The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1920-01-28
HAS ONLY MEMORY
Old Minstrel Sadly Recalls Days
Of Affluence.
Yeas Ago the Pet Of Royalty. and
Earning Thousanda Today Mere
iy Regarded az an "oId
colored Man,

y
ing picture theater on Broadway,
a crippled old man. with white
hair and deep lines In his face,
stood the other day, bearing little
resemblance to the man who was once
the sensation of the English anuse-
ment world, the pet of royalty, and q
maker Of money in such quantities
that 1t was said Of him he only slipped
the bubbles Off champagne, leaving
the drink itself to hangers-on.
Not handful Of people know Of his
former glory. To the passerby today
he seemed simply an old "colored
man"
But to- the Old Timer recognition
was immediate. He was none other
than George Bohee, who, with his
brother, Jim Bohee, was feature of
Jack Haverly's Colored Mastodon min
strels in this country 40 years ago and
who in the early eighties took .;EiE-
land Off its feet with the introduction
of negro minstrelsy, banjo playing
and soft-shoe dancing there.
The story of George Bohee is more
timely now because OF the recent visit
| Of the prince of Wales. For when the
present princes grandfather, the late
King Edward, visited this country as
prince of Wales, banjo playing was his
hobby, and he later took lessons from
the Bohee brothers, and often COM
handed them to appear at royal en-
tertainments.
George and Jim Bohee were mulat-
toes. They were splendid singers and
clever dancers. They always ap-
peared together in silk costumes of
gay colOrs, high silk hats, and with
banjOs hung over their shoulders.
They were for years with Haverly's
minstrels. In 1880 they decided to
go to England, little hoping for any
wonderful success there, but desiring
to see the world and to try their luck.
II was in England at the period"
says the Old Timer 1.-THE success of
the Bohee brothers was instantaneous.
1t was remarkable. The soft-shoe
dancing and banjo playing took Eng
land by storm. 1t became the rage,
just as the jazz is the rage here now.
They were wooed by the big music
halls and played a string of them every
night, going from one to another.
"King Edward, who was then prince
of Wales, always had hobby for the
banjo. Nobody had ever played it in
England as the Bohee brothers did
and he summoned them early in their
career there to play for him. The
Bohees appeared at royal parties given
by him and by the duke of Richmond
and to Queen Alexandra.
II remember that one of the BOhee's
great songs in those days was "A
Boys Best Friend Is His Mother"
Sounds slushy now, but it was a great
hit in the eighties. Well, the BOhee
brothers certainly were the class.
They drove down Piccadlly, tandem,
with an attendant in livery that would
knock your eve out
when Jim BOhee came into the
Gaiety or Criterion bar he would or
der champagne and never drink any
thing but the bubbles. That's fact;
he would simply drink the effervescent
top and let the greater part of the
wine remain in the glass;
81 remember one day meeting Jim
IN the Criterion and reminding him
Of an incident when he was with Hav-
srly's mlnstrels. 1t happened in
Mich. Jim was leading
he parade in startling costume, car
wing a huge drum-major's stick which
he was whirling and twirling like
mad.
"A frisky young colt was tied to
post, and when the parade came down
With bands going full pressure and
With Jim cutting high jlnls in front,
he colt reared up on is hind legs and .
ell over dead. That's fact. ]
"Well I asked Jim If he recalled
hat and he let out roar of laughter |
hat amazed those present. Jim had
cultivated an English accent and {
anything approaching the I
oisterOus laugh or expression. Con-
when he lapsed into an or :
iihaiy WHoup IL cduSeu sur, ana he
pologl.ed. Q
"All this came to my mind the other
ay when ! happened to see George
'ohee, a ghost Of his old self. He
lade hundreds of thousands OF collars =.
\ his day. l think he makes living .
ow working around movie houses. :,
topped to talk with him and re-
allied the days of forgotten glory. .,
Those were the days. he said sadly. 4
II forgot to say that the fall OF the !,
ohees hogan with the death OF Jim.
i'm died JUST about the time their :.
opularity began to decline, and a
gorge couldn't revive the old-time o
OF the amusement world" n