The Clovis news., 1920-01-15
HAS ONLY MEMORY
Old Minstrel Sadly Recalls Days
Of Atluenoe.
Years Ago tire Pet Of Royalty and
Earning Thousands. Today Mere
ly Regarded as an "oId
cSlorcd Man"

Leaning against the side Of NOV.
lns picture lhcalcr 0n Broadway,
u crippled old man. with white
hair nnd deep lines IN his face.
SIond the other dny. hearing little
resemblance To the man who was once
the sensation Of the English amusc
menl world. The pet Of royalty. aud u
mnkrr Of money ~ such quantities
that II was said Of him he only slipped
the bubbles or champagne. leaving
the drink Itself 10 hangcrs.0n.
Not II handful Of people know of his
former slory. 10 the pusserby today
he seemed Slnply an old "colorcd
mnn."
But Ia The Old Timer recognition
was Immediate. lie was none other
thnn George B0hcc. who. with his
brother, Jim BOher, was u feature Of
Jack Ilnverly's Col0rcd Mastodon MN.
slrels In this country IL years aga and
who IN the early eighties took Eng.
innd 0lT lis feet with The Introduction
of negro mlnstrelsy. banjo pldyin,
and SOL. shoe dancing there.
The story Of George Bohec Is more
timely now bccnll>e nf the recent wish
oG the prince of Wales. For when the
present princes grandfather, thr laio
klng Edward, visited this country as
prince Of Wales banjo playing was NJ.
hobby, and hn later fuol; lessons frrm
the Bo!oc brothers aud often com
manded them 10 uppcnr AZ royal cn.
tcrllnmculs.
George ana jim nnhee were mual-
toes. They were splendid slngo"e and
tlrvcr dancers. They nlWnyi ap
pearcd together IN silk costumes uf
cay colors hgh silk hats, and with
hnnjos hung over their shoulder,
They were for years with lInycrly's
mlnstrclS. In 1850 they deridcd t.
go 10 England, ltilc hoping for any
wonderful success there, bul desiring
10 see the world ana Ia try their luck.
81 was In England at the period.
sayS the Old Timer. "I'hc success of
The n0hpe brothers was instantaneous.
II was remarkable The soft shoe
dancing aud hnnio playing took Eng
land by storm. II hccnine the rage.
Just rs the la22 Is the rage here nov.
They were w0oed by The big music
halls aud played u string Of them every
nlght. gung from one To another.
King Edward, who wns then prln
of Wales always had hobby for the
baulo. Nohody had ever played 1t IN
England as the E0hee brothers did
and lie summoned thcm early IN their
career there Ia play for him. The
BohccS appeared at royal parties given
hy him and 10y the duke of Richmond
und tn Queen Alexandra.
- remember that ono of TIE Dohcc's
great songs IN those days was ~
Boys Best Friend Is His Mother"
Sounds slushy now. hut II was great
l'i In III, eighties. Well. the Eohpe
brothers certainly were the class.
They drove down Plccnd!lly. tandem.
with nm attendant In Ivory that would
knock your eye out.
"Whcn Ilm BOhcc came into the
Galety 0r Criterion bar he would or.
der champagne aud never drink any.
thing hut the bubbles. That's fact;
he would simply drink the cirervesccnt
top nnh LEI The greater part of the
wine remain In the glass;
II rehcnlher one day meeting Jim
IN the Criterion and reminding him
Of an Incident when he was with Hav.
erly's mlnstrcls. II happened In
Kalamazoo. Mich. Jim was leading
the parade In startling costume. car
rylng II huge drum.maJor's stick which |
he was whIrllng and twlrllng like
mad.
n frlsky young colt was tied to n
post. and when the parade came down
with bands going full pressure and
with Jim cutting high jnks In 'front.'
thc colt reared up on Its hind legs and
fell over dead, That's fact.
"Wcll asked Jim II he recalled !
that and he let out II roar Of laughter !
that amazed those present. Jim had |
cultivated an English accent and |
eliminated anything approaching the
huistcrouS laugh or expression. Coz.
soQucntly when he lnpsed into nm or.
dlnary whoop Il caused stir, and he |
npOlogllcd.
AN this came to my mind the other |
day when happened to see George |
Bohcc gloSt Of his old self. lie
made hundreds Of thousands or dollars
IN his day. think hc makes living |
now working around movie houses |
stopped 10 talk with him and re.
called the days Of forgotten glory. |
Those were the days he said sadly. |
"a forgot to say that the filll Of the
Bohces began with the death Of Jim.
Jim died just about the time their
popularity began TO dc line, and |
George couldn't revive the old.tIme |
admiration Of the amusement world"
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