Town Hall To-Night—Minstrels.
Mr. Emmett first blacked up at the age of sixteen, and two years later joined Sam. Stickney’s Circus. At the age of twenty-five, he learned to play the banjo, and traveled with Angevine’s Circus until he reached New York, in 1842.
In 1843, after leaving his three associates in England, he performed at Bolton, Lancashire; he rejoined Pelham and Brower in Dublin, Ireland, April 22, 1844, and played with them and Joe Sweeney for several weeks.
Returning to the United States, he appeared with various circus and minstrel companies.
In 1853-54 he was part proprietor of White’s Minstrels in New York; in 1855 he opened the first minstrel hall in Chicago, at 104 Randolph Street.
Emmett’s Minstrels opened at St. Paul, Minn., April 26, 1858; he was also associated with Frank Brower in a minstrel company in the 50’s.
Mr. Emmett joined Bryant’s Minstrels in New York City in 1858, and remained several years; after Dan Bryant’s death in 1875, he accepted a position as leader in the Star Varieties, Chicago. In the Fall of 1881 he went out with Leavitt’s Minstrels, where in conjunction with several old timers, they gave a reproduction of the original Virginia Minstrels of 1843.
His last engagement was a tour of the country with Al. G. Field’s Minstrels about ten years ago.
An account of the famous song of “I Wish I Was in Dixie,” will be found [elsewhere].