Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-01

else his mind to think of local subject for
local story. He Just sits and waits. Pretty
soon the man or woman comes along. All
Okra walks round the square at least once
every evening. And to get around it they
have to pass the hotel.
Well, we were among the first to quit the
dining room, and, emerging into the outer
air, and finding two chairs vacant. we slipped
into them. Tilted back against the building
We were smoking in disgruntled silence,
when Ezra Bimbe in his beard came along.
Bong sore, Gents, said he. "Tonights
the night Cards are stacked, an there's
gon' to be show. Keep your seats. l
work right in front of you.
So he did. A platform mounted on four
barrels placed near the curbing proved to be
his show ground. When we took Our seats
the makeshift stage was bare; but soon
gaily caparisoned Senegambian appeared
from somewhere and affixed to the front OF
the floor two flare lamps which cast an out
landish light over the heads of the rapidly
collecting crowd. This done, he disappeared
for a moment, returning with square chest
covered with red paper bearing markings
evidently Chinese He placed this on the
platform. disappeared again. and returned
with two camp chairs, banjo, and Bimble.
Ezra wore a long black coat, white plug
hat, and the fake black whiskers. He
seemed to be looking for some particular OBJ
ject. Not finding it, he nudged the musician,
and the colored man obliged with Casey
Jones' During the fourteenth or fifteenth
verse of this classic a look of satisfaction
appeared in the eyes of his employer. He
stopped the singer, raised his hat for a sec
ond, gazed majestically over the heads of
the audience, cleared his throat, and started.
T ADDE'S and Gentlemen" said he, and
- from the way he said it anybody could
tell that this was not the speakers first at
tempt at spellbinding. LADIES' and Gentle
men, many thousands of years ago Solomon
in All His Glory said to the Queen of Sheba,
with whom he was very friendly, Queen
said he, there's nothin' new under the sum
An he spoke the truth. From time to time
some wise guy busts into print with the
statement that he's stumbled onto some new
an marvellous invention, that he's discov
cred bran new cure for all the known an
unknown diseases. These people are either
kiddin' themselves or kiddin' you. If they're
kiddin' themselves, they're crazy in the
head, likewise ignorant. an headed straight
for the bughouse. Solomon in All His Glory,
LADIES' an Gentlemen, was right! There
amt nothin' new under the sun. An I'm
here tonight to prove it. The fake inven-
TONS the fake cure-alls, the so-called new
minerals, vegetables, an styles in female
dress, was all known to our ancestors. Radi-
UNI was known in the Stone Age, the ancient
Egyptians wore slit skirts, the science of
medicine was. doped out complete before
Noah built the Ark. an seedless oranges was
common wen Mr.. Burbank's forefathers
was swingin' by their tails on trees.
Before go any farther with my lecture
this evenin' l want to tell you good people
that I'm in hearty sympathy with your
movement to crush the liquor evil. Wine
is mocker, an strong drink is ragin'n
There's no doubt about it. An one of the
least appreciated an most misunderstood
men in the world is the undertaken. In the
hour of trouble, in the time of sorrow, who
is it sees his duty an does it? l ask you
It's the undertaken! He's public bene-
factor. To show my sympathy with the
two mammoth conventions w'ich are to be
held in your city tomorrow I'm goin' to ask
my friend here to sing in minute those two
soul-movin' ballads, The Face on the Bar
room Floor an The Baggage Coach
Ahead
"To return to my subject an get done
with it so the free concert can go on, want
to tell you good people that vile this is the
first time I've been in your beautiful city
I've enjoyed the honor, pleasure, an dis
tinction of visiting most of the other popu-