Julius A. von Bonhorst was one of the early banjo players of minstrelsy, and practically his entire career was spent with Sanford’s Minstrels in Philadelphia.
He married a Miss Luther about 1854, and three years later retired from the profession.
He died at Reading, Pa., February 16, 1869, aged 40 years.
Jim Carter, one of the earliest of black-face performers, and whose portrait may be seen on [another page], was also one of the original Campbell’s Minstrels, organized June, 1847.
He died many years ago.
Philip Rice was one of the pioneer banjo players of minstrelsy.
In the very early days he constructed an instrument by tacking a skin over a peck measure that had been sawed in half; this attracted wide attention.
June 18, 1856, he was with Dave Reed’s Minstrels on board the steamer “James Raymond,” which traveled on the Mississippi River.
He died at Grand Lake, Ark., December 4, 1857.
Tom Raleigh (T. R. Mahan), one of the musicians of the real early days of minstrelsy, was accidentally shot and killed by Frank Hussey, comedian, in San Francisco, December 5, 1859.