Edwin Deaves had a pleasing personality and a commanding presence, which eminently fitted him for the position of “middle-man” in the various companies in which he was associated. Mr. Deaves was among the first to sing the lamented Foster’s ballads, such as “Old Dog Tray,” “Nellie Gray” and others.
When George Christy and his company arrived in San Francisco in the Summer of 1858, Mr. Deaves at once became a member. Likewise was he associated there with Birch, Wambold, Bernard, Backus and many other burnt cork luminaries many years before these artists made a metropolitan reputation.
Edwin Deaves was born in Philadelphia, in 1817; he died in New York City, July 19, 1890.
Eph. Horn (Evan Evans Horn) was a name to conjure with for many years.
His professional career began more than seventy years ago. He first appeared in New York City about 1847 as a member of the Ethiopian Serenaders.
In conjunction with Charley White, they formed Horn and White’s Minstrels, opening in New York, April 2, 1851. Subsequently he was identified with practically all the famous permanent minstrel companies in the metropolis, including Wood’s, Campbell’s, Buckley’s, Bryant’s, and E. P. Christy’s; with the latter he went to San Francisco, Cal., in the Fall of 1854, where he remained eighteen months. Subsequently he appeared as clown in a circus, in black face. In 1858 he played an engagement with Ordway’s Aeolians in Boston. Mr. Horn was a fine end man in his day, and all-round general comedian.
In the Summer of 1865 he went to London, where he played a brief engagement.
Eph. Horn was born in Philadelphia, Pa., 1818; he died in New York, January 1, 1877.
Sam Gardner (Sylvester Gardner) was a prominent minstrel interlocutor for forty years; he was likewise a splendid bass singer, and had been identified with many prominent organizations, notably Wm. Henry Rice’s Minstrels in Cincinnati, with whom he opened September 2, 1872. He had been a resident of Omaha, Neb., where he died March 10, 1888, for many years. He was born in New York City about 1818.
Zenas Rumsey was one of the early minstrel performers of the ’40’s. He possessed a good tenor voice, and from 1847 to 1850 he sang at the Bowery Theatre.