That same year Mr. West, Mr. Primrose and George Thatcher, organized Thatcher, Primrose and West’s Minstrels; they gave their final performance in the Summer of 1889.
From 1889 until April 30, 1898, Primrose and West’s Minstrels took the road; the last season (1897), Mr. West headed his own company, Mr. Primrose another.
In the Summer of 1898, William H. West’s Big Jubilee Minstrels gave their first performance, and he continued with his company until within a few months of his death.
Mr. West was thrice married; his first wife was Fay Templeton, the well-known actress whom he married about 1883; they separated soon after. His second wife was Miss Lizette Morris, of Philadelphia, a daughter of our former Minister to Turkey; on October 27, 1892, he married Miss Emma Hanley, the well-known actress of light opera fame.
Mr. West sat in the middle with his various companies, his style of interlocutor being different from any of his predecessors.
William H. West was born in Syracuse, N. Y., June 18, 1853; he died in Chicago, Ill., February 15, 1902.
Emerson and Clark were a favorite song and dance team of the middle 70’s; they appeared in the well-known variety houses, and in 1877 they played an engagement with Cal. Wagner’s Minstrels; in the fall of the same year they associated themselves with the Daly Brothers, Tom and Bill. The four took a European tour and later were with Hooley and Emerson’s Megatherian Minstrels, in 1879.
Mr. Emerson married Julia Emmonds, and as Emerson and Emmonds they played the variety houses; in the course of time the act received an addition, and as Emerson, Emmonds and Emerson they were well known.
Mr. Emerson also did a black-face specialty with James Cook, of the present team of Cook and Lorenz; this was with Barlow, Wilson and Rankin’s Minstrels about 1885.
After their separation, Mr. Clark published “Willis Clark’s Joke Book,” which met with indifferent success.