addition to the play. inter esting and entertaining specialties are introduced between the acts. The danc- ing of pretty Fannie Williams will bs remembered as one of the features of the show. Miss Ina Williams. the leading wo- man. is regarded as strong in emotional parts. Lehr, himself, is versatile com edian and altogether the attraction is deserving of good patronage.
 Tribute to Billy West.
 With the death of Billy West we have lost one of the whitest men-pardon my slip of the tongue, but I mean it, after all-in the minstrel business. If all men had his principle. work would indeed be pleasure, for he never did a wrong thing to man in his line of business and never said mean word to one of his profess sion," said George Thatcher in speaking special.
 Those arc my sentiments entirely" vi fA added. Mine. too. in all sincerity" Continuing. George Thatcher said: T had known Billy West, whose real name was Flynn but whose stage name West was afterward legalized by the courts of New York. since 1873, when he appeared with Haverly's Minstrels. He had always been in the minstrel busi- ness from his boyhood. With Haverly he did song and dance turn with Primrose. and afterwar went with Milt Barlow and George Wilson in a minstrel company. backed by Harry Mann, who has since died. After We formed the min | strel company of Thatcher, Primrose | and West, which continued for seven | years. It was dissolved about three years l ago. Why I do not care to say. but I suppose they each thought they could | make more going it alone. Billy certain | ly did, as he deserved to. It Is mighty sad to think that a man who was the perfection of manhood should be stricken down in the prime of hfe-he was just
 
 for and everybody who knew him wanted him to live.
 He was born at Auburn. N. r., and was married three times. first to Fay next to Miss Norris. daughter of a former Minister to Turkey, and last to Miss Hanley. one of the Hanley sisters, who survives him. He was the brother | in-law of Pete Daley.
 'Soae slight errors have appeared in print about him. He never was an end man in 8 minstrel show, and only became an interlocutor at the last of his career. | His speciality was the arrangement and conduct of the spectacular marches, which made his minstrels famous. Per- sonally, want to repeat, that he was the soul of honor, and a man that could | not do small or mean thing in the min strel business-or in any other business, | for that matter He was without doubt the wealthiest man in the minstrel bus iness. Other minstrel men have made money out of the profession, but he was the only one who made as much by l sticking to it. It was my pleasure to be with him when he joined New York | Lodge of Freemasons. Manhattan Chap ter Royal Arch Masons, and Mecca Tenn | pie. Mobiles of the Mystic Shrine. The oldtimers are beginning to get away. The only ones I can think of now who are alive and whom I knew in the strel business are Billy Sweetnam. Milt Barlow and Lew Simmons"
 "Cozy Corners" a, New Play.
 When that popular little actress, Miss Adelaide Thurston, Is seen here again. after Friday. she will have a new play. l One is being written for her now. It is expected to be ready for production by April IA. when spring tour lasting un- | til about June 1st will be made in Canada | and New England.
 The tour of Sweet Clover" the play in which Miss Thurston has made dis unct hit this season. will terminate April F. When asked how his company could stop playing Sweet Clover" on April | 12. and commence to play a new piece on April A. only one day intervening to make the change: Claxton Wilstach, man. ager for Miss Thurston, said yesterday:
 The new play will be rehearsed Holy Week. while the company is laying off at Memphis and during the two succeeding weeks. while travelling. snatching an hour or two each day for that purpose. Many | Of the Sweet Clover company may be re-engaged for parts in the new play, others will be engaged in New York and carried along so that rehearsals may be had with full cast each day. The scenery | will be painted and the properties built In New York. and shipped to the town of the first performances. which I think 1 will be Detroit, Mich, and be there ready l for the dress rehearsal on the day of l production. In that way Miss Thurstons 8 tour will continue without losing a sin | gle day. l nave COHCiuuSu tU call lHS new play l 'Cozy Corners The name was given by Miss Thurston herself. She also named | Sweet Clover I have great faith in the efficiency of Miss Thurston's titles. Sweet | Clover conveyed the impression desired for the play. and 'Cozy Corners sounds comfortable enough to excite curiosity. It does not refer to a corner couch piled with fancy-worked pillows. however. It is the name of the little village in Mas sachusetts in which the action of the play takes place."
 PLAYS AND PLAYERS.