Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-16
PASSING OF PONY MOORE
Noted American Minstrel Famous for
His Diamond Head
LiHht.

The cabled announcement Of George W.
Moore's death gives him six years more OF
life than a short biography Of him pub
lished in the seventies in 7. Allston
Browns History Of the American Stage"
The dispatch says ne was 20 years old,
but In this old biography his birth date
is placed on March "a. 1895; this would
make him 81 years old. AS his years were
ripe in either case and he had been before
the public as an entertainer as long ago
as 1A1. It would not be surprising II
some Of his neighbors and friends made
him out older than ne really was
Moore was born in Mulberry street, in
New York City. At 12 years old he was
so small that he was spoken Of as a
second Tom Thumb and was dubbed "the
little pony''-possibly as a pony edition.
of General Thumb. The name stuck to
him, and even in the days OF his widest
notoriety as an Ethiopian comedian" he
was known throughout the profession as
Pony Moore
When Is years old he ran away from
home and Joined a travelling circus, and for
time went from circus to circus, Mater
quitting the sawdust and attaching him
self to a travelling theatrical company. He
remained for several years at this bust
ness and made a reputation as a panto-
mimist. He was at one time with Fran
conPs Hipoldrome His burnt-cork debut
was made in 1874 at the Half Way house,
in Broadway. He went to London TO
join the "Christy's" in 1850 and stayed
there for ten years. returning here in
1869 for q visit to friends and relatives.
After several weeks he went back again
to London, and thereafter his home was
in England, although he made several
Nyieffq kN m
more he came over here with his son-in-
law, Charley Mitchell. the pugllist.
He prospersd in England and In 1870
was conanager with Crocker of the Christy
minstrels at st. James hall. He was also
the founder of the oore-Burgess min
strels. He was an irascible chap at times
and once while on a visit here got into
scrap with a street car conductor, whom
he punched so hard-after the conductor
had struck hln1-that, as he put Il, he
made a spectacle OF him by causing his
nose to bleed He was arrested for this,
and thought that II was a great shame to
get into court for little thing like that.
His son-in-law, Mitchell, was on the car
on this occasion and was laughing at him
while he was having the argument with
the conductor, who had objected to the
way in which Moore was carrying on some
conversation ana told MIN that ne couldn't
talk there.
Moore used to wear diamond stud IN
his shirt front as big as a scent piece
and two separate watch charms as big as
$40 gold pieces. He liked diamonds and
sometimes carried around with him stones
worth $1,000 to 1850 apiece. He said that
he had received one diamond ring from
the prince Of Wales Edward vID and
that he was a friend Of the prince. 'I
am the only one in London he said here
once, who can dine with a lord, drink
with an aristocrat, talk to a mechanic
and go into a thieves den and be cor
daily received by all. How? Well, Il
never allow any talking in my place on
these points-rellgion. nationalities or poll
| tics"
Speaking Of New York on the occasion
of one of his visits here after he had made
| England his residence he said: New
York? She's all right only you have too
many different kinds OF hell here. TIA,
ta!'-an observation in which he has had
quite number Of sympathizers. - New
| York Sun.