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'TODAY'S!', hi e m o i r was
prompted by a ! number
of ; requests tor something
about the famous -old \TiVdli;
"corner":: rfcfeaanii<.;Pbpe:-.. ahftv
Sayl'es./ For many years no
Tivoli FiirSt i Part , was bpm
plete Without theni.
' Several of ihy "correspondents
seem to labor under the . de
lusion that Pope ' and Sayles
first Appeared under the Rick-
afds banner, ; and, that . they
were "on the bill," on the open
ing night iri February, 1893.
Actually,: they were genuine
negro minstrels, and members
of -the , Hicks-Sawyer Minstrel
Co. which came to Australia
about 1890-91;.
Wallace King, . of Sally Hor
ner vocal fame, was a member
- of the same company.
Charlie Pope and Irving
(Gus) Sayles made their Tivoli
debut in August, 1893.
As experienced minstrel show
performers they completely
outshone the local "blackface '
'comics who had been manipu
lating the bones and tam
bourines.
In physique and temperament
the two men were as widely
apart as the North and South
Poles. . - .
Bulky and rotund, Pope, off
stage, was of solemn mien and
serious turn of mind.
Sayles, tall, lithe, and as
lightfooted as a cat, was a
happy-go-lucky, easy come and
easy go type, who lived a day
at a time, and was essentially
"one of the boys."
' "Gus"— as he was popularly,
known— was far and away the
best liked colored performer, on
and off the stage, that this
country has known.
Pope was an excellent foil for
his lively partner in sketch
qn/j fornp
He saved, while poor "Gus"
squandered, and when, after
many years the partnership was
severed, Charlie was comfort
ably off, financially.
He outlived Sayles by many
years.
As cornermen their only
rivals were Australian palefaces
— Charlie Faning and Will
Whitburn.
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