Chase’s Minstrels

“CHASE’S MINSTRELS, in their new hall on the corner of 8th avenue and 34th street, have been playing to fair business during the week. In trying to establish a good minstrel band, the manager has had much to contend with from the fly-by-night country shows which, at different times, have settled for a night or so in that hall and then vanished, to be heard of never more for ever. Mr. Chase has got together a clever list of performers, and when the west side public become aware of the fact there is no reason why a permanent institution there should not be equally as well supported as those elsewhere. We gave the boys a call one evening last week, and were agreeably surprised at the character and tone of the entertainments. There are a dozen performers, with S. S. Purdy on the bone and Hughy Dougherty, tambo, and George H. Coes, interlocutor. An attractive programme was offered every night last week. The names of the other artists are Walter Fields, Fred. Barber, Collins, Goodwin, Burchard, etc., and better workers or a more harmonious combination is seldom seen. Hughy Dougherty is full of talent and kept the house in a roar with his jokes, singing, and stump speech. Purdy’s ballads were ludicrously amusing and his actions those of a true cork-onion artist. Burchard’s ventriloquism act pleased the little ones exceedingly, while the ballad singing of Geo. Coes and Messrs. Fields and Barker was very creditable. In all, the company is a good one, and worthy of all the patronage that can be bestowed on it.”