The San Francisco call., 1908-04-12
By Walter Anthony

Tell him about that one Manning got
off at Emerson" suggested Heath, who
in interviews is the sfeeder' 10 his
partners monologue.
Emerson was making lots of mon
ey, as I told you" said Mcintyre. TAX
ing Heath's suggestion. ''Manning's
funds got so low that the company
had to travel into Covington on their
trunks. and landed there busted
Emerson had just closed a weeks
engagement across the river in Cincin-
natl and had cleaned up $4,000. Sunday
night Manning was lonesome and takes
a trip down the Rhine, as they said in
those days in Cincinnati. and in one
of the beer halls he sees Emerson.
Now, Emerson's minstrels went by the
name of Billy Emerson's Big Sun
strels. All the boys carried gold
headed canes. There they were sit
ting around a big table, drinking
beer. eating sandwiches and telling
lies. Emerson spied Manning and
made him sit down to the table. How
the fellow next him raps on the table
with his cane and orders a round. Man
ming says. Not very good. Billy.
Guess I made a mistake when I quit
partners with you. And so they talked
while the boys around the table kept
beer By and by it's up to Manning,
who hasn't got a cent. A moment of
embarrassed silence comes next Then
Manning leans over to Emerson and
says, so everybody can hear. Say, Billy,
you rap for me; amt got any camel"
Things are different now." ex-
planned Heath. Then days nobody had
a future. It was just what you had
IN your pocket that counted Now. the
theater business is just the same as
department store. Everything's got
down TO a system. Why, there's less
drinking and carousing among actors
now than in any other profession you
can name except the ministry It's
much better this way; but a fellow
misses the compsnionship of the other
days"
Heath interjected: The liberality of
them days was very fine"
Then they talked about the famous
trunk scene in The Ham Tree" It is
a long history, and they made 1t sound
like dissertation on art.
There's an act" said Mcintyre, that
has run longer than any other stunt
=, -.5o,,xlfot To 49,. -
thing as art in negro impersonation it
is sure in that sketch, for 1t has been
worked up piece by piece. There's no
adlibbing in it. We do it just so, only
some nigls<s we can hold on TO a point
longer than other nights. That de-
pends on the audience. you know. and
how they take TO it. And then the act
had its origin in real life. Ny life, I
mean. I'll tell you about it.
when I was boy was with cir
Gus. 1t was the wagon circus, and we
wintered in Kentucky. There 1 got
From song and dance boy became
stable boy, and that's where the livery
stable business comes In, because. you
see. organized e minstrel show among
the boys of the town and took 'em
around to neighboring towns, and that's
where the walking home and getting
hungry business comes in However, I
made enough money to get out of
town and 1 Joined the Great Eastern
circus"
Heath (proudIy): The finest in the
United States"
''One of the finest corrected McIn-
tyre 1T gave three shows in one
tent and was carried about on railroad
cars No more wagons and livery sta
bles for me. I did black face act in
the concert In 1872 I went to Jeffer-
son, Texas. because I had enough of
the circus business. and had made a
deep study OF the niger in the south
and wanted TO do something besides
circus stunts in the after concert Well,
JEFFERSON was a great city in them
days; population $4,000, and 5000 go
ing and coming all the time. All the
commerce from Dallas, Sherman and all
round came TO, Jefferson, the river port,
and was shipped on little. narrow boats
to New Orleans. The river was so
slim that the boats used to have to
back up same as wagons on a country
road do, when they met. l never saw
finer town in my life, but it's all
gone now Railroads did it. Wagons
were lined up ike people in box Office