In April, 1852, he played an engagement with Charley White’s Minstrels in New York. Up to the time of Joe Sweeney, the banjo, so-called, was made from a gourd and had four strings only; he took an old cheese box, cut it in half, covered it with a skin and added another string; the fine instruments we see to-day are the evolution of the crude affair just described; this was about 1830. Joe Sweeney was born at Appomattox, Va., 1813; where he died October 27, 1860. GEO. HOLLAND, father of the late Geo. Holland, and of E. M. and Jos. Holland, and who was known as one of the great comedians of the old stock days, made his appearance with Wood and Christy’s Minstrels in New York City, December 21, 1857, playing female parts in black-face, and remained with the company six months. The famous “little church around the corner” gained its name and fame through the death of this great old actor. George Holland was born near London, England, December 6, 1791; he died in New York City, December 20, 1870. EDWIN FORREST, America’s first great actor, at the Globe Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 17, 1823, played Cuff, a Kentucky negro, in the “Tailor in Distress.” In this play Mr. Forrest imitated the black man in dress, accent, gait, dialect and manner; and was said to be the first actor to do so. Edwin Forrest was born in Philadelphia, March 9, 1806; he died there December 12, 1872. “OLE BULL” MYERS (J. Richard Myers) was one of the earliest and best violinists in minstrelsy. He entered the profession in 1835, and was with numerous black-face companies, notably the Virginia Serenaders in 1843; this organization, a photograph of which will be found elsewhere, played an engagement at the Chatham Theatre, New York, January 24, 1844. “Ole Bull” Myers was born in Baltimore, Md., May 9, 1909; he died in Philadelphia, September 10, 1874. P. T. BARNUM, the great circus man, in the fall of 1836 while traveling with a small show of his own, had the misfortune to lose the services of Jim Sandford, one of his principal “cards,” who was doing “nigger” business; but rather than disappoint his audience, Barnum “blacked up” and sang “Such a Gittin Up Stairs,” and other songs that were popular that day. P. T. Barnum was born in Bethel, Conn., July 5, 1810; he died at Bridgeport, Conn., April 7, 1891. TOM CHRISTIAN, one of the first, also one of the best to do Tyrolean warbling in minstrelsy, joined E. P. Christy’s Minstrels in New York in 1847, and continued as a member of that organization until it disbanded in 1854; subsequently he joined Sanford’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and Raynor’s “Christy” which toured the country until they sailed for England in June, 1857, when Christian went with them; he remained with the organization which afterwards was known as Moore, Crocker and Ritter’s Minstrels, until his death. Tom Christian died in London, England, January 29, 1867; aged 59 years.