His first minstrel engagement was with Smith and Brown’s--sounds like a job in a hardware store to me, but Jerry says this actually happened in 1872. Variety engagements single and with Billy O’Day followed until 1879, when he decided to do an old darky turn, imitating Harry Woodson; incidentally Mr. Cunningham could not have selected a better pattern to follow. [Illustration: GEO. THATCHER GEO. EVANS JIMMY MACKIN JOHN DALY GEO. H. PRIMROSE GEO. WILSON JUST GEORGES, JOHN AND JIM.] In 1882 he joined Billy Baker in Kansas City, doing a black-face act; this partnership lasted until 1885. Mr. Cunningham played character parts in “Oliver Twist,” “Streets of New York,” “Ticket of Leave Man” and other plays. In 1904 he joined Dumont’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, where he remained several seasons. Jerry Cunningham was born in Boston, Mass., September 27, 1859. HENRY E. DIXEY (Dixon), America’s most versatile actor, did the black-face act of “Funny Old Gal” in imitation of Billy Ashcroft, in Boston, Mass., about 1872. Mr. Dixey was born in Boston, Mass., January 6, 1859. * * * * * E. N. SLOCUM, famous as an interlocutor, sat on the end with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, April, 1874. * * * * * “JACK” (E. L.) WILLIAMS, of the once prominent black-face team of Lester and Williams, died in New York, July 31, 1901. C. EDWARD DICKEN, a well-known interlocutor and singer of the present generation, who was with Cleveland’s Minstrels in 1895, and subsequently with Vogel’s Minstrels, died at La Salle, Ill., May 19, 1900. GEORGE MARION, recognized as one of America’s most efficient producers and stage-managers, played the “bone end” with Lew Dockstader’s Minstrels located in New York, in 1888. George Marion was born in San Francisco, July 16, 1860. NED THATCHER, for many years prominent as one of the song and dance team of Thatcher and Hume, and later Thatcher and Adair, separated from the latter about August 1, 1887. Mr. Thatcher died in W. Superior, Wis., June 14, 1895. JAMES PELL (McGinty) was for several seasons the partner of Tom Lewis, whom he joined in a black-face act called the “Hottentot Musketeers” about 1877. After they separated in the early 80’s, Mr. Pell did sketches with Lily Wilkinson. He died at Taunton, Mass., October 16, 1887. FRANK C. DURELL (Otto C. Dickman), of the well-known Durell Twin Brothers, first appeared professionally at the Grand Opera House, Indianapolis, Ind., with his brother Ed., doing acrobatic black-face songs and dances. Subsequently they played engagements with W. W. Cole’s, also Sell’s Brother’s Circus. They toured the country for several years playing the principal variety houses, and were with Pat. Rooney’s and other well-known organizations. Frank C. Durell died in Indianapolis, Ind., March 25, 1898; age 39 years. HURRAH FOR THE MINSTREL BAND. Dedicated to Harry Sanderson.