The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1920-03-06
HAS ONLY MEMORY
Old Minstrel Sadly Recalls Days
of AtfIuence. a#
Years Ago the Pet Of Royalty, ana
Earning Thousands, Today MeDs4
Iy Regarded az an "oId
CoIored Man."

Leaning against the side Of NOV.
ing picture theater on Broadway,
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 amuse-
ment world, the pet Of royalty, ana q
maker Of money in such quantities
that it 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 a feature Of
Jack Haverly's Colored Mastodon MIN
strels in this country 40 years ago and
who in the early eighties took Eng
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 az
prince of Wales, banjo playing was his
hobby, and he later took lessons from
the Bohee brothers, and often COM
manded 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
MINISTRIES. 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.
81 was in England at the period"
SAYS the Old Timer. 1.-THE success Of
the Bohee brothers was instantaneous.
It 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 string Of them every
night, going from one to another.
liking Edward, who was then prince
Of Wales, always had hobby for the
banjo. Nobody had ever played 1t 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.
Il remember that one of the Bohee's
great songs in those days was "a
Boys Best Friend Is His Mother"
Sounds Slushy now, but ii was a great
Init I'm the eighties. Well, the Bohee
Brothers certainly were the class.
They DE, Hoy Piccadilly.. tandem,
Z sir-s@-ss u = ~ n livery that would
/ "When Jim LIN .1EaI T-sr1-
Gaiety or Criterion bar he wuu4A- fcan.
der champagne and never drink any
thing but the bubbles. That's Il fact
| he would simply drink the effervescen
top and let the grc1t3r part of TN
| wine remain in the glass.
ar ,.,,,,o.,-,----0Ire- day meet ng jim
fIh the Criterion and reminding hin
of an incident when he was with Hav
erly'S MINISTRIES. 1t happened IL
| Kalamazoo, Mich. Jim was leadins
the parade in startling costume, car
/ rying a huge drum-majOr's stick which
he was whirling and twirling like
sad
"a frisky young colt was tied to {
post, and when the parade came dowr
| with bands going full pressure and
with Jim cutting high jinks in front
the colt reared up on its hind legs ana
fell over dead. That's fact.
"Well l asked Jim If he recalled
that and he let out roar of laughteI
that amazed those present. Jim had
cultivated an English accent ant
eliminated anything approaching thu
boisterous laugh or expression. Con
| sequently when he lapsed into an or
binary whoop 1t caused stir, and h'
apologiZed.
"All this came to my mind the othel
day when I happened to see Georg'
Bohee, a ghost of his old self. HI
made hundreds of thousands of dollars
in his day. think he makes living
| now working around movie houses.
stopped TO talk with him and I re
eelled the days of forgotten glory
Those were the days. he said sadly
.I forgot to say that the fall Of tn.