Show origin of the variety stage name conferred on it leg t many years ago it Is not easy to trace the variety stage back to ita earliest beginnings for the scent beg ns to grow faint in antebellum das and the trail loses itsell beyond recall in the early 40 s about which period we encounter traces of wl at n ay be called the bill valentine ulyis this t will relate as it was imparted to me by mr 1 himself in the small coney Is land pavilion that he conducted during his later deais mr valentines story is that many years before the civil war probably in the early 40 s he 01 ened a small place of amusement son ew here on the east side it must have been small in deed for there s no beco d of it in alston browns history of the new york stage uncertain abat to call his place ol 01 entertains ent ie applied to a friend tor a fitting name what sort of au entertainment are you going to ivea eaid the friend well I 1 m going to give a variety of things said mr valentine then why not call it a variety suggested the other and thereupon according to this myth the term variety show came into use james I 1 ford in mcclaire Mc Clire s magaz ne |