The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17

very good parallel to the civil history
of the country. I'll show you how it is.
IN THE BEGINNING
The first minstrel show in the world
was an accident A dark colored event
which never was planned nor thought
out in advance, but was just an acci-
dent Frank Brewer was a dancer and
old Dan Emmett was a fiddler. He was
the man who wrote Dixie you know.
The two formed q team OF 'jiggers' in a
circus. Dick Pelham was another
dancer and Billy Whitlock was a banjo
player. They were another team of
circus concert entertainers When the
season was over these people and others
in their line drifted to New York and
were quite little colony in Catherine
street. In 1S43 the two teams I've told
you of found themselves dining more
/ or less regularly at the same boarding
house in Catherine street. Pelham
was to have a benefit at the old Ma
tional theater and the date was Decem-
Der 81 1843. You see it was the last thing
done that year. Pelham suggested that
Brewer and Emmett work with his
team and do a quartet turn. They got
together, practiced up some songs and
double dances. and on the eyentful
night made a great hit. They sang the
old time niger songs of the south.
Never DO to Give 1t Up, Mr. Brown
and the dancers did what was then the
novel stunt of 'jigging together.
THE LONDON TRIP
'4The hit was so great that a circus
manager engaged the boys for the
next night at a Bowery theater. They
made good again. and after time
were taken to Boston, where their
success was continued until their man
ager bought tickets and accompanied
them to London, which was interested
in the negro and took enthusiastically
to the miniature minstrel entertain
ment. They appeared on the same bill
with Professor Anderson, who was then
what we would now call a thousand
dollar week headliner" in vaudeville.
That was at Drury Lane.
When the quartet returned to Amer
lea it's members were surprised to find
out that they had started something.
which had grown amazingly in their
absence. There were little minstrel
shows all over the country, chief
among which were the Buckleys, who,
by this time, had begun the introduc-
tion Of little sketches-burlesque on
II Trova tore and other current
theatrical and operate successes. Pret-
" soon the variety stage was invaded
for talent. Later clog dangers took
the place Of Jiggers' and were brought
over from Lancashire, England. Though
they didn't have anything to do with
the Niger they became the aristo-
Gratis of minstrels, the same as the
/ .jiggers' had been Some of the old
/ jigmens names come back to me.
There were Johnny Diamond, Jerry Nc
MILAN. Dick Sitter and Master Barney.
for instance, and they were artists,
too. in their line.
THE DANCERS
when they'd come into a town they
would issue challenges to the local
celebrities and dance for a trophy. I
must admit. though. that endurance
counted for more in these matches
than variety Of steps or grace. or the
Lancashire clog dancers Dick Sands was
the champion; then came Charles
Queen later on. Pretty soon double
clog dancers drove the single dancers
out, then triple dancers took the place
of double. until in the big shows
they'd have maybe FIVE or six: but
those were the mastodon minstrels of
the antebellum days. When the va
riety stage was invaded song and dance
men were added to the assets of a
minstrel show That was where Maxim
and Wilson got their start. Wilson. you
know, is now the famous Francis Will
son, who was in your city playing
When Knights Were Bold recently
Well, he started in minstrel show to