Mr. Dixon joined Lew Benedict’s Minstrels in July, 1872, and again at Newark, N. J., September 21, 1876. In 1878 he was with Simmons and Slocum’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and that same year became a member of the original Haverly’s Mastodons in Chicago, opening October 21, 1878. He went to London, England, with that company, opening at “Her Majesty’s” Theatre, July 31, 1880; the following year he was with Emerson in San Francisco; he was likewise identified with other prominent organizations. Mr. Dixon was one of the original California Quartette.
Thos. B. Dixon was born in 1847; he died in Nashua, N. H., November 25, 1890.
Lew. Spencer (James Erhardt), well known as a black-face performer, began his professional career in his native city about 1865 as a Dutch comedian. He was with Duprez and Benedict’s Minstrels about 1869, and subsequently with the companies of Cal. Wagner; Barlow, Wilson; Haverly; Al. G. Fields and others as prominent.
He was born in Baltimore, Md.; he died in Chicago, Ill., December 7, 1904; age 56 years.
Frank Dumont is one of the most intellectual men in minstrelsy; originally a ballad singer, he has been connected with every branch of the black-face profession.
In the Fall of 1862, as Master Dumont, he was with Arlington and Donniker’s Minstrels, subsequently he was associated with John Cross and Tom Fish with Cross, Fish and Dumont’s Minstrels; this was in 1866.
The following year he was with Ned Davis’ Minstrels; early in 1869 he was with Dashington and Kling’s Minstrels and that same year he joined Duprez and Benedict’s Minstrels, and continued with them about eleven years.
Subsequently Mr. Dumont was with Carncross in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Minstrels in New York, and with Lew Dockstader’s Company. While with Sweatnam’s Minstrels, August 22, 1879, he sang “The Old Family Table.”
Mr. Dumont is the author of innumerable songs, sketches and plays, and produced all the shows at the Eleventh Street Opera House, Philadelphia, since the inception of Dumont’s Minstrels there January 27, 1896.
Frank Dumont was born in Utica, N. Y., January 25, 1848.