The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-17

early new AaNSA
Slow to Verge of Stupidity and Onl!
Wicked Visited Theaters-"The Tru
Iy Good Enjoyed Only Concerts ant
Lectuers--UncIe Toms Cabin Made
Many Theater-GOers--The Days Of
Sol Smith Russell and Others-Tht
Days of Plunkett and Wyatt Here.
BY Charles H. Day.
During period when circus perform
ances and dramatic entertainments
were under ban socially and legally
in New Haven, the offerings by the
way of amusements were not of a
sensational or satisfying character, and
on the Whole judging by modern stand
ards, SLOW to the verge of stupidity,
When Connecticut tabooed the circus
Van Amburgh toured the state with a
tnenagerie and equestrianism cut out of
the circus performance. A monkey be-
ing substituted as rider, Van Am
burgh in the lions den were the thrills
pf the bill. Through the efforts of John
Robinson and the efforts of the show
men whose interests were conferred in
Connecticut, as they entered the tent
Show at Danbury when the legislative
quarantine was off the anti-circus law
was repealed with a proviso that local
Iy the selectmen should have the say
as to whether the circus should have
the right to appear An antique adop-
zion of local option.
The greatest tent showmen of their
generation were interested in the form
ing of the new BILL including names IA
anous in American arenic history;
George f. Bailey of Danbury, Lewis
Dune Of Ridgefeld and p. 4. Barnum of
Bridgeport; John Robinson was one of
the first to take advantage of the new
act and toured the state with great
profit, but when his representative
Sought to procure a license in New Ha-
ven the selectmen protested and de-
nlined to grant a license, forcing the
show to exhibit in Fair Haven. Robin
son, in this Indigo sea in New Eng
land, originated an innovation in circus
costumes. The male athletes and
Elders were attired as sailors and the
women riders wore lengthy skirts and
pantalettes. P. T. Barnum adopted
pantalette scheme two decades later,
sent the Boomers on horseback, made
fearful rights Of themselves and Sc
cured lots of press publicity to the de-
light Of the willy p, 7.
Systematically the drama was de-
clined in New Haven or licensed as the
city fathers willed. Wyatt secured a
pull by becoming resident of the city
and Plunkett, an Irishman-Henry
Plunkett Grattan-had the Celtic sin
t1ooence" to secure the necessary per-
init
Only the wicked folks visited the the
alter anyway, leaving the Ministries, the
circus and the panoramas and the lee
lures for the truly good-"the salt of
the earth" Our Puritanical progeni-,
TORS did not have much enjoyment of
their leisure hours until the popularity
of Uncle Toms Cabin" drew the city's
brass mouthed aboltionists to the foot
lights.
"Unole Toms Cabin" made more the
Rter-g oers and novel readers than any
fiction publication that ever left the
press 1t remained for the Dime Muse
hm rage to make this nation of thea
ter-goers.
The most orthodox looked with favor
npon the concerts of the quartettes
known as 1.-THE Continentals" and 1.-THE
Alleghanies, who combined bell-ring-
ing with vocalization. The Continen-
tails, -four in number" made an exhi-
bition of themselves by walking about
i'm the attire Of the sons of '76. 1.-THE
Alleghenians were the more famous be-
cause they had visited California, the
Sandwich Islands and Australia. OF
course no good abolitionist failed to
patronize and entertain the vocal ad-
Vocates of freedom, 1.-THE Hutchinson
Family" These goody-goody shows APP
peared at Brewster Hall, the rendez-
Nous of the elect and select. Surely the
caterers for the "better element did
not give much to their patrons, and it
was quite an innovation when a piano.
rama ceased it's unrolling and the lee
turer went out to get drink while "a
lady, favored with ballad to the ae-
compartment of a melodeon. The
Glass Blowers were allowable and held
forth here for q week at stretch, but
oven they came under the ban when
they gave a dance after the perfor-
nance and turned their exhibition into
b gift show.
The panoramas died a lingering
Death with prize adjuncts and gradual
~ passed into permanent storage. The
Panorama of Ireland, in which Jerry
Cohan and John E. Healy were profit
ably interested was the last to sue
bumb.
Several exhibitions of moving figures
with a panoramic background were
popular; these were 1.-THE Burning of
Moscow with its tragic mankins; and
another which represented all the wars
Ere n our fracas with Mexico to the un-
bivil civil war. This last was re-
markable combination Of mechanism,
and was exhibited in Music Hall dur
mg our southern unpleasantness by D.
G. La Rue, shortly after the manager
Of La Rues Carnival Minstrels, and
was as readily adapted to Virginia and
the c. S. A. as it had been to the Mex
lean, Napoleonic and war Of the Allies
against Russia, Connected with the
exhibition was Winston, the Humor-
ist," who impersonated eccentric char