Regent Michael Gartner includes Cherry Sisters of Cedar Rapids in South Dakota commencement speech

From Press & Dakotan:

Gartner's third story involved the a performing act in Iowa called the Cherry Sisters. These five sisters couldn't act, dance or sing. They managed, instead, Gartner said, "to exert a ghastly fascination over their audiences. And that was exactly what the great Oscar Hammerstein was looking for."Gartner explained that back in 1896, Hammerstein was in debt, and going broke, and the acts he brought to Broadway weren't doing well.According to Gartner, Hammerstein said, "I tried the best, now I'll try the worst. So he sent for the Cherry Sisters from Cedar Rapids, Iowa." ..."As you go through life, as you build relationships, as you take risks, you're liable to have a few cabbages thrown at you along the way," Gartner said. "There are always folks who are against things, and those folks will be shooting arrows, if not throwing melons, at you and your plans." ...

Gartner explained that back in 1896, Hammerstein was in debt, and going broke, and the acts he brought to Broadway weren't doing well.

According to Gartner, Hammerstein said, "I tried the best, now I'll try the worst. So he sent for the Cherry Sisters from Cedar Rapids, Iowa." ...

"As you go through life, as you build relationships, as you take risks, you're liable to have a few cabbages thrown at you along the way," Gartner said. "There are always folks who are against things, and those folks will be shooting arrows, if not throwing melons, at you and your plans." ...

For additional information about the Cherry Sisters see Dave Rasdal's interesting column in yesterday paper (or related blog post) about 90-year-old Don Hanson, who talked with the Cherry Sisters.

Here's a Gazette account of an ugly scene at a Cherry Sisters performance in 1895:

The Cherry SistersLa Porte, Aug. 26 -- Last Saturday evening occurred one of the must disgraceful riots ever witnessed in La Porte City's opera house. The Cherry Sisters occupied the boards for the evening and quite a large audience was drawn out by the La Porte City cornet band. The crowd began hissing and howling the moment the show commenced and kept it up throughout. Toward the Iast it became worse and worse and when Miss Jessie Cherry came out with her song and roast on Editor Faulkes of the Cedar Rapids Gazette the climax was reached. After the performance was over Fritz swore out a warrant for Miss Jessie Cherry before Mayor Holph and she was arrested and fined $5 and costs amounting to $7.30.The mob all stood around the opera house which was locked until after 12 o'clock waiting for the sisters to return to the hotel but they did not up to that time so the crowd dispersed. It is thought that several arrests may follow this morning.

La Porte, Aug. 26 -- Last Saturday evening occurred one of the must disgraceful riots ever witnessed in La Porte City's opera house. The Cherry Sisters occupied the boards for the evening and quite a large audience was drawn out by the La Porte City cornet band. The crowd began hissing and howling the moment the show commenced and kept it up throughout. Toward the Iast it became worse and worse and when Miss Jessie Cherry came out with her song and roast on Editor Faulkes of the Cedar Rapids Gazette the climax was reached. Onions, cabbage and rotten watermelon rinds were showered upon the stage and then a pail of dirty black water was thrown at her from the back window of the stage. During all the show a terrible din was kept up with tin pans, horns, etc. Miss Jessie Cherry became exceedingly wrathy at this stage of the performance and came down in front and struck Frank Fritz over the head with a stove poker. Fritz "made a joyful noise" and the crowd all made a rush for the front of the hall. The rest of the performance was a blank as nothing could be heard except the loud talking and hissing of the audience.

After the performance was over Fritz swore out a warrant for Miss Jessie Cherry before Mayor Holph and she was arrested and fined $5 and costs amounting to $7.30.

The mob all stood around the opera house which was locked until after 12 o'clock waiting for the sisters to return to the hotel but they did not up to that time so the crowd dispersed. It is thought that several arrests may follow this morning.