The Elks Ministrels

Typed as spelled and written

Lena Stone Criswell

THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT

Eighteenth Year - Number 6

Marlin, Texas, Thursday, April 4, 1907

THE ELKS MINSTRELS WERE THE REAL THING.

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Bill Turner Does Sensational Dancing Stunt--George R.

Carter Wins Admiration of the Fair Sex.

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Reeves and Levy Central Figures in Dramatic Stage Tragedy--Chambers,

Hill and Cortinas are Great. Monday an Artist.

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MILLER AND DRAPER AND MUSICAL CLUB HAVE THANKS OF ELKS.

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The theaterical (sic) firmament was a grand halo of resplendency in Marlin Thursday night. There were stars so thick the sky resembled a veritable shower of diamonds. Modern minstrely (sic) received a new impetus and new and high standard was set for the guidance of those who in future essay to become famous as shining lights in the realm of the burntcork, bone and the tambo.

It was the Imperial Elks minstrels on their first annual appearance before the footlights at the Arlington opera house. The entire first floor, including the boxes was filled to capacity and the galleries were well represented. The cast was extensive, gorgeous and bewildering. Some superb specimens of physical manhood were in evidence at close range and voices that exhibited both natural ability in its pristine purity and the cultivated, modulated and extenuated tone that wafted its cadences to the utmost recesses of the building, enrapturing the vast audience with its wonderful melody.

A fresh supply of jokelets and local hits, wrapped in special packages and never used before, was turned loose and the crowd cheered, yelled, applauded and encored in an almost continuous round of laughter.

The end-men were there with the goods. There were eight brilliant specimens with faces polished like ebony, teeth that would make the whitest pearl look dark beside them, eyes that shown like white door knobs revolving in hardened balls of printer's ink. From their expansive lips came salliles of wit and humor that would plunge the proverbial wooden man into convulsion of laughter.

Chas. B. Monday, the interlocutor, discharged the function as only an artist can. Bill Turner's sensational dancing stunt captivated the crowd and brought from George Walker of Austin, a speech congratulating modern minstrelsy upon the discovery of a fit successor to Al B. Fields in his palmiest days, Will Allen executed the figures as only a cornfield negro parson can, when the music moves him, Ikey Aronson in his song, "Where is Brown," appeared to great advantage, Nick Goodrich, Cam Fannin and Gersey Epstein covered themselves with credit for the splendid work; Clint Draper and Harry Miller, the leading and end-men, are professionals and they fully sustained their reputation as burnt cork artists of exceptional ability.

The Imperial chorus was composed of 22 voices and gave some fetching music. Special songs by D. J. Cortinas, Horace N. Hill, M. E. Chambers and members of the Wednesday Matinee Musical club were numbers that were very highly appreciated by the audience. The Elks are especially grateful to the ladies for their assistance, without which the show could not have been the great success that it was.

In the second part, the "Death of the Gladiator," was intensely dramatic and tragedic. Dr. Reeves in his portly magnificence, represented a Roman senator. Albert Levy, with chic and abandon all his own, appeared in the role of Penny Anto, the senator's daughter, while the long, lean and cadaverous, Archibald was impersonated in every respect by George Hardeman Carter whose "makeup" was faultless.

Miller and Draper introduced some specialities that are hard to excel as fun producers. They are wise to their job and the Elks lodge was fortunate in securing them.

The performance closed after two and a half hours of solid fun, with a realistic act entitled "Moonlight on the Mississippi."

The Elks Lodge is about $200 to the good and those who attended got full worth of their money.

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by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas.