Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/642

608 lectured on philological, historical, and popular sub- jects, and has compiled bibliographical catalogues of many well-known libraries, including those of liiish (.''. Hawkins, Charles O'Conor, and William Beach Lawrence. His works include " Genealogi- cal Memoranda relating to the Family of Sotheran and to the Sept of MacManus " (printed privately, London, 1871-'4) ; " Manchester Diocesan Church Calendar " (Manchester, 1873-'4) : " Alessandro di Cagliostro Impostor or Martyr" (New York, 1874-’5) and " Percy Bysshe Shelley as a Philosopher and Reformer" (1876). He edited vols. vi. and vii. of the " American Bibliopolist " (New York, 1874-'o).

SOTHERN, Edward Askew, actor, b. in Liver- pool, England. 1 April, 1826 : d. in London, 20 Jan., 1881. He was intended by his parents for the min- istry, but became an actor, making his first appear- ance as an amateur in Jersey ; and, coming to thr United States soon afterward, he made his debut in this country at the Boston national theatre in Septem- ber, 1852, as Dr. Pangloss in " The Heir at Law." At this time he was known as Doug- las Stewart, and he did not assume his own name till 1858. His early career was marked by seeming inca- pacity, and lie played only minor parts till on 18 Oct., 1858, h>' was cast for the char- acter of Lord Dun- dreary in Turn Taylor's comedy " Our American Cousin," at Laura Keene's theatre, New York, where he had been playing for some time. The part consisted of only a few lines, and Sothern assumed it under protest, but made such a hit in it that it was en- larged, and became the great attraction of the play, which ran for one hundred and forty con- secutive nights. It is said that the laughable skip which was one of the most amusing of Sothern's absurdities of manner in this part was at first acci- dental, and was caused by the actor's stumbling over some " properties " as he made his first en- trance on the stage. This skip, with a peculiar lisp and drawl, never failed to win the applause of his audiences. Dundreary's part became virtually a series of monologues, which were interspersed in various parts of the original play. On 11 Nov., 1861, he appeared in the part at the Haymarket theatre, London, where the play ran four hundred and ninety-six consecutive nights. He afterward acted in it continually till his death, always with success, except in Paris in 1867, where he was not well received. Besides playing this part, the details of which he constantly changed, Sothern was suc- cessful as David Garrick in Robertson's comedy of that name, and in many pieces that were written for him by English playwrights. Though he was very popular in England, where he remained till 1871, he preferred the American stage. He also played in his native, country in 1874-'6. His last appearance in the United States was in New York on 27 Dec., 1879. Sothern's acting was marked by perfect refinement, even in the most farcical touches of his" Dundreary." He wrote we]], though slowly, and but little. The part of Dundreary was almost entirely his own, and he composed the best part of the love scenes in Robertson's comedy of " Home." He was also part author of " Trade," a comedy, which has not yet been acted. The illustration represents him in the character of Dundreary.

'''SOTO. Bernardo''', president of Costa Rica. b. in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1853. From his youth he served in the army, and had attained the" rank of colonel, when President Toraas Guardia died in 1882. The new president, Prospero Fernandez, called him to his cabinet as secretary of the treas- ury, and he also had temporary charge of the port- folio of war. In February, 1884, Solo's proposi- tion for the adoption of radical measures of econo- my caused a cabinet crisis, and the secretaries of war and the interior, Miguel and Victor Guardia. resigned. The president, with the sanction of the assembly, resolved to reduce the cabinet to two secretaries, and Soto was charged with the port- folios of the interior, commerce, and agriculture, being at the same time elected first vice-president, and promoted brigadier. When Gen. Rufino Bar- rios issued his decree of 28 Feb.. J885, declaring the forcible union of the five Central American re- publics. Nicaragua and Costa Rica protested, and the latter declared war upon Guatemala on 10 March. On the next day President Fernandez died suddenly, and Soto, who was preparing the army to march against Barrios, was called to the executive. Leaving the second vice-president in charge, he marched with his contingent to Nicara- gua, and, together with the army of that country, invaded Honduras, the ally of Barrios. There he heard of the death of Barrios at Chalchunpa and the collapse of the scheme of unification, and re- turned with his little army to Costa Rica. On the expiration of Fernandez's term, 10 Aug.. 1886, Soto was re-elected as constitutional president for the term of four years. During his administration great improvements have been introduced, the finances have been put on a sound basis, and Costa Rica, which had always opposed Central American union, as it was formerly advanced to favor an ambitious leader, has taken the initiative. Dele- gates of the five republics assembled in Guatemala and concluded, 15 Aug., 1887, a treaty of mutual union with a proviso for the possible establishment of a confederation in 1890. Soto concluded also, in July, 1887, a treaty with Nicaragua, in a per- sonal interview with the president in Granada, for the submission of the dispute regarding the bound- ary and the interoceanic canal to the arbitration of President Cleveland. He also made an arrange- ment with an English company for the adminis- tration of the different sections of a railroad and the completion of the same from ocean to ocean.

SOTO, Marco Aurclio, president of Honduras, b. in Tegucigalpa, 13 Nov., 1846. He studied in the University of Guatemala, where he received the degree of LL. D. in 1866, and began the practice of law. President Barrios soon called him to his cabinet as secretary of foreign affairs, and public instruction and worship, which place he held till February. 1876. At that time hostilities between Guatemala and Honduras began. President Ponciano Leiva, of the latter republic, was deposed, and, by agreement of the contending parties, Soto was sent as commissioner to his native country, and in August was appointed provisional president. In May, 1877, he was elected constitutional president, and, assisted by his general secretary, Dr. Ramon Rosa, he created resources, fostered the mining industry, encouraged the exportation of cattle, built telegraphic lines, and pushed forward the construction of the interoceanic railway.