Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-02-15
LEEGER'S MINISTRIES
AT CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH Big SUCCESS

Charlie Leeger, the utility man of
GfantWoOd, the man of many accom-
piiShments, the comedian, the clown,
the minstrel, the plumber, the orator,
the churchman, the fighter in the cause
of right, the chronic joker, the earnest
worker all in one, gave repeat per-
torrance of his local Children's Min
strei Show last week Friday, and it
was even more pronounced success
than the first exhibition. The event
was staged in the lecture room of the
Congregational Church, an odd sort of
place for minstrel performance,
most people will say Offhand. Well, it
was. but Comedian Leeger made the
show SO clean and entirely unobjec-
aiOnsble and so altogether fine and
wholesome it would have been fit any
where. He has always been an adorer
Of the children of GrantwoOd, and they
have reciproeated his affection. They
all know him, all respect him, all love
him.
OF the minstrel show it may be said
ia all candor that with all of it's crude
ness and cramped quarters it was Il
bully good performance. Not perfect,
by any means, but the attempt itself
was good enough show. The young
boys and girls of the Congregational
Church composed the talent, and much
of it was good. Mr.. Leeger, himself
acting as interlocutOr, was weirdly and
grotesquely gotten up, regardlessly as
well AS IA trayeSty upon the cOlored
brother his make up could not be sur
passed. 1t was eXaggeratiOn eXagger-
ated. How much the crowded house
enjoyed the show was evidenced from
the start. 1t showed itself in hundreds
Of hearty laughs and was most of the
time convulsed Two outstanding
Jokes alone were worth the price of
admission One of the endmen asked
the other endman:
"Say, RastuS, does yer know why
Mr.. oeeger sings with his eyes cl0sed?"
'"The light hurts 'em, 1 Spec" was
answered.
''N0, dat amt hit"
"Well what is it? / don't know"
"'Cause he don't want to see de
pain on de faces of de audience" And
the crowd roared
,@ The other big joke was:
"Kin you tell me why dey calls our
soldiers 'doughbOys'?"
"'Cause de secretary of war am a
Baker"
la addition to the singing (there was
only foot-patting for dancing), and
jokes, there were many pretty tab
ieaux by the children. The stage was
a little bit of cramped affair, and
two screens were used for curtains,
bat these deficiencies didn't matter.
On the side of the stage was arranged
q large frame and curtain. In the
songs an allusion would be made to
topic, the curtain would be raised in
the frame, and there would be revealed
pretty child in a pose to coordinate
with the sentiment of the song. 1t
was clever idea and much enjoyed.
The last one of the frame ups" was
that of little four-year-old tot, Ralph
Puryea, son of Mrs Puryea, now
with the Wrights, who had that
day attained his birthday His pres
CbCC III Tic CduScu d StuSdIlDH
Of laughter, because he no sooner saw
the audience than his surprise took all
the pose out of him, and his comical
grimaceS and wide-opening of his
mouth were simply killing The little
chap stood the laughter, though like
stole, but was unable to control his
own face, and the more he evinced
his amn ba pra cC1nant haipu Y1pabIo
to retreat from the frame, and too
small to step out, the audience fairly
went wild with merriment. 1t was all
too funny, and finally Mr.. Leeger went
TO the frame and dismantled it of
little Ralph and held him in his arms
and talked to him most tenderly $50
this is your birthday" he asked.
"And how old are you, Ralph?"
''Four," he replied with another wide
mouthed opening of his face, which
almost took the roof off Then Mr.
heeger gave him two pretty birthday
gifts and sat the yOungster on the
G0or, whence he toddled off to his
parents.
The girls and boys in the minstrel
snow were: Dynamo, Leeger; Rastus,
Marriott Vaughn Nose, Junior Sears
Sambo, Kenneth Clark; Zeke, Harold
AnSell
Chorus, Caroline Vaughn, Marjorie
Bush, Charlotte Goelz Hazel Elmen-
d0rf Marie Krebs and Helen Leeger
Pianist, Mrs. w. Clark
Announcer, Miss Milleham.
TableauX, Mary Vogeli, Caroline
Vaughn, Ethel Sears Jean Cause,
Grace Gibson, Paul Wright and Kath-
afine ElmendOrf
Illustrated songs, Ethel Sears, Rob
ert Goebei, Louise Goelz, Renee Cause
and Donald Agnew
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