The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-05-15
Elks' Minstrels
Was the Piece
From Fridays Daily.

dig, especially those 81 local appii-
cation, crowded house at the Man.
kato theatre last evening thoroughly
enjoyed every minute Nof the enter.
tainment presented there by the To-
cal lodge OF Elks. Fred Malloy, one
Of the comedians in black face. made
a striking reference TO the size OF
the audience In observing that the
house reminded him of a hobule
skirt, affording standing room only.
The costumes, with their gay and
flashing color combinations. together
with the new scenery, representing a
carnival night at the Panama Pacific
exposition, were thoroughly In keep.
ing with the boisterous humor that
characterized the program from first
TO last.
Thirty.four OF the best known OF
Mankato's citizens were grouped on
the stage, nine disguised In black
face but the rest with no other stage
makeup than their costumes, there
fore readily recognizable from any
part of the house. John c. Wise
made an ideal interlocutor, generally
preserving a demeanor Of most sober
earnestness in carrying on the dia.
logues with the AfricaniZed comedi-
ans, that were grouped in the front
OF the stage.
Comedians Were Funny.
The nine comedians spared no one,
great or small, I'm the jibes they
dealt out from time TO time. and no
well known citizen who was either
uncommonly fat or lean, could be
sure for a moment that a deadly
missile of words was not going TO
be flung at him. A fat man looked
"as IL he had swallowed a box of
yeast" and a lean one could not be
present because he had swallowed
an olive and his costume would not
fl him" These nine were Pete
Fregeau. o. F. Morrow, r. +. Wood,
Fred Malloy, A. n. Archibald, John
+. Regain. Vernon Cooper, Frank
Hurd and Clint Draper.
The theatre last evening was no
place for the suffragette. A skit was
played representing a Mankato scene
in the year 1000, with all the stern
and rugged qualities OF humanity
taken by the females, while the
males were as gentle and helpless as
any modern battler for women's
rights would care to have them.
Those who represented women were
arrayed I'm broad trousers, resembling
skirts, and these, together with fem.
mime wigs, and what they said were
about all there was TO let II be
known that they were supposed to
be females The dear, unoffensive
men wore the present day women's
hats and wells. and were on their
guard to resent any undue familiarity
on the part OF the women. Charles
Il. Butter, as Evelyn Templeton, can
didate for mayor, made vigorous
appeal for votes. A. II. Archibald,
as Honorah 0'Brien, political boss,
figured as the prospective father-in.
law OF the candidate, arranging d
match between the new mayor and
her charming son, beneath whose
wig and feminine hat, the features
OF Wallace Sterling were readily dis.
cernible. The happy arrangement Is
married by the appearance OF the sweet
heart whom the faithless candidate
for mayor has deserted. With bushes
concealed by q long veil, p. NJ. Fer.
guson beseeches the candidate for
mayor to marry him and save his
good name from public gossip.
"The Darktown Wedding"
No less Of a hit was The Dark.
town Wedding" playlet performed
by o. F. Morrow, as the bride, ver.
ron Cooper as the groom, Clint
Draper as the parson, Fred Nal
lay, as tho deacon, and several
others, all In black face, and
costumes I'm keeping with the habits
and tastes OF the Ethiopian.
The vocal solos were without ex.
ception followed with calls for an
encore. The soloists were Clint
Draper, ID. M. Jones, Frank Hurd,
Fred Malloy, DR.. b. II. McCleary, r.
+. Wood. James Crawford. John Re
gan, Frank Blyler and Pete Fregeau
Jack z. Keefe, Jr., proved himself
TO be an adept at the piano, putting
hurnor into the keys. while he sang
TO his own accomplishments. Ed Ny.
quist gave a highly entertaining mon
ologue. as a Scandinavian arrival,
fresh from the old sod.
Chorus Was Fine.
The chorus consisted of Fred
Force. Frank crandall. Charles Wa
gen. Emery Olson. Frank Sieight,
George Black, Paul Ford, Charles
Northrun y. @. Freeman. Al. Pioske.
George Meyer, Herbert Hauck. Jay
Nicholson, Ben Gallagher. William
Ford. Florence o'Brien, Archie
Fletcher, Ed Brett. Joseph Stein,
Harold Nnrthrup and Lewis widell.
Tn. negro shoe song and dance.
Waiting on the Mississippi Shore. "
was one Of the hits of the evening.
II was given by Clint Draper. assist
ed by Messrs. Malioy, Regain. Blyler.
Crawford, Wood, Hurd, Paul and VIII
liam Ford. O'Brien. Hauck. Pioske,
Meyer, Black. Olson. Fregeau, Cal
lagher, Northrup and Widell.
A second performance OF the same
-. IL. -