His debut as a minstrel was with the Healy and Bigelow Company, where he did an act with the late Tommy Mott.
Mr. Reeves then spent several seasons with real shows, and later a year at Carncross’ Minstrels, in Philadelphia.
Then came Al. Reeves’ Specialty Company, and then the hoodoo. Mr. Reeves took over the Criterion Theatre in Brooklyn with the avowed intention of running burlesque companies within its portals. The intention was good, but at that time the “boss of the banjo” wasn’t aware that the house was in its thirteenth season, nor that he was its thirteenth manager; he found this all out at the end of thirteen weeks, when he gave up the management; the thirteen who had purchased tickets had their thirteen half dollars refunded.
Nothing daunted, Mr. Reeves and his Big Beauty Show started on its way, and success has been his; so “give him credit, boys.”
Al. Reeves was born in New York, May 30, 1864.
Eugene Stratton (Ruhlman), who is at the present time one of the most pronounced favorites in England of any man that ever blacked his face, began his stage career about 1878 as one of the Four Arnold Brothers.
On the 21st day of October, that year, he opened at Chicago with Haverly’s Original Mastodon Minstrels. He was a member of that company when they opened at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, England, July 31, 1880.
Shortly after this event he went to Moore and Burgess’ Minstrels in the same city, where he remained about ten years.
In addition to being a good song and dance man, he also developed into a fine comedian.
Eugene Stratton was born in Buffalo, N. Y., about 1864.