The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-07
DEATH OF NEIL BRYANT.
The Last OF Five Negro Minstrels VINO
Have Died Within . Month.

Neil Bryant, 72 years old, died at Q o'clock
yesterday morning in st. Mays Hospital.
Brooklyn. His illness was due to a COM
plication of diseases and TO age. Fifty
years ago he was known from the Atlantic
20 the Pacific Coast as a minstrel and Jig
dancer. His is the fifth death in the last
month among famous minstrels. Billy
Vests death in Chicago came first. Then
Billy RICE died in Hot Springs. A few
DAYS later BILLY" Emerson passed away
in Boston. Then John Queen died. IL Ia
20 be noted also that Louis Bchman was
buried in Brooklyn only last Sunday.
Neil Brvant's real name was Cornelius
O'Bryan. and he came of n family of five
bows. of which he was next to the youngest.
Their father. Patrick O'Bryan, was a printer
and lived in the old Thirteenth ward, where
all Of the BOYS were born. Every one of
the five children took TO music. Patrick
Jr., the oldest, although deaf and dumb,
could be found every night presiding over
the drum department of the old Croton
Hall orchestra as far back as 1870. This
once famous amusement place was at
Bowery and Division street. In the day
time he worked at the bootmakers' trade.
William, the second son, was a printer,
WV vas III ki'oN N'''aa - N~'e eh'hN
ings "a a violin player. Jerry. Neil and
Dan, the other three, were also printers,
but were better known for their ability
to sing and dance.
Jerry and William went to California in
1919. In San Francisco the following year
they formed the Bryant Minstrel show.
Coming East several years later, they were
Joined hv Neil and Dan and they leased
Mechanics Hall al Broadway and Grand
street in 1887. They made lots Of money
there, and in 1867 leased a theatre in Four
teenth street and later. in 1870, purchased
one in Twenty-third street.
When the present Tammany Hall was
built Neil Bryant was selected TO lay the
first brick in the building, James Collier,
already a famous actor, carried the hod
that held the brick. Death and misfortune
overlook the Bryant Ministries; and in 1883
Neil was the only one left, and he was broke.
Fx-Congressnan Tim" Campbell secured
him n place in the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing at Washington, and the once
famous black-face artist took up again
tho trade Of his father He worked for
the Government until 1901, when he was
taken sick, and friends took him to the
hospital where he remained until his death.
Neil Bryant, was a negro minstrel when
that style of entertainment was most pop
ular in this country. He came after
Thomas Rice and Cool White, but he ante
dated the Haverly period in which spectacle
and fantasy were made TO take the place
OF the fun and melody that had their inspir-
alton in the negro character. When the
BRYANT MINISTRIES were in their heyday, the
performers also burlesqued current events
la city lie ss we'll as plays and operas.
These were animated, however, by humor
th0t quito disappeared from later negro
minstrel performances.
The funeral will take place tomorrow.
The body will remain at St. Mary's Hos
pital in st. Marks and Buffalo avenues.
The services will be held in the chapel
attached 10 the hospital, the solemn high
mass commencing at 10 o'clock. The
interment will be in Calvary Cemetery.