Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-24
DONE IN PHILADELPHIA

friends the minstrels with us for more than
go years. They have weathered every inno-
walton in theatricals; the decline and fall OF
the stock ventures; the advent OF the travel
ing companies, comic opera, vaudeville and
now even moving pictures And they are
going on. but not telling the same old jokes
night after night
All my efforts to run down to it's dark
origin the libel that minstrel jokes are VEN
erable resulted in failure. Some of the best
jokes recall we're first passed over the foot
lights by a minstrel company Only after
they became public property did they find
their way into periodicals.
TTAvING become a venerable institution
i i many years ago, there naturally arose
dispute to the place where negro min
strelsy had Its birth. Probably not so many
cities claimed Homer for their own con-
tended but certainly Philadelphia and New
York had their advocates.
am willing to admit prejudice in favor
Of this city, and as no other place on the
globe ever supported minstrelsy for so long
a time we seem to have something of a pro-
prietary right in this form Of entertainment.
The beginning was very modest. Before
the word had been heard In connection with
such an entertainment there were black-faced
acts on the American stage. One of the
first big hits was made by Thomas B. Rice
In his Jim Crow" which has got into the
vocabulary Of the language. No one could
call that nondescript act mnstrelsy as we
have known it, yet it had its influence
TNHEN came black faced banjo acts such
i as Billy Whitlock used to do: others SINH
lar to George Washington Dixon's Zip
Coon,' and still minstrels did not appear on
tha J,of
Philadelphia theatre-goers in the 3Os and
early 4os. Dixon resided here for time
and during the epidemic of cholera in 1892
published weekly Cholera Gazette" He
sang Zip Coon" at the Tivoli Garden, on
Market street west of Thirteenth, and every
boy in the city was whistling the refrain
Billy Whitlock in his autobiography gives
version Of his connection with the organi-
zation of the minstrel show. During the
winter or 1910 he and his partner Master
John Diamond, whose real name was Frank
Lynch. were playing at the Walnut Street
Theatre, and when the night for their benefit
approached Whitlock conceived the idea of
introducing a novelty.
Whtlock asked Dick Myers, a violinist, if
he would play the violin with them and form
trio on their benefit, and Myers agreed. So
on that occasion, for the first time in public
on the stage by violinist. And even that
does not look like minstrel show, does II?
Yet 1t was from this germ that the big, sable
semicircle which we recall with pleasure
grew into the minstrels
TN its early form minstrelsy was essential
i ly musical. The first band of minstrels
that travelled around the country had Master
Ole Bull as one of it's members. There were
Virginia Serenaders and New Orleans Ser
enaders. and while all the acts were done in
blackface, they were of musical character
They gave some clever travesties on the
Italian OPERA which was then attracting the
attention of the muscally inclined and from
all accounts these burlesques were not only
bright and witty, but were admirably set so
far musical numbers went.
One of the first minstrel troupes which
performed in this city was the New Orleans
Serenaders They here in 1s49, and
probably earlier, and they gave a perform
ance in old Musical Fund Hall. In the COM
pany was Nelson Kneass, a song writer and
musical composer, whose songs were sung all
over the country at the time There may still
be persons who recall the strains of IT Hear
the Hoofs," Go Way Black Man." Rosa
Clare" and nelly Was Lady" I feel con-
hdent that the last named at least will be
Carncross' Minstrels. in the little Eleventh
Street Opera House.
THERE were also in the company Max
! Zorer George Swaine, Thomas Burke
Master Ole Bull j. Fl. Collins, Sam Sanford
and j. C. Rainer. Sanford whose real name
was Lindsay, took his stage name from an
other performer. Jim Sanford His uncle
William Lindsay, also In the business
Sanford may be said to have been respon-
sible for the vogue negro mnstrelsy has had
In Philadelphia. He opened Sanfords Opera
House, at Twelfth and Chestnut streets, in
1853. When the place was burned he took
the old church building Eleventh street,
which had already been transformed into
playhouse by Cartee. This was the begin
ming of the history OF the Eleventh Street
Opera House, where mlnstrelsy was pre-
served for more than half century.
TN SANFORD'S company at the time was
! Julien as he appeared on the bills, but the
singer subsequently revealed himself as Ira
D. Sankey when he engaged In evangelistic
work with Dwight L. Moody,
The last time I saw Sam Sanford was al
most 90 years ago, when he danced Bob Rid
lev at the Walnut Street Theatre with Prim-
rose and Vests Mnstrels He then
very old man, but very nimble on his feet
GRANVILLE.
The Female of the Species
From the Ohio State Journal
II takes man n long time TO get back into
the swing of his regular work after vaCa-
lion but woman without a moments delay
resumes the charge the red ants In tho re-
frfgcrator with all the zeal and Yerve with