The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-11-02
who sent out Leavitt's Gigantean min

Minstrelsy has declined materially in
the past dozen years, probably because
of the advent of vaudeville, and as early
as 20 years ago, the minstrel companies
themselves carried vaudeville specialties,
who contributed their white faced acts
to the bill and took no part in the min
strel show proper. 1t is rare thing
nowadays to see minstrel organization
in the larger cities. Primrose and Vests
organization disDanded several years
ago. William West has since died. Prim-
rose and Dockstader at one time put
forth an organic together and then
each went his way. Primrose is now in
vaudeville and Dockstader has his organ
ization. George Evans, better known to
vaudeville than TO the minstrel field,
took over the Cohen and Harris min
strels, and is now doing the smaller cities
throughout the country That with Al
G. Field are probably the only companies
of any consequence now touring America,
although it is announced that the one
time Hi Henry MINISTRIES are to be put
forth again without Mr.. Henry, who is
too i'll to travel, but they Twill show the
cornet upon which Mr.. Henry played"
Minstrelsy had great hold in England
at one time. Two famous companies
were Moore and Burgess who had per-
manent organization at st. James hall,
London Burgess was native of Provl-
dence), and Sam Hague's, but it remain
ed for j. H. Haverly to take his big Or
ganization to London, where he played at
Her Majesty's theatre for II weeks to
the great delight of the large crowds
that attended, afterwards touring the
English provinces with great success.
Haverly died in poverty in 1901.
Among the permanent organizations in
this country were the Christy minstrels,
Jerry, Dan and Neil Bryant minstrels in
New York in 1857, and later, and Morris
brothers, Pell and Trowbridge, and the
Buckley Serenaders in Boston; B. M.
Hooley's in Brooklyn; Carncross and
Dixie, Simmons and Slocum, and later
Frank Dumont's m;nstrels in Philadel-
phia. Hughey and Dougherty were long
standing favorites in all the Philadelphia
minstrel houses. Among later perma-
nently located minstrel companies were
the San Francisco Company minstrels
headed by Birch, Wambold and Backus in
New York, and Billy Emerson's min
strels in San Francisco. Later Charlie
Reed had popular company located in
San Francisco.
Some noted musical directors of min
strelsy were Dave Braham, afterwards
with Harrigan and Hart, w. S. Mutually,
Eddie Fox, John B. Donniker and d..
NJ. Gatlin. Some noted minstrel singers
are Richard Jose, Raymond Moore, Dave
Wambold, Harry M. Morse, Banks Win
ter, Frank Cushman, Charles S. Shat
tuck, Thomas b. Dixon, who immortal
lied sally in Our Alley" John L. earn
cross and Chauncey Olcott.
1t would be impossible in an article of
this kind to give an extensive idea OF
minstrelsy as a whole, naturally many
names have been omitted, but sufficient
have been told to give general idea OF
the rise and decline of American Negro
minstrelsy.
Both Lew Benedict and Hughy Dough
erty, who are performing at Keith
theatre this week with the first minstrel
show that has ever been seen on a Port
land vaudeville stage are old timers In
burnt cork entertainment, having been
in this line of business for some IS years.
And probably were their part of the bill
only half as good as it is it would still be
the drawing card for the reason of the
tame they attained in younger days.
Harsh physics react weaken the bowels
cause chronic constipation. Doan's Regulet:
operate easily. tone the stomach. cure consti
patton. Csc. Ask your druggist for them.