in a
private rig. Again the crowd was too large for the courthouse; again
Eli made friends who detained him after the departure of the troupe.
Alfred refused to remain behind with Eli but left with the minstrel
boys.

Eli failed to arrive in the next town in time to open the doors. The
crowd was more than ample to fill the hall. Alfred took the door and
made settlement of bills. Eli arrived during the night. The next morning
Alfred and two others advised Mr. Eli that they had received word from
home that their engagement with the minstrels must end.

When Eli came to his senses he appealed to Alfred to explain why they
had decided to quit. Alfred said: "Because you have been drunk ever
since the show left Brownsville and the boys are afraid you will not pay
them."

That night Eli invited all the company to meet him in his room at the
tavern. By the time the boys arrived Eli was so saturated he forgot that
which he desired to say to them. Instead he insisted on drinking with
each one individually, he scorned to drink with the company as a whole.

"I want you all to know me. If you want money, I've got slathers of it."

All wanted money and they got it. And they spent it. Gaudy bows and
ties, striped shirts, congress shoes and other dependables never
possessed by the wearers previously, began to make their appearance. Eli
was voted the best ever. Those who had threatened to leave because Eli
imbibed too freely were termed Methodists and back-biters.

Fairmount reached, the old stage driver and his team left for home. From
this point the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was to be the mode of travel, a
change hailed with delight. Some began figuring on how many days it
would be until the minstrels invaded Baltimore.

Two nights were played at Fairmount; the first night a large, well
pleased audience attended. More invitations to Eli's room, more liquor
ladled out and more money handed around to the company. On the second
night there was a very light attendance; a long hunt to find Eli ere
bills could be paid and the company could move on to Grafton. Eli had
decided to remain in Fairmount until the next train.

Morgan, the advance agent, accompanied the minstrels to Grafton. Morgan
took the night's receipts. The next morning he could not be located nor
did Eli make his appearance. The minstrels watched and waited; the day
wore along. Finally, it was decided that the performance would be
repeated that night.

A man walked