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[Chapter Ninety-Ninth.
Welch's Amphitheatre and Circus, Chesnut and Ninth streets - Season of 1848-'9 - The dramatic and equestrian company - Neafie, Lee, the strong man, Brunton, Mary Duff, Miss Waters, Jos. Foster - Brilliant show pieces - Close of the season-The Sable Harmonists - Long & Dinmore - Compnay in the summer of 1848 - Opening of the winter and spring season of 1848-'9 - Herr Cline - Bedouin arabs - Wonderful feats of strength and skill - Show pieces - Joseph Jefferson - The Chippewa Indians - H. Runnells - Dunbar - Close of the season - A sub-season for stage performances under Joseph Foster.
Welch & Co.'s Circus and Amphitheatre at Chesnut and Ninth streets, was probably one of the most magnificent establishments for equestrian and stage performances that had ever been in existence in t [the?] ntry [country?]. Nor do we think that the famed Astley's, at London, or Franconi's, at Paris, in various and splendid arrangements of scenery, costumes, and musical departments, or in a clevermelo dramatic actors and accomplished equestrian performers, equaled or surpassed the admirable corps that Gen. Welch and his associates yearly assembled at this truly]
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[superb circus edifice. For many seasons this company, with its adjuncts, occupied the winter months - say from October to about May - in performances. We have referred to these exhibitions, in a desultory way, as we proceeded from season to season in our theatrical annals, and so far as pertains to the ring performances, we simply mentioned them in a general way, as their sameness forbids any further enlarged details. In the latter part of 1848, and in the years 1849 and '50, Welch's stage corps was very extensive and talented, and numberous melodramatic pieces of very imposing character and scenic splendor were produced on a most extensive scale, so much so as to have had very serious effects upon the treasuries of the regular theatres, they being of that attractive power to draw the masses of the play-going community, and to interest the children of the richer classes. Welch & Co. had large means to back their active enterprises, and did not spare money to attract public favor to their well-conducted establishment. We cannot afford space or leisure to go into minute details of the annals of this amphitheatre, but will give a synopsis of its prominent stage performances under that pantomimical mel-dramatic director and mechanical artist, Joseph Foster.
The season of 1847 - '8 commenced early in the autumn of 1847 with ring performances, and there were gradually produced prodigious horse dramas. The equestrian and stage manager was Joseph Foster; riding master, F. Whittaker; clown to the circle, John May. The prices of admission were: [to?] boxes and parquet, 25 cents; private boxes, 50 cents; gallery, 12 1/2 cents. They produced a grand military piece founded on the events of the French revolution of 1848, with tableaus, civil and military. It was written by Mr. neafie, the tragedian, and called "Vive La Liberte; or, The French Revolution of 1848." This was brought out in March, 1848. the characters were - Mr. Odillon Barrot, leader of the reform party, Mr. Neafie; Louis Phillippe, King of the Franch, Mr. Amherst; M. Guizot, Minister of the royalists, Mr. Browne; M. Lamoriciere, appointed General by the reform cabinet, Mr. Marchael; M. Marrast, editor of the Nationale, Mr. Young; Prefect of Police, royalist, Mr. Brunton; Carrotte, a butcher, Mr. De Angelis; Blaize, a pompous, selfstyled Empereur, Mr. Radcliffe; Forgeron, a blacksmith, Mr. Bonnie; coiffeur, a barber and hair dresser, Mr. Macklin. There were nine or ten other characters of minor import by Messrs. Ruth, Quayle, C. Fester, Bayly, C. King, Byrne, Calladine, Winnemore, Master R. Rivers, and others of the equestrian corps. Madame La Duchesse d' Orleans, Miss Mary Duff; Ninette, in love with Jaques, (with a song,) Mrs H Phillips; Manat, an apple woman, wife to Blaize, Mrs. Judah. Ladies of the court, of the gay salons, &c., by the corps de ballet. The riders were Mr. J. J. Nathans, the Masters Pastor, E. Derious, with his buffo ponies Romeo and Juliet, Richard Rivers, a ne plus ultra rider, F. Pastor, T. Neville, a most graceful performer on the single horse, the Rivers' family in gymnastic exercises. Samuel Lee, the American Aloides, whose superhuman powers gave him the title of the Mythologic Demigod. This youth (superb in manly proportions) was most extraordinary in his muscular power and physical force; he handled and tossed with the ease of apples, three real cannon balls, brought from the arsonal, each one weighing forty-five pounds,
throwing them into the air upwards of twenty feet, and catching them on his neck unshrinkingly. These, with many more feats of a similar nature, which he performed to the astonish[ment?] of crowded audiences.
A new and unique original equestrian melodrama, was founded on a tale of the hickwoods of Georgia, entitled " The Horse [?]af's Le[?] [?]or, The Falls of Fallo[?]," in two acts. The [?]ery, from [?]ntic sketches, by John Wiser. The mountain machinery by T. Moclung. It was written by Joseph Foster, or by him arranged. Among the many very singular effects intended to give reality to this drama, was the erection of a rude edifice to represent a building known in 1770 as the Fox Inn. The stage was so laid out and contrived as to afford a faithful idea of the road to Clarksville, cut through a dense pine forest In order to comprehend the action and circumstances of this scene, it was composed of a parlor below and a gallery above, with various compartments to [?]cidate the passing events. A rude chimney[?]ace was seen, above which firearms were hung through a window and door was seen a pine wood, a road, and nearby a water trough for cattle. A rough stone stairs at the back of the parlor communicated with the gallery above. The events occurred simultaneously in these apartments above and below, as well as in the pine wood, road, &c. The leading characters were - Ned Daley, leader of the gang of horse thieves, Mr. Neane; Mrs. Blossom, Mrs. Mossop; Ellen, Daly's daughter, Miss Mary Duff
April 3d, 1848, benefit of Mr. Brunton, vocalist. The operatic melo-drama of "Blue Beard," with all the music - Selim, a Spahi leader, Mr. Brunton; Svahis, Messrs. Quayle, Solomons, Ruth, Blankman, Wagstaff, &c.; Abomelique, Mr. Neafie; Shacaba[?] his valet, Mr. Weaver; Fatima, the betrothed Salim, Mrs. H. Phillips; Irene, Mrs. Brunton, (late Miss Fox, of the Chesnut street house;) Beda, Mrs. Palmer. There were the usual ring performances. This was this very pleasing [?]rs, by G. colman, the younger, and the orig[?] music by the once popular Michael Ke[Keith?] converted to a horse piece to suit [?] day for spectacle.
April 7th, Miss Ma[Mary] Duff's beenfit. On this occasion, "the accomplished and highly finished dancer, Miss Anna Walters, will have the honor of making her first apperance in this theatre, in a celebrated dance of Spain, as the tribute of respect to Miss Mary Duff, by permission of the proprietor of the Walnut Street Theatre." "Mrs. H. Phillips, the vocalist, will sing some of her heart-touching melodies of Ireland."
"The collectanea of female beauty and elegance, even the bright battalion of amazonian maids, will exhibit the tact and precision with which they conquer and captivate all who dare present themselves within reach of their subduing attractions. All the artistes will greatly exert themselves for a sister whom they esteem an ornament to her profession. The arrangements are thus: First, 'The Horse Thief's Leap;' then ring performances, and a gorgeous spectacle greatly compressed, called 'The Queen of Love; or The World Will Last!' "
This was a hodge podge piece founded on Burton's play on that subject, and which he took from the poet John Dryden, and which was now rehased and quartered to pantominical morceaux by Joseph Foster. Cleopatra, Miss M. Duff; Ant[?] Mr [Neafie?]; Ventidius, Mr. Young. The heading of such a bill is worthy of the preservation of all theatrical quidnunes.
April 15th, a new historical, patriotic drama (three acts), written by Walter M. Leman,
called "The Night Hawks; A Legend of the Black Rangers" - Gen. Washington, Mr. Marchael; Gen. Wayne, Mr. Bayly; Gen. Knox, Mr. Wagstaff; Gen. Greene, Mr. George; Jeff. Hett (a Yankee), Mr. Charles Foster; Mojer Tracy (a Tory), Mr. G. F. Browne; Capt. Herbert (Tracy's son), Mr. Neafie; Diggs, Mr. J. Sefton; Maria Waltham, Miss Mary Duff. The scenes lay on the Wissahickon, and at Chesnut Hil and their vicinities; the play ending with the battle of Germantown.
Most of the pieces we have herein mentioned were repeated often throughout this season until Saturday, April 22d, 1848, when th[the?] ouse[house?] [?]sed with Joseph Foster's benefit. [?] had produced innumerable new pieces of the sensation species to tickle the tastes of the groundlings.
The grand traveling decorated car of General Welch's troupe, with a brass band, paraded through the streets of [?] announcing the [?] closing up of this most prosperous season. The chief attraction was the legendary [Heroic?] spectacle (three acts), founded on the fabulous fancies of Padre S. Si[?]ni, which had been shaped into a dram[?] form and semblance nearly a century before the suburban playhouse, known in London as Saddler Wells; also, at the Royal Grove, Westminster Bridge; and also at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, entitled St. George and the D[?]; or, The Seven Champions of Christen[?] - St. George, of England, Mr. C. Foster [?] St. Patrick, of Ireland, Mr. Williams; St. Andrew, of Scotland, Mr. White; St. Denis, [?]ance, mr. Quayle; St. Jago, of Spain, Mr Ber[?]ie; St. Antonio, of Italy, Mr. Calladine; [?] with a beautiful ballad, Mrs. H. Phillips [?]ame Durbin, Mrs. Judah. There were about th[?]rty Egyptian parts, by this numerous corps, in addition to one hundred supernumeraries.
After the spectacle a silver vase was presented to the beneficiary, in the name of the prop[?] ters and performers, in acknowledgment of his unwearied assiduity and exceeding talent in the invention and production of a series of spectacles never equaled in this country. This vase, elegantly wrought, was exposed to view at the theatre box office window, on Chesnut street, one week before the night of presentation. Thus, with a vaiety of other side dish performances, the enterainments closed with a burlesque opera, called "The Revot of the Tailors; or, The Falls of the Schuylkill," with moonlight scenes at F[?]unt [Fairmount]. It would take a ream of paper [?] the vast doings set down upon the [?] bills of circus fare. Welch's Olympi[?] in June.
The National circus [?]tre was subsequently let by Gen W[?] to Messrs. Long & dinmore who opened [?] 5th, 1848, with the Ethiopiean troupe who had lately occupied the Chesnut Street Theatre. They were named "The Sable Harmonists," and had gained a re putation in negro singing. The company was as follows: Mr. Jenkins, banjo; La Conta, bone castanets, A[?]ms; violin, Rudolph; tamborine, Henry; [?]cond banjo, Cripp; triangle, Picaninny. In their bills they said: "The style is excellent; the prices moderate; the theatre elegant; the hours observed; and what is better than all, parents, guardinas, brothers and lovers, can bring their connections with confidence, for the gentlemen composing this troupe have determined that not a word or insinuation shall be uttered or conveyed that may have a tendency to discompose the]
