Milford chronicle., 1932-05-13
Mr.. Harry D'Esta RhOads,
The VentrilOquist, The
Magician And The
Clever Actor
Relates Experience While In Mil
Thirty-live Years Ago.

Mr.. Harry D'Esta Rhoads relates
an experience while in Milford, Del
aware, thirty-fve years ago. At that
time he had a tent show. Everything
was fixed for the Saturday evening
show. People had assembled in the
tent for the performance. Inciden-
! tally MilfOrd's town baseball team
was playing the Dover team at Do
yer. MilfOrd's team won after a very
exciting game. A few minutes after
the people had assembled in the tent
they realized that the game was
over and that the team was prob
ably on its homeward journey. The
majority of the people left the show
and started in their carriages to
meet the players. The old town band
went in hay wagon to meet the
team Mr.. RhOads found himself
performing before a practically va
cant tent.
Mr. Rhoads has been in the show
business fifty years. He was one OF
the first to book with B. f. Keith. He
received his schooling for his pro-
fessiOn from experience. He never
attended any school to learn magic,
ventrilOquism, etc. He got into the
show game because he enjoyed it.
Mr.. Rhoads has always tried to pre-
sent a good show and play fair with
his public.
In 1903 he was working with the
Barnum Circus. Later Mr.. Rhoads
was manager of Young's Pier, At
lantic City, for three years. Engaged
one season at the Opera House. Will
mington, Delaware, and at many
other places. Mr.. Rhoads has trav-
eled extensively. Besides touring the
good old United States he has trav-
eled through Canada. Nova Scotia,
South America. and Jamaica. While
touring South America he had to use
burrOs to travel inland. Show equip
ment was of course limited in inland
work, and so the show usually was
not very diversified. Due TO the diff
ficulties in reaching the inland
towns most of the performances
were given along the coast. Another
i'm South America was the
fact that the language mostly used
was Spanish and so a certain know
ledge of this language was required
in ventrilOquism. etc. Outside the
United States, Mr. RhOads likes ia
maica the best of any country he has
travelled i'm.
He saw the first shots fired i'm the
Spanish-American War He Happen
ed to be on boat off Cape May. The
captain, with whom Mr.. RhOads was
very intimate with. was watching a
ship which seemed to be following
them. The captain changed the
course of his ship and directed it in
to the three mile limit. Finally they
sighted another ship which thel
strange vessel was evidently follow
ing instead of the one on which our
friend was. The strange vessel tur-
ned out to be a Spanish w9rship and
it fired on the American boat ALI
ance.
Along with Mr. RhOads have been
his wife and brother who cOntribut- |
ed to the. performance. A few years
ago his brother died. His wife due |
to her failing health retired from the
show business also in recent Yeas.
Mr. Rhoads' son is now working
with him as well as Mr.. Diehl, their
accomplished pianist. A few years !
ago when his wife's health began to
fail he came to Smyrna to spend |
vacation. While on this vacation Mr..
Rhoads and wife gave a little night
performance to entertain group of
friends. This little show took so well |
that he received engagements imme-
diately from Georgetown and Lau-
rel. Finding that there was de-
mand for his show Mr.. RhOads de- |
cided to give up professional work |
and just give real good show to |
the towns and cities. He found this
small town work which he started |
in 1918 very satisfactory and he has
been in il ever since. For the last !
five years Mr.. RhOads has been wor-
king in Maryland. In the last three
years he has been covering New Jer-
sey. Delaware. and Maryland. He
finds the people of Delaware very |
hospitable and cooperative He ap- !
preciates the way in which the Mil
ford people took charge of the per-
formance Friday. April 16. at the
Milford High School and hopes to
work with them in the future.
Poherf Rppd '92 |