W. W. BLACK, the well-known basso who achieved prominence in such productions as “Isle of Champagne”; “Jack and the Bean Stalk”; also with Lillian Russell, Donnelly and Girard and other noted stars, early commanded the attention of the late Col. Mapleson, who desired to send Mr. Black abroad to have his voice cultured. Before this period, however, he had a thorough schooling in that best of all institutions, minstrelsy. Mr. Black was a member of Austin and Weir’s Minstrels in the late 70’s; subsequently he was associated with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels and Simmons and Rankin’s Minstrels; likewise he was with McNish, Johnson and Slavin’s Minstrels in 1885-86-87; this was his last appearance in black-face. W. W. Black was born in Irvington, N. Y., August 10, 1861. WM. G. NEWMAN, the popular manager of the Garrick Theatre, New York City was billed as the “infant wonder,” singing a ballad at Sam Hague’s Minstrels in Liverpool, England, July 13, 1874. Mr. Newman was born at sea, March 24, 1861. GEORGE HALLEN (Smith), a brother of Fred Hallen, and of the black-face team of McAvoy and Hallen, was born in Ogdensburg, N. Y., November 14, 1861; he died in Denver, Colo., November 27, 1888. JOHN E. CAIN is one of the cleverest delineators of the negro character before the public, and it is a distinct loss to minstrelsy that some such organization does not have him on their roster. His first stage appearance was at the Apollo Theatre, St. Louis, Mo., in September, 1874, with the Future City Minstrels, an amateur organization. Two years later he professionalized himself by joining Johnson’s Dixie Minstrels. In the Fall of 1876 he joined hands with Billy Wolf, doing a double Irish and Dutch specialty. Mr. Cain subsequently returned to his first love, and did the old-time act of changing from white to black, which he did in ten seconds. [Illustration: WM. EWERS DICK. ESCOTT CHAS. C. PALMER “SLIM JIM” DUKELAN CHAS. F. WARNER FRANK MEYERING PROMINENT MUSICIANS OF MINSTRELSY.] June 3, 1883, Mr. Cain opened at the Bella Union Theatre in San Francisco; his success was so pronounced that he remained one year; ultimately he remained on the coast for ten years, playing legitimate and variety houses, including engagements with Oliver Doud Byron, with whom he played principal comedy roles. Mr. Cain was promoter and builder of the Powell Street Theatre in the big coast city, which opened December 15, 1890. He next engaged as comedian with the C. D. Hess Grand Opera Company. In 1891 he joined hands with Harry Orndorf, and as Cain and Orndorf they did an old-time “nigger” act that was simply great; Mr. Cain, of course, doing the black-face part. They continued as a team for several years. Subsequently he became identified with the Rice and Barton Company, with whom he has mostly since been identified. Mr. Cain is happily married to Blanche Newcomb, the youngest daughter of the famous minstrel.