New Britain herald., 1927-07-09

has killed the vegetation, and land-
 scape scenes such as MT. English saw in 1899 are the exception rather than the rule. To find rose gar
 den means a search. The city, how ever. has grown immensely and one redeeming feature for MT. English
 was the beautiful Elks' home there. | It is one of the most beautiful in l the country.
 1 While there he met Lord John
 Russell, who, he thinks, is the last
 surviving member of the family that
 used to live in Stanley Quarter in | this city years ago. MT. English | and Lord John" were chums in their youth but neither had seen the
 other for more than 50 years. They
 had a pleasant reunion. Lord 1 John" used to be an excellent bar
 performer and trapeze artist. He i had engaged in the sheep business on San Miguel Island near Los Angeles and had invested his money in the city and he is now well to do. San Francisco, MT. English found. to be just the opposite of Los An geles The great earthquake and fire served to clean out all the poorer places in this city and now a beautifully arranged common wealth occupies the spot.
 Old Time Acts "Through" Speaking of the stage, Mir. English stated that he was through with old-time acts. He states that these will not get by now because of the fact that they are worn out. There are a few of the old timers left but they have done their stuff so much without changing it that the public is fled up" on it now. Agents find the acts difficult to book. The old d-timers are prone to ridicule the modern vaudeville stuff, but the public wants it and the performer must satisfy the public.
 He found it to be a very slow sea- son. Everywhere the general com plaint was that business was poor. Movies, with their low prices and other appeal. like amateur nights, have cheapened many of the houses and lowered the standards.
 Cunningham, Edwards and Arm strong, three of the members of the Five Jolly Corks," have ideas for old time acts, and they have sought Mir. English to join them, but he re- fuses to listen to their propositions
 Mr. English became professional ,,, hut years before that he made his first public appearance. It was in the old Turner hall on Arch street.. It was a minstrel show and was pre- ceded by a street parade. The march was led by the old Temper ance Band later called the "cast- iron band" and the hall was packed.
 As a youth, Mir. English's greatest ambition was to see Ireland and especially Dublin. He was born there and was brought at a tender age to this country. His family settled in Vermont where he worked as a water boy in the granite and marble quarries.
 Later the family moved to this city and young Tom came here with one idea in his mind, to become a blacksmith. He couldn't obtain this work because of his youth and he turned to carpentry.
 His efforts in this line began and ended with the lathing of house on South High street. The house still stands and every time he goes by it. Mir. English recalls wildly his first and last iob as a carpenter. He later worked at the Stanley Works but the ambi to become an actor inspired him and he needed the call.
 His life story reads like book. He left school before he was l years old and since that time has had to work hard for everything he has.
 Plays in those days were quaint affairs. His greatest joy was to at tend what was known as "The MT TOT of Ireland" This was series o1 pictures of the Emerald Isle drawn across the stage Stretched from one side of t..e stage to the other was a long line of pictures and as each was drawn into public view. actors ana actresses would dance the dances noted in the parts of Ireland that the picture portrayed and singers sang appropriate songs. This was a popu- lar form of entertainment.
 Through his travels as an actor Mir, English saw the realization of his dream, visits to Dublin. He saw the buildings he used to dream about as boy. He made l2 trips there in the show business. He has also been to Australia and Africa twice and has visited all the princl- pal cities on the continent.
 20 Years in London
 He lived for 20 years in London, England, making trips to thls coun- try at frequent intervals. He and his wife formed the act of Tom and Lilly English and had successfui run all the time they resided in Eng land.
 They visited the Isle of Man four years in succession and played the entire month of August each year. The act was an instrumental and makeup. Mrs. Engllsh whistled and played the violin, piano and cornet while Tom played the cornet, violin. banjo, bones and did his famous act with the tambourlne.
 Sir Hall Caine. noted British writer, is a close friend of the local man. He was theater owner Ill the British Isles and one of his favorlte bookings was the act of Tom and Lilly English. Mir. English has seV- eral letters written to him by Game which he values very highly.
 While trying to break ill to the thcater, Mr. English had varied career. He worked at anything while awaiting the opportunity which he knew would come. He was a book agent when he finally got his chance with Haywards New York