Year: 1876

Cool Burgess, the negro minstrel, in
relating his experience, says he first
went on the stage in Canada and earned
$1.5O per week. Finally, friends told
him that if be ever expected to make
anything out of the business he ought
to go to New York. He went to New
York, but quickly ascertained that
there was minstrel clique there that
would not allow a green hand to be
drought out" He applied to the
Bryants to bill him, but they turned
the cold shoulder to him-said there
were SO many applications that they
could not undertake it; they, however,
wanted him to rehearse before them
privately, to show them what he could
do. He applied at 444 Broadway, when
it was in its minstrel glory, for "only
one night" but every obstacle was
thrown in his way, and he failed. His
wife and children were with him, ex-
penses were going on every day, and he
felt that the little money he had was
fast slipping away, and a desperate
effort had to be made. All he had left
was $500 gold note. He saw there
was no use trying to get show in New
York, so as last resort he went to
Brooklyn. Hooley's Opera House was
then in its prime, and heavily patronized
by the elite of Brooklyn. he went to
Mr.. Hooley with his story, told him he
was a stranger, and asked for one ap-
pearance. Mr.. Hooley discouraged him
all he could but advised him to come
and see him next day. With nisgivings
Burgess went, when Hooley said he had
concluded he could not engage in e1-
periments, and advised Burgess to leave
that section of the country and try
somewhere else.


Sore with disappointment after disap-
pointment, rebuff after rebuff, he turned
to Mr.. Hooley, and pulling the $500
gold note out of his pocket, said:
"Here, Mr.. Hooley, take this note to
your banker, see if it is good, and if it
is give me just one appearance at your
opera house, and if I fail, you keep the
money Mr.. Hooley looked at Burgess
with surprise and replied: "WeD, yon
have more confidence in yourself than
any man I ever saw in the business; I
will give you next Monday night"
Overioyed at this decision, Cool went
home to his family and related the par
ticulars of the interview. The Monday
night came, and as "Cool Burgess" had
been billed for that night all over Brook
lyn the house was jammed to see the
stranger. Full of confidence as to his
power to please he went on the stage
and gave the Brooklynites an entire new
line of negio minstrel performance.
Again and again he was called back until
the encores numbered twelve, when
Cool was compelled to decline to appear
again because of sheer exhaustion.
Manager Hooley was delighted. He call
ed on Cool the next day and asked him
to name his price per week for two
years, and he would then and there sign
the papers. This took Burgess by sur
prise. Said he: "I didn't want to be
hoggish, nor did I want to let slip
good chance to make living for my
wife and little ones. I thought it over
while he waited, and my first thought
was S35 week; then thought he might
be able to stand another five, and so I
called it $40 week. "Forty dollars
week, Burgessl" replied Hooley. "And
then," said Burgess, II thought had
overshot the mark, and my heart went
into my throat; but it came right out
when Hooley took me by the hand and
exclaimed: MY boy, I'll give you $50
O week and 81, 900 down." And that
gave Cool Burgess fair start in the
minstrel business.