The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-06-27
"reminiscences.
Continued from page 1.

east side between the office now occupied
by Dr. John W. Cooper and the store
house. John Graham then conducted
the tinware business in the store occu-
pied so many years afterward by Mrs.
Caroline Hall. now by Mrs. Maggie
Jones. Theodore Rolerick being his prin-
cipnl workman. Roderick kept his row
boat. IL small batteau. moorpd ut the foot
of the alley. The tides then came in full
the marsh having filled up since those
days of the early fortes. Fish in plenty.
perch, catfish. Suntish. and roach, could
he caught III abundance ut the foot of
the garden. This boat of Roderick's,
and the fishing, enhanced the attractions
of the spot for the youngsters of the
period. To get in Roderick'S boat. either
for Il row or for piScatorial sport was
eliySian bliss. Under the store house
were sheds and covered ways. opening
on the printing house lot on the west.
The writer of this. never could forget tn"
old printing office cellar. He had every
reason to remember it, and the memory
of it has never left him.
We boys were blessed with strong and
luSty voices. We knew no coon songs,
or rag time melodies. with which to in
t1ict the town. but we did know and
could sing right heartily. "pckayune
Butler" Row Brothers Row." Char
leStown Races" DANDY Jim From Car
olin". and similar ear splitting melodies.
which Kennard Chandler. afterwards 4
member Of the successful Baltimore firm
of meat packers Jenkins n Chandler and
Howard Ellis insisted we sang well
enough to give Il concert of negro min
Strely i'll the basement of Ahram Chand-
lers Store-wth an admission fee of one
cent.
w" launched the enterprise with zeal
and spirit.
George Kunkel. the leading negro min
Str"l of that day. never Swe!lcd with
NOR" pride than we. aS we ratified the
bones. beat the tamhorinc. and made the
triangle ring. in our daily rehrnrsals in
the printing Office cellar When the
cv"ntful day of our public debut rolled
ar"un |. and the audience which repre-
scnt"d exactly thirty cents" had assem-
h!rd. hnddled behind IN old patch work
quilt or two. we had SurrrptitiouSly hor-
r"W"d of our mothers. we performers
wanted behind the scenes with anxious
expectancy. Try as we might. we made
SOW h"atway in backing our faces.
with small cork. held to the fame of a
lighted can lie. We couldn't. doing our
best grt the ebony color on fast enough
II rubbed of. ~ fast as we rubbed It
on. Here WAS Il nasty dilemma We
had taken the puhlic'> money. NJ the rate
of on" cent II head. paid us. III the legal
currency Of tn" country. W" had prom
a e. mi, 81. /
couldMt.
Just at the height of our prrp!exity. 4
young fellow from the printing office
above. cam" down the cellar stairs. H.
>"ld h" could black H. all right. AMI put
on Il laStn" O. color. Running M stairs
again. he returned with the lid of a large
backing box. filled with Il thin pastv
mixture. that Hft"rward turned out to
b" printers ink and shoe Hacking.
ON" after another he painted our faces
with the tnphcian mixture. and
left Ms tn civ" the show. We gave il,
iittl" dr""mm" how h" had given us
away. As tn" mixture dried ON our
faces he having told u< To shut our ewes
and mouths when applying it. we could
with trouble open either eyes or mouth.
and we practically could only peep If
our audience. ami sing through our teeth,
But that was nothing To the SEQUEL
of it.
\"nnard Chandler ran up stairs after
III" show. ana brought Il tin basin with
soap and water. We ruhh,l. and scrub
bed ana scrubbed AMI rubbed. but such
faces. rs We @lZrd upon each other. nor
tai "y" had never before rested ON. What
color we were. we lnuyr T., th, iu,u,ri,,.