Transcriber’s Notes The following transcription coding has been used: _underscores_ represent italic text =equal signs= represent bold face text +plus signs+ represent underlined text ~tildes~ represent blackletter text Small capitals have been replaced with ALL CAPITALS. More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text. ~Monarchs of Minstrelsy, from “Daddy” Rice to Date~ ~By Edw. Le Roy Rice~ ~Author of “1000 Men of Minstrelsy, and 1 Woman;” “Minstrelsy That Was, and Is;” “A Ramble Among the Minstrels,” etc.~ [Illustration] ~Kenny Publishing Company 22-24 North William Street New York City, N. Y.~ COPYRIGHT, 1911. BY MRS. EMMA L. RICE _All Rights Reserved_ [Illustration: EDW. LE ROY RICE.] ~To My Mother~ (_The Best I Ever Had_) ~This Book is Affectionately Dedicated.~ THE AUTHOR’S FOREWORD. There were several reasons which prompted me to compile this volume, the chief one being the fact that the subject in its entirety had never before been attempted; and whenever individual articles appeared, they almost invariably treated of old times and old timers alone. A second reason, and one of equal importance, was that these contributions which appeared both in the various newspapers and magazines, were in the main written on hearsay alone without any apparent regard for facts. No one is infallible, and if the data that appears between the covers of this book of living performers who furnished me with the sketches of their careers is incorrect, obviously no blame can be attached to the author. But of those who are past, I have given the most careful search of the records that were placed at my disposal, and verified or disavowed all statements made to me, or have qualified by attributing them to those from whom they emanated. In this manner I hope to perpetuate the names and fame in story and picture of these “Monarchs of Minstrelsy from ‘Daddy’ Rice to Date.” New York City, Oct. 12, 1910. EDW. LE ROY RICE. INTRODUCTION. Is Minstrelsy dying out? How often has the question been asked and how conflicting are the opinions of those who ought to know? Some maintain that minstrelsy is here to stay, while others insist there are no more minstrel shows. But if the question were: Are the minstrels dying out? there could be no divergence of opinion. The passing away in the last decade or so of such luminaries as Neil. Bryant, Billy Rice, Billy West, Billy Emerson, Wm. Henry Rice, Frank Cushman, Ben. Cotton, Johnny Booker, Jack Herman, Andy Leavitt, E. F. Dixey, J. B. Donniker, “Eugene” J. H. Haverly, Sam. Hague, Dave Reed and many others, eliminate the matter of doubt entirely. Granting this, it would appear that the two terms: Minstrels and Minstrelsy are synonymous.