The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
ADJUSTMENTS
Polk MiIIer's Quartet.


Nearly every field of entertainment or
the coveted first rank; but when II comes
to the delineation of that picturesque and
ever amusing character, the ante-bellum
southern negro, Polk Miller of Richmond,
stands unique and without a rival.
Born and bred in the Old Dominion
where 'possums, coons and little mig
gers 'possums, coons and little mig
portunlties offered by typical planta-
ton life to become familiar with every
mans point of view. 1t was many years
after he had fought his way through the
civil war before Mr.. Miller attempted
TO put this knowledge to practical use
but finally he found his way to the plat
form and an ever growing audience has
kept him there since. The reason why
was once tersely expressed by General
Fitznugh Lee. He has had no pre-
decessor,' said General Lee. has no
contemporary, and will have no sue
cessor." When Polk Miller is gone the
man who can best tell of the old south
will have passed away"
With his one-time comrade-in-arms and
lifelong friend Tom Booker of Amelia
county, Virginia, Mr.. Miller will appear
here tomorrow night and the two old
confederates, with banjo, song and story
will furnish an evening OF rare entertain
ment, To a southern man no more invit-
ing programme could be offered. Not the
least attractive feature of the concert is
the mere personality of the two perform
ers-Vrginia gentlemen of that much
written about but steadily thinning 'old
school, There is no doubt about an
audience for them in the jefferson thea
tire. The sale of tickets has already
started with a rush that promises a rous-
ing reception for this wing of the confed-
crate army.
Upon one memorable occasion Polk Mil
Ter Travelled to Boston with the "old
south quartet of negro factory hands,
which will be with him at the concert
here. 1t was reather an odd sight-a
gray-coated confederate veteran in the
hotbed of abolition, with bunch of the
genuine. unexpurgated "niggers' who
had been allowed none of the educational
milling then so ardently desired by the
northern reformers. But Polk Miller's
abilities as an entertainer withstood even
this crucial test and instead of precipi-
tating a new civil war he came off with
this from the Boston Transcript, one of
the most precise and critical journals In
the country:
AT Chickering Hall last evening Mr.
Polk Miller and his quartet of negroes
appeared for the first time in public
in Boston, although il has already been
heard here at private residences and
clubs. The entertainment, which Is
called "Old Times Down South, is not
like anything in the amusement line
which has been given here before. The
negro quartet is not composed OF trained
singers, but of men whom Mr.. Miller
selected because they could sing. Their
singing was most enjoyable. The young
EST one had a strong bass voice which he
used to good advantage and it was a
treat to watch the oldest of the quartet
who had the swing and the shout of the
odtime negro, Some of the songs, es-
pecally "Old Dan Tucker" and "Sewa-
nee River" given with the cadence and
peculiar information of the plantation
Blacks, were resolutions TO those who
had only heard such pieces rendered in
conventional style. The whole enter
tainment was simply delightful