John Mulligan was an altitudinous comedian, and in the old nigger acts with performers of immature stature, in the ludicrous make-up he invariably affected, he was screamingly funny. His first professional appearance was with Raymond and Waring’s Circus; his first minstrel engagement was with the Perham Company more than fifty years ago. Mr. Mulligan appeared for several seasons in the various variety houses controlled by George Lea.
In June, 1866, he commenced an engagement at Hooley’s Minstrels in Brooklyn, remaining fifteen months; subsequently he was with the San Franciscos in New York.
January 2, 1871, when Hooley invaded Chicago, Mr. Mulligan was with his company.
Mr. Mulligan was most happily married, and his domestic life was an ideal one.
John Mulligan was born in New York City, 1827, where he died July 28, 1873.
Charles Christie, who had various companies bearing his name, notably one in England about 1866, died in Kansas City, Mo., February 12, 1897; age 69 years.
Fred Wilson. The distinction of being the oldest living minstrel undoubtedly belongs to the subject of this sketch, who made his first appearance about 1843, and for four or five years allied himself with many of the various minstrel companies that sprang up after the success of the parent organization.
In 1848 he joined “Bije” Thayer’s Minstrels, a prominent Boston Company.
While Mr. Wilson was not the first to do clog dancing in this country, he was undoubtedly the first to do so in a minstrel company.
In the Fall of 1858 he joined Bryant’s Minstrels in New York, and about December 1, that year, made his first appearance in Boston with the Morris Bros., Pell and Trowbridge’s Minstrels, where he made a lengthy stay.