Page:One of a thousand.djvu/191

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DIXEY, DOIXili. i/7 played everything he could lay hands upon, from a set tree to the hose at fire-drill. His first marked success was made as •• Peanuts" in the old-time favorite melo- HENRY E. DIXEY. drama "Under the Gaslight," and his ability in the way of quaint humor was at once acknowledged. In his leisure hours Mr. Dixey had sedulously cultivated a natural gift of dancing, and tiring of the monotony of a stock company, he determined upon a change. It was at this time that he first came under the observation of Edward E. Rice, who at once recognized the talent of the young man, and determined to give him every opportunity of gaining a wide- spread celebrity. His first appearance under Mr. Rice's management was made at the Globe Theatre, Boston, on June 7, 1875, when he appeared in " Evangeline " as one of the two sailors who subsequently illustrate the saltatorial eccentricities of the famous " Heifer" in that extravaganza His suc- cess in this role was marked, so much so that he was advanced by rapid strides, until he was entrusted with the principal role of the piece, in which he gave un- bounded satisfaction. From that time until now he has remained under Mr. Rice's management, with the exception of two years only. During all these years the parts assumed by Mr. Dixey have been varied, but his success has been continuous. He has appeared successively in the following plays : "Cor- sair," " Hiawatha," " Horrors," " Robinson Crusoe," " Babes in the Wood," " Revels," "Cinderella at School," "The Mascot," " Billee Taylor," " Patience," " Pinafore," "The New Evangeline," "The Romany Rye," " Iolanthe," " Pounce & Co.," "The Sorcerer," "The Merry Duchess," "The Duke's Motto," " Lieutenant Helene," " Distinguished Foreigners," "Confusion," and "Adonis." In his recent triumph, as the chaste statue, the graceful gallant, the moody Dane, the independent barber, and a host of other characters in which he pervades " Adonis," he has made the part unapproachable. His production for the season of 1889 . and '90 is " The Seven Ages," a combina- tion of burlesque and character drama. His versatility is remarkable, and his career promises to be notable in the annals of the American stage. DODGE, Nathan Dane, son of Nathan Dane and Sarah (Shepard) Dodge, was born in Ipswich, Essex county, April 21, 1840. His early education was obtained in the district school under many difficulties. Inspired, however, with an earnest desire for intellectual growth, he acquired suffi- cient knowledge to qualify him, at the age of nineteen, to teach school at Ipswich. Continued trouble with his eyes, however, forced him reluctantly to give up the idea of teaching. At his majority he went to Troy, N. Y., and served as clerk for his brother in a small shoe store. Subsequently he opened a shoe store on his own account in Troy, then went to New York for a few months, selling shoes on the road. January, 1866, he organized with his brother, in the city of Lynn, the firm of N. D. & E. P. Dodge, for the manufacture of boots and shoes, afterwards removing to Newbury- port, where he has since remained alone, under the firm name of Nathan D. Dodge, manufacturing fine shoes and slippers. In 1877 he opened a wholesale store in New York City, which is continued as an outlet for the great variety of styles which the firm now make. Mr. Dodge was married in Troy, N. Y., April 25, 1S65, to Matilda Valentine Hins- dale. Their children are : Nathan Dane, Jr., born June 15, 1866 ; Adelaide Pearle, born January 2, 1SS1, and William Garnet Dodge, born August 14, 1882.