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IN 1868 or 1870 “Fritz in Ireland” was acted by J. K. Emmet at the Holliday Street Theatre, in Baltimore, and the actor sang his famous lullaby to one of these “Girls of the Period” figures. After these Mr. Caspari offered drum majors, represented with Uncle Sam breeches and clothed to correspond.
Then came “Champagne Charley,” with side whiskers, red coat, striped trousers and holding a bottle in one hand, at which he pointed a finger of the other.
Then came the soldier. This figure carried a genuine old musket.
Next appeared the “Scotch Girl,” with Tam-o-shanter and plaid dress, like a bag-pipe player.
With a large assortment of figures on exhibit to choose from, Mr. Caspari did a good business. Every cigar store that started had one.
New customers looking about for a figure would come in with a new idea and new designs would be made to order. Mr. Caspari had 100 figures on exhibition at one time.
Last were made Punches and clowns. This was about 20 years ago. After that the trade fell off and the stock was sold out.
The value of figures depended on the size, amount of work and time necessary to finish them and on their newness of design and ornamentation. They cost new, from $15 up to $250. One Mr. Caspari sold for $400.
He bought a little darky figure at one time on Pratt street that had resisted the elements for 150 years. This little figure was about 30 inches high.
During the war, on a St. Patrick’s Day, he dressed the darky in a green coat, with a clover leaf and tall hat. An Irish soldier came along and, seeing the darky, became incensed and knocked it off its block, exclaiming vehemently against its being an Irish “nigger.”
On another St. Patrick’s Day a drunken Irishman, seeing the darky in similar patriotic regalia, made such a disturbance that a policeman had to be called.
Figures were sold all over Baltimore and were repaired frequently. Some were more exposed to the elements than others. Some were of such design that portions were more easily broken off than was the case with others.
“Sagamore, Sachem or Pow-Wow”