The New York Clipper (March 1903)

DRAMATIC. VAUDEVILLE. CIRCUS. Copyrighted. 1903, bj the Prank Queen Publishing Company (Mmited) Founded by FRANK QUEEN, 1863. NEW YORK, MARCH 14, 1908. VOLUME Ll.-No, 3. Pflee 10 Canta. Mss Clipper's Motts, Personalities and Comments, OOHOKSNINa STAGE FOLK and Sometimes OTHERS group. At a second call, which waa alao unanswered, Mr. Wilson ventured to tell them that their mother wanted one of them. The answer which he received In his search for authentic darkey dialect decided him that he waa a little too far Sooth for the kind that be waa looking for. It waa: "Go on, white man, her ain't a-callla' we BY JOSEPHINE GRO. week In that city, another guest waa watted Into a seat at the opposite aide of the table by an obsequious waiter. ills appearance and manner clearly In- dicated tbat he was from that part of the far West where elegant table furnishings are considered superfluous. He had not that eaay familiarity with them that might ■bow dally use of One linen and allrer. Minstrel shows always attract great num- bers of tbe race which their kind of enter- tainment exploits. Especially la this true in tbe South where, In many Instances, the black faces on the audience side of tbe foot- lights fsr outnumber those back of them. In some of the cities of tbe South certain good seats In tbe gallery are always re- served for the better class of colored people, and when a minstrel show Is billed to ap- pear these are always sold out far In ad- patby at being obliged to witness such un- couth table manners. When the guest had been served with bla order for a large piece of pie and was at- tacking It In bla usual manner and carrying to bla mouth huge pieces of It upon the point of his knife, Chesterfield could no longer bear tbe strain upon bla sensibilities. Bending towards the guest he, In a con- fidential undertone, said: " 'Scuse me, boss, but eatln' pie with a knife ain't Jes de mode." The astonished guest, thus softly re- buked, gave the darkey a sharp look from his cold blue eye that made tbat Individual "stand attention" at a safe distance. "I don't know what on artb ye mean by mowed but If It's anything to dew with grasa you'd better keep off the patch that I'm stand In' on," exclaimed tbe Westerner, making towards bis hip pocket a suggestive vance of the opening date. PrlmroseA; Dockatader'a company has recent- ly been touring this part of the conntry, to very big business, and some of tbe company, when not busy professionally, have made it tbelr object to go out among the negroes to make studies of the character and dialect of those whom they are supposed to Imitate nightly during their performances. On study- ing the real article they often find that In tbelr acting or dialect they are either over- doing or not making It strong enough. Thus, a trip through the South Is always a great help In the work of those who follow the minstrel division of the theatrical profes- sion, for they , acquire new Ideas In the Phases of the "darkey" nature, and freshen up their dialect Intonations, which are ao important In giving a good Imitation of tbat race. Some of tbe grammatical construction heard In the South, however, is so different from that which the "coon" of the North uses that, If heard on tbe stage In this part of the country, would sound forced and unnatural. An Instance of thia Is re- lated by Charles D. Wilson, the treasurer of Primrose A Dockstader's company. Ue was taking a stroll of Investigation along one of the streets of Savannah, "catching on" to some of the special dia- lect of the place, when' a large colored "mammy" came to the door of one of the squalid hovels, and, looking towards a group of pickaninnies, who were playing near her door, called: "Come heah, chile I" a call which met with no response from any member of the —us don't b'long to she." 9 At a window a few steps farther along the street Wilson noticed another round, fat, good natared black face beaming out upon some youngsters wildly chasing each other back and fortb before her window. One, especially, seemed to engage her par- ticular attention and, as he dashed by, she said In tones that betokened tbe loving, so- licitous mother: "Is yo' ploy In'. Honey V to which tbe little black rascal, with a look of roguish impudence, replied: "No, Mammy, I ain't aplayln' honey, Ise aplayln' tag." One evening when'Mr. Wilson was at dinner at one of tbe big Chicago hotels, where be was staying during the company's All tbla did not escape the notice of tbe Chesterfield lan waiter whose look of pained tolerance was evident whenever this West- ern guest displayed his marked Ignorance of good table manners. As the man noisily sipped bis soup Wil- son beard bis Chesterfleldlan waiter whisper to bis brother artist who served a> near-by table: "That rancher there has sbo' been assc- clatln' witb tbe baugs tbat be raises to' our Eastern markets," which remark was, fortunately for tbe waiter, not overheard by the person In question, who continued through tbe dinner courses with audible en- joyment Tbe guest's knife played a prom- inent part daring the dinner, to the vary evident disgust of Chesterfield, who now and then glanced at Wilson with uplifted eyebrows tbst expressed a wish for sym- gesture tbat caused Chesterfield to suddenly remember some Important duty In tbe kitchen. During the Chicago engagement one night as Lew Dockstader was about to enter tbe stage door he was accosted by an Italian vender of hot roasted chestnuts, who asked this popular mlnatrel If be would not buy some of his wares. "Yes, give me a quarter's worth," was the answer; then, with a suddent thought, added, "by tbe way,—look here, young fel- low, have you a license to sell chestnuts here In front of this theatre?" Receiving a negstlve reply, Dockstader exclaimed: "Well, then, you go over In front of tbe theatres where Mrs, Tat Campbell or Wil- liam an let to are playing; I'll have you know that wo have tbe chestnut privilege on this street." "Yes, Cull," piped up the voice of • news- boy standing near the stage door, "you betcber life, be baa. I was In the gallery las' night an' they trun out about a bushel of the oldest." Those of tbe theatrical profession who have had any experience In settling for "props" with tbe managers of theatres In small towns Will appreciate the following Itemised bill lhat Wilson once received dur- ing his early managerial efforts some yean ago: "One glass broken 10 cent*. Apples S cents. Five cents worth of alcohol.. 10 cento,"