Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-12
THE OLDEST TEAM
IN MINSTRELSY
And Their Chief Joy-The Last
Letter Written by
John l..

fNtlL Sew Nor', Suns "vox .poppers ii
l. you know what we mcan--have been en-
deavortnG to lay peu-point to the names Of
thc oldest minstrel5 of the country now IN
active service and though these many cor
respondents may be presumed 10 have said
Tia" last word they haven't at all They
overlooked two venerable burnt-corionians
who make this quiet town their home
The net result Of the New York symposium
n were not mistaken was the placing Of the
twin wreath upon the brows of Mcintyre
and Heath But thats a mistake. Mcintyre
ana Heath have been together for thirty
seven years. We're told but even that "a
stretching it a bit for there were periods
WREN Mcintyre was otherwise engaged and
Heath temporarily rustled along with another
partner until Mcintyre was ready to jump
back in harness.
The men for whom We hold our brief have
been not only nseparabe from the begin
ming, but they have been a team for fifty
years They arc not only the oldest minstrels
on the stage today, but they are the oldest
pair in vaudeville.
Gentle reader, meet Joseph T.. r'ov and
W. II. Ward known in the profession as
FON and Ward
These two began their career as partners
in Cincinnati in 1861. first appearing at
Woods Theatre there with the WorrelI Sis
ters' '''The Field Of the Cloth of Cold" when
they introduced for the first time their spe-
cialty. "Fhe Silver Statue Clog" Then they
went to the Winter Garden, Chicago, which
was tn" only variety house in the western
metropolis at that time. They STAYED there
during the season of $3.50. startling tho
natives with their Marble Pedestal clog"
SO they danced their way along through the
IOs with puprez and Benedict's Minstrcls.
with Barlow. Wilson. Primrose and West
ana Tor one season GSS2) stormed the cir
cunt with their own show. But they hopped
back into vaudeville In 1888, and they'ye
been there ever since
1t rather hurt these quiet old bows to read
"hat the 'Nox-poppers" of the Sun were
saying about other minStrels, when SO much
might have been said about them and they
dropped line TO their old friend. John l..
sullivan about il. The result has filed them
with happiness which is likely to last for
some time They got "A letter from John l.,
'hat proved as far as any one knows to the
contrary, to be the last letter written bv
the great champion. Here it Isl
North Abingdon. Mass. Jan. ? 1918
Dear Frends--Bil and Joe-Your lot,or
received and was pleased TO hear from Won
both and glad TO know that you are both
enjoying good health, and are both able
TO interest and cnlshten this selfish rising
generation.
How different it would be in ,bcse days
OF vaudeville, as thoy choose TO call i,
nut when We were younger it was known
as variety ana the performers OF those
uaEs had some class and could deliver the
goods IN round numbers. How we miss the
hearty laughs, and real ones they were
Just think Of the talent Schoolcraft and
'oeS' Dcl"hanty and Iengler Billy Ener-
son, j. W. Kelly, Bobby Newcomb. PAT
Rooney, Harry Kennedy, Daley brothers
Emerson and Clark, Pettingill Gale Dalev
and Hocy, old IIoss Huey Billy Rarr,.
llughey Fay. Moifett and Bartholomew.
jim liarrlgan and a host of others Some
are gone beyond the Great Divide and
YOU too, Fox and Ward and Mcintyre and
Heath stilI with us entertaining with tho
same old spirit as Of yore.
Well. your Uncle John L. is stiu mani,
Years young aud whoever was writing mo,
article has another guess coming lie
Shouid see me throwing the medicine hail
ana swinging clubs, skipping the rome. lie
NouIu cn"hse 'he writing 10 Gapers OF
youthful exercise. ! never was i'm be,ter
health in my life, hut lonesome yvjthou,
my partner in life. She was just the hest
bet and TO me everything in life but tho
will Of God must be done and it was nv
misfortune to have her taken away from
me. ~
Had been as wise in early ve,rs =, :
have been the last fourteen years tbinys
would have been great deal different
put sun nave no kick coming to me with
what went through and up against, ,;od
mas been good TO me for all of that
VIII wish you both good health and
happiness prosperity and long life trrn,,'
'o"i F'ehu' JOHN !" SULLIVAN
No. 104 Hancock street
T. S'-liere are few that ! forgot to
mention; Billy Rice, Hughey Dougherty,
Lester and Allen, Master Barney and Nc'
Nulty. Little Mac. Jerry J. Conan 6
Hickey Backus and Wambold, KeatInr
and Sands, Gus Williams. How soon we
VIII Join that army of good fellows mo- ono
can tell Good luck. '"o
This happy pair Of old boys are novr NJ,
,neir golden Jubilee tour-probably in New
YORK city at this moment-and belize tbo,.,n
be shaking sprightly feet upon The hneS - IT
for many more seasons ''uS
Between times. when they're Eat Iiher,,.n
they rest their stockinged feet unr,, - ~:
same ktehen table. or fender, or porch.
~ Tve,eEer Wer1 y, Mrs Fox permits such things
home with his old buddy and Mrs, Eo, 'ns ~,
il2' Wolf street which, as eysryhoS,.
knows, is down in the Neck. y 'pouy