The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-21

mentS and in that way neipeu 10 save
the sos with which so n after they
hought the plug" hats and long linen
busters which formed the principal
stock in trade Of the first Mcintyre
and Heath Grand Minstrel Aggrega-
ton"
In speaking of the demands of this
first Joint engagement. Mr.. Mcintyre
said recently: Nov you can see why
after this experience we were about
the only ones never to make objection
to the idea of playing six turns a
dav when the variety vaudeville idea
came to the front. What was six
turns to us-we had played II many
a time. In some of these oldtime at
terpieces / have Played woman one
night-not a wench-but white-faced
straight part, and the next night
might be playing something of the
Mazenpa on muleback idea and have
the mule refuse to bulge when he
should be passionately existing L. u.
e.
With their own minstrel troupe, even
their linen busters were soon lost to
them. and it often became necessary
when thew found the audiences would
not come to them, for them to go out
in their burnt cork makeup, and by
telling the darkies stories in their own
dialect get enough to eat from day to
day.
Again the circus germ showed itself
! and thew Joined the Sells Brothers wa
| gon show and danced in the concert
| following the circus performances. In
the spring of 1878 they appeared with
Howe's London Circus in Madison
| Square Garden, New York, and their
first real hit in the north was at Tony
Pastors old theater in New York,
where for the first time they offered
to northern audiences genuine buck
and wing dancing. 1t proved a consid-
cradle change from the jig, clog and
reel dancing hitherto shown by such
old minstrel men as Bridge, Wambold
| "Billv'' Backus and Marnard, and al
once met with great favor. Some Oh
the quaint steps shown by Mcintyre
and Heath in their new production OF
I'm Hayti'' are exactly like those they
then presented 33 years ago.
Fifteen years ago the Georgia Min
strels'' sketch grew into being and has
lived with undimmed sparkle unit
they stepped from the vaudeville fielt
into the Klaw and Erlanger fold ant
were surrounded by a big supporting
company.
The contrast between the two types
of darkies impersonated by Mcintyre
and Heath in this new funmaker III
Hayti", is a remarkable one. Mr.. Nc
Intyre plays the Georgian negro ant
speaks the dialect of that locality
which is the purest of them ALL ant
both these stars agree there are II dis.
tnct negro dialects spoken in Amer.
lea; that of Alabama, containing many
more Of the purely African words ant
phrases than. any other On the othe1
hand, Mr.. Heath's Alabama "cullud'
man follows much more closely the
white mans phrases and reasoning.
In the present musical play Mr.. Me
iTntyre offsets the slight education ant
limited travel of a negro whose wit:
have been sharpened by suspicion
against the Alabaman blusterer who's
better trained shreWdness circumvent!
the other, and the warning of wits fO
the first time carries to it's finish thu
feud of the ''tomatuses' which mem
cries of Mcintyre and Heath in earlier
sketches will recall.
| 1t is extremely doubtful if any or
ganization of American scientists cal
boast a member whose information i:
greater regarding the dialectic Whim
sicalities of the negro than that o
Mcintyre or Heath, and papers found
ed upon their observations have beer
read before the New York society o
chronological science on this subject.
The 80 years that Mcintyre ant
Heath have been together is the mos
striking illustration known of the per
petuity of an agreement between ac
tors Stage people are usually re
garded as fiighty and unstable, bu
here are two who are not. Their part
nership has always been one of the
Warmest friendship quite as much as
business connection Their dressing
room chats before the rising of the
curtain include discussions of Wha
Mcintyre shall plant next spring or
his Long Island farm, or what HEATH
shall buy for his little niece, as wei
as of their professional matters ii