They continued as a team until the death of Ben Collins.
Lew Hawkins made his first professional appearance as a jig dancer in the Winter Garden, Chicago, Ill., in 1873; he worked in white-face, his weekly stipend was $6.00; he gets more now.
He went to San Francisco from Chicago, played all the variety houses on the way back three years later, and opened with Ed. Hodson, again in Chicago, at the Coliseum, where they did a Dutch act; a year later he separated from Hodson and joined J. W. Kelly, who afterwards won fame as the “Rolling Mill Man”; Mr. Hawkins’ claims, and he undoubtedly is correct when he asserts that he first brought Kelly before the public as a professional entertainer; this was in August, 1878, at the Cosmopolitan (present Olympic) Theatre in Chicago; they separated in 1882, and Mr. Hawkins joined Collins.
Since the death of the latter, Lew Hawkins has worked alone doing a black-face monologue and singing act; he is known as the “Chesterfield of Minstrelsy.”
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| “COOL” WHITE | “COOL” BURGESS |
| A PAIR OF “COOL” PROPOSITIONS. | |
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| “ADD.” RYMAN | “ADD.” WEAVER |
| NOT A CASE OF ADDITION. | |
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| FRANK WILD | JOHN WILD |
| WILD, BUT NOT DANGEROUS. | |
Lew Hawkins was born in Hudson, Mich., August 20, 1853.
Ben Collins was born in Chicago, Ill.; he died in Boston, Mass., March 20, 1890; age 31 years.
Wm. H. West (Flynn), famous as a great clog dancer and producer, and for many years associated with George H. Primrose in their many minstrel organizations, made his first appearance in a variety theatre in Buffalo, N. Y., August 20, 1870; the following year he joined Skiff and Gaylord’s Minstrels, where he made the acquaintance of George H. Primrose, and shortly after this they made their first joint appearance, playing variety theatres, and continuing with Mr. Primrose for many years.
November 20, 1874, he joined Haverly’s Minstrels, and remained with them until June 14, 1877.
On Aug. 20, same year, with his partner, Milt. G. Barlow and George Wilson, they gave the first performance of Barlow, Wilson, Primrose and West’s Minstrels; the last in the Summer of 1882.