The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-01
HOME IN TRIUMPH
Williams and Walker, Kansas
Negroes, Return.
Back from a Successful London
Season.
A HEARTY WELCOME.
New York Makes Much of
ColOred Performers.
Their Opinions of the English
and London.
HEARTY WELCOME.

Williams and Walker, the we'll
known negro actors, who have been
abroad for nearly a year. have re-
turned to America. Probably no ne
gro actors are better known in Law
renee and Topeka than this clever pair
! of performes- Their home coming was
IN the nature of an ovation The fol-
lowing account of it is reproduced
from the New York Sun:
Seventh avenue does not need to
be told today that Williams and Walk
er came back from England on the
Cunarder Aurania yesterday Seventh
avenue knows The avenue was so
we'll informed on the subject yester-
mobile procession. in which the sixty
two members of the Williams & Walk
er theatrical troupe were making
triumphal progress uptown from the
pier, had TO be broken up and dis
persed-
Williams and Walker, with the
sixty other American negroes who
make up their theatrical company,
have been abroad since April 1903
In that time they have filed nine
months engagement at the Shaftes-
bury theater. London. and have toured
the provinces with great profit TO the
companys treasure chest
of all these things. the press agent
of Hurtig & SeamOn Will sing loud
to any one who will let himself get
locked into a room to listen But the
unprofessionaI observers of the return
ing DahOmeyaus were more interested
yesterday in studying the effect on
them OF the trip abroad in outward
signs and in inward intellectual devel-
opmeHJ-
The outward signs were generally
regarded as rather amusing. George
Walker. for instance, wore a wonder
ful coat which he proudly displayed
l.. 7
original designs He described it as
having "A Norfolk front. kinder SYM
bOlical OF the southern origin of most
of the company and Richmond
back. with historic reference to the
recent visit to England
The jacket is very short and is
very loose in the back with a short
belt 10 take up the slack In front
IL is very plain except for huge flaps
on all of the unnumbered pocket Mr..
Walker informed his managers yes
terday. with indiscreet confidence
l@hat he had caused the manufacture
along these identical lines. so infatu-
ated was he with his own combina-
ton OF lines of grace and beauty
me LelloNE 11eIi1ner - OF Il ms Lect,
beside Mr.. Williams in the first Of
the sixteen automobiles which delight
ed Seventh avenue yesterday after
noon. took instant note of this COS
tune and the rapid brea king up of the
crowd was in no small measure due
TO the haste of many Seventh ave
nue. and Fifty-third street exquisites
to get to their tailor shops with the
utmost speed
Most i.Sgroes who have sought
glory skcoAd for their literary or dra-
matte abUit;es have come back en-
picking the social courtesy with
which they have been received on the
other side. They have dwelt upon the
absence of any color line in Eng
land and have delighted their audi
tors by graveIy announcing that they
have met and mingled Familiarity with
royalty and have found the king of
the Prince of Wales a perfect gentle
man Williams and Walker aban-
doned this custom beaten path
ITO be sure they did give a per-
Torrance on the lawn at Buckingham
palace on the birthday of a youngster
of whom Mr.. Walker spoke cheerful
" yesterday as little Prince Eddie of
Wales And Ada OvertOn Walker
did give lessons in cake walk dancing
to Lady Constance Mckenzie. Miss
Muriel Wilson and other persons with
a desire for novelty They had crowd
ed houses almost all of their time
abroad and made Il lot Of money.
. But said George Walker yester-
day. we have not returned with any
decisions about this not being the
best land in the world for a man or
woman of our color to live in There