San Francisco Minstrels

“These popular favorites reopened their cosey hall last evening and were greeted by an immense audience, which crowded the place almost to suffocation. The programme was a very entertaining one and Billy Birch and his jolly composers, Wambold, Bernard, and Backus, managed, as usual, to keep the house in a roar all the evening. Backus had a ‘fresh’ song, entitled ‘Homeward Bound,’ which told all about a great many things that nobody who doesn’t travel knows any thing about. Wambold sang his new piece, ‘The Daisy Valley’ in his usually excellent style, and Billy Birch’s ‘Gay Young Clerk in a Dry Goods Store’ as a matter of course, made the audience smile very loudly. ‘The First Rehearsal,’ a ‘Trip to Paris’ and the ‘Court Scene at Jefferson Market’ were heartily enjoyed. Bobby Newcomb was also on hand, and Mrs. Jinks, who is supposed to be a distant relative of the renowned ‘Capting’ of the same name, was introduced to the audience, who seemed to be well pleased with the eccentricities of the lady. In fact, the reopening night was all that could have been desired and gives promise of a successful season and plenty of filthy lucre as a profitable consequence for the managers. The hall, it may be mentioned, has been entirely renovated and painted and presents a most inviting appearance. The stage especially has been greatly changed. The dull old scenery has been set aside and an exceedingly pretty back scene has taken its place, the principal figure being a goddess of liberty, with the American flag furled to the breeze.”