Connecticut western news., 1913-08-21
THOSE FUNNY DE RUES (Continued from First Page.)

was largely effective in overcoming the unfaVorable impression left from the last years performance and while there were several vacant seats, the house was fairly well-flled-though Bobby DeRue. the little brother, who, as the chef of the occasion, had charge of the frying-pan and presided over the roast" made the plaintive and pathetic announcement that this was "the first time the show had eyer appeared in Canaan when the standing room wasn't occupied"
 We'll, to go back again-having made announcement of the new and special feature, (the roasting" of the editor,) it was up to MT. DeRue to get ready to deliver the goods. A "speech" must be prepared and ehearsed-something that would make the victim squirm and shriv- ell up. The "roast'' must be seasoned with v1triol, red pepper, tabasco sauce and such-like p'izen condiments to suit the taste of an audience that would come with their mouths fixed for something red-hot in refined minstrelsy.
 Billy and Bobby went into executive session for the rest of the day, to produce the roast" It was a strenuous task. They couldn't find the kind of speech they wanted in any of the almanacs there wasn't single member of the com pany who had ever learned that kind of 8 speech, and they were brought face to face with the necessity of producing something original. That was different. It was an entirely new and strange situ- ation that confronted them. But to their credit be it said, they went at the job with grim and desperate determination, and by the time the hour arrived for the curtain to gr up, they had it finished.
 Being the special feature of the per. formance, it was put on the stage first, as the opening attraction, and took up twenty minutes by the watch. But it was disappointment poor job. The p'izen was there, all right, and the vitriol, and the tabasco sauce but the chef spoiled the roast" by crude and inartistic "cheffing." It was really too bad, when Bobby had such good sub- ject, to see him make such awkward and bungling work of it. A travelling man from Hartford. stopping at the Garfield that night, who attended the show just to kill time, came into the News office the next day, as he said, ito congratulate the editor who had the good sense to get himself into line to deserve the roast" He described Bobby's speech as rare curiosity in game legged grammar and @ gem of distorted rhetoric, and said he would willingly give $5 for a verbatim copy of it in black and white to preserve as an illustration of what minstrel king can do to the Kings English when he discards the almanac and essays to go it alone.
 It's really pity Bobby whsu't equal to his splendid opportunity. If the De- Rues had only been wise enough to come to this office with their maUerial-and we give this assurance in all sincerity and good faith-the editor would cheer fully have helped them out by fixing up their p'izen, tabasco sauce and stuff into a speech that would have been worth while. It would not have been the first time he had helped out amateurs in that way, on the q. t.
 The substance of Bobby's speech was, that The News is a worthless sheet that it's editor is fool; that the show has good cause for action for libel but the paper isn't worth suing, though he "had good mind to try it out :" that the De- Rues paid the paper from $3 to $5 every year for advertising. Qt was never more than 8, though, as Bobby would have recollected if he could remember figures as well or as long as he has re- membered his "iokes.'') He said The News criticism of the show last year had injured it's business, all over the country. at least $2. GOO. Ca tribute to the far-reach- ing influence of The News for which we will gladly pay the DeRues a goodly sum if they will repeat it in every town they visit.) Bobby was particularly ve- hement and argumentative his treat ment of The News's reference to the staleness of their minstrel jokes" He maintained that the age of joke doesn't matter if it is we'll told. If that holds good, the DeRues are vindicated, for years of practice on the same old gags has made them proficient. But when Bobby asserted. in all seriousness, that it was impossible for any minstrel con- pany to have new jokes every year, he maligned the minstrel craft. The min. strel who takes pride in his profession keeps his repertoire up to-date. In many instances, where he has the intellectual equipment and Is not helplessly depend ent upon well-trained memory for his wittlcisms. he is up-to-the-minute.
 Bobby should be informed, at least, that there are new almanacs printed every year but even minstrel who is un-