The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-12
B. A. c. MINsTRELs GOOD.
Opening Performance at Opera House
Last Night Pleased Many.

;qulps and cTanks and WantOn Wlles
have made other audiences laugh in days
gone by, were out in squads to usher
in the evening of mirth with the grand
opening chorus of ten tuneful rhymes
set to music. Singers were there in
sufficient numbers to make the occasion
auspicous, and of volume there was
plenty All of the yocalsts were in good
voice, harmony reigned supreme and to
mention any individual singer would be
an injustice to a company of Ministries
whose work was always OF the highest
order.
All IN all, it was a minstrel entertain
ment which would have done credit to
any amateur company. The jokes, cross
fire, local hits and otherwise We're well
selected and called forth many laugh.
The olio was not the least pleasureable
part OF the performance by any means,
and in the arrangement Of the numbers
for the second part the promoters of
the show displayed excellent judgment.
Members Of the Barre Athletic club may
well congratulate themselves on staging
an exceptionally creditable local talent
entertainment and all of the favorable
comments expressed after the show wer1
every bit deserved From financial
standpoint, the results were extremely
gratifying the box Office receipts show
ing a sum which far exceeded the most
sanguine expectations Of the club.
The circle OF thirty-fye well-trained
voices supported the endmen and several
soloists. Charles f. Mills acted grace
fully in the. role OF conversationalist,
and the following wellknown local ar
fists were on the ends; Bones, Henry
Mute William Robertson, William Nell
son; tambos, f. Thompson, William
Trombley, John Duncan. In the first
circle were William H. Robertson, Alex.
Mckenzie. William Hurry, James Ben
nett and Duncan Mcmillan The quartet
parts were taken by William Fl. Robert
son, Alex. Mckenzie, William Hurry and
Duncan Mcmillan. The performance was
carried out under the personal direction
Of J. Henry Denniug, who iabored un
tiringly in the rehearsals to develop the
wealth Of talent placed at his disposal.
How well he succeeded was quite en-.
phatically decided in the plaudits OF the
spectators last evening.
Promptly at S;l5 o'clock. the curtain
rose with the company singing the grand
opening chorus. Six funny endmen in
hashv costumes took their seats, and
the iuterloclitor introduced John Duncan
in the coon song, Turkey Trot." A
tenor solo. Mothers Prayer written
by a local musician WAS rendered by
William Hurry, and William Nelson sang,
"play That Rag James Benefits ten
or solo. mine followed William Robert
son sang. Save 1t for Me and the open
ing part was half concluded when Alex.
Mckenzie sang. My Love Is Greater
Than the World William Trombley.
especially eostumed for his contribution,
followed with Lord Have Mercy on a
Married Man. William II. Robertson
sang 4 bass solo. entitled THE Salt OF
the Sea for Me" and f. Thompson
contributed the novelty rag That Low
ing Ragtime Man. Henry Mute led the
way for the grand finale by rendering
"Eyerybody's Doing It.
For the finale, the company presented
something out OF the ordinary, and the
efforts to secure an innovations for this
feature were surely crowned with sue
cess if the applause could he considered
any criterion of merit NIarshaled by
Alex. Mckenzie himself decked out in
aves marched to the front and executed I
a clever shuttle, singing the meanwhile. I
1t was striking sight and when the
entire company Joined in singing the
chorus, a loud round of handclapping
followed During the first part. every
one Of the singers was obliged to re-
spond to an encore.
In the interim between the first and
second parts. the Barre opera house or
chestra. which furnished such meritori
ous accompaniments for the soloists and
chorus throughout the entertainment,
played splendid overture. George /
Milne opened the oIio with an Irish char /
acter song and dance. His clever offering /
on the floor was the signal for more APP /
plause and his encore was decidedly IN (
order
In their musical extravaganza, The (
Last Day of School" the -Four Nillies.'
William tButtermilk Robertson, viii i
liam Hurry. w. H. Robertson and Dun /
can Mcmillan never appeared in q more (
humorous light Ii was an original +
sketch and continuous giggle followed /
the movements of the sehoomaster z
"Zeb" Robertson and his three charges 4
Percy Archibald, Samuel Perkins, and !
Joseph Hardguy. The piece had to do I
with the dismissal Of the district school +
for the having season, and the ludcrous (
questions and answers included many
"iabs" at local personages.
The olo was brought to a strong fin
ish with the .one-act playlet "A Law
ver's Dilemma" The little piece deals f
with the difficulties OF a barrister in rid
ding himself of two bothersome canvass
ers. Archibald Sellemquck and Jake, the
clam peddler. 1t offered a wealth of
chances for merriment and the trio of
James n Gall as the law
yer, G. H. Douglass as the book agent,
and O. q. Burnell the vender of sea food,
were not slow in taking advantage of
these opportunities.
For the company, Al. H. Gerhardt act
I'd as stage manager and credit for many
If the smaller details. as well as the
general staging Of the affair, is largely
iue to his efforts Fine scenery used in
the setting Of the first part was gener-
1usly loaned the company by Mills &
Kenneth.
The personnel of the Zouave troop was
as follows: Guy George William An
lerson. Henry Lascor. Amelio Garibaldi.
Herbert Clark, Alex Fowle Harry stat
ford. Timothy Kenetick, Ralph Iluse.
William Milne. Chester Bennett, 0rville
ioungson.
To-niobt the entertainment will he