Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/172

 MACKAYE

McKEAN

by lack of capital, he formed a partnership with James C. Flood, William S. O'Brien and James C. Walker in 1864, and when Mr. Walker retired in 1867 James G. Fair took his place in the firm. They met with comparatively limited success un- til 1872, when the discovery of the Bonanza mines, on a ledge of rock in the Sierra Nevadas under what is now Virginia City, Nev., made the own- ers among the richest men of the world. Mr. Mackay owned two-fifths of these mines. In 1873 the famous silver vein was opened, and from one mine Mr. Mackay and James G. Fair, who worked as ordinary miners, took $150,000,000 in silver and gold. In six years the output from the mines was over $300,000,000. With Mr. Flood and Mr. Fair he founded the Bank of Nevada in San Francisco, Cal., in 1878, and he became its president. In 1887 he carried it througli a loss of $11,000,000, sustained through one of its officers speculating in wheat. He formed a partnership with James Gordon Bennett,of the New York Her- ald, in 1884, and laid two cables across the At- lantic from the United States to England and France, and the two men continued the sole owners of the Commercial Cable company, of which, as well as the Postal Telegraph company, he was president. He declined the nomination for U.S. senator from Nevada in 1885, was elected a director of the Southern Pacific railroad in 1899, and it was due to his enterprise that the Pacific cable from San Francisco to the Philip- pine islands was inaugurated. He was married in 1867 to the widow of Dr. Br.yan, daughter of John Hungerford, and they had two children, Jolin William Jr., who was accidentally killed in Paris in 1895, and Clarence Hungerford, who suc- ceeded to the management of the estate after his father's death in London, England, July 20, 1902. MACKAYE, James Steele, playwright, was born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1844. He early evinced a talent for art, and in 1868 went to Paris to study painting, but meeting Delsarte he studied dram- atic expression. In 1870-71 he lectured in New York and Boston on the science and art of ex- pression, and devoted the profits to relieve the needs of Delsarte, who died in Paris in July, 1871. In January, 1872. he opened the St. James theatre, New York city, and presented " Monaldi," adapted by himself from the French, appearing in one of the leading rdles. He was again in Europe, 1873-75, studying the drama in Paris and England. He appeared as "Hamlet" at the Crystal Palace, London, at the instance of Tom Taylor, with wliom he collaborated in " Ark- wright's Wife " and " Clancarty " ; and he also wrote "Jealousy" in conjunction with Charles Reade. In 1875 his adaptation of " Rose Michel" ran for one hundred and twenty-two nights at the Union Square theatre, New York city. Soon

after returning to America he opened the Ly- ceum School of Acting, which subsequently de- veloped into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and among his more noted pupils were John McCullough and Harry Montague. Mr. Mackay e was manager of the Madison Square theatre for some years, and while holding this position he invented and introduced the double- elevated stage and the elevated orchestra. In 1885 he built the Lyceum tlieatre, in which he introduced his inventions of a disappearing or- chestra and folding chairs. Among his plays not previously mentioned, which were produced in America, are: Queen and Woman (1876); Twins (with A. C. Wheeler, 1876); Won at Last (1877); Tfirough the Dark (1878); An Iron Will (1879), re-named Hazel Kirke, and produced with phe- nomenal success at the Madison Square theatre (1880); A FooVs Errand (1881); Dakolar (1884); In Spite of All (1885); Rienzi, re-written for Law- rence Barrett (1886) ; Anarchy, afterward named Paid Kauvar (1887), and Money Mad, adapted from Through the Dark (1890). He died at Tim- pas, Col., Feb. 25, 1894.

MACKAY-SMITH, Alexander, clergyman, was born in New Haven, Conn., June 2, 1850; son of Nathan and Caroline (Bradley) Smith, and grandson of U.S. Senator Nathan Smith. He was educated at St. Paul's school. Concord, N.H., was graduated from Trinity college in 1872, and studied in England and Germany. He was ad- mitted to the diaconate of the Protestant Epis- copal church in 1876, and was ordained priest in 1877. He was rector of Grace church. South Boston, Mass., 1877-80 ; preacher at St. Thomas's, New York city, 1880-86, and declined an election as coadjutor bishop of Kansas in 1886. He be- came the first archdeacon of New York city in 1887, and served in that capacity until 1893, when he became rector of St. John's parish, Washington, D.C., and archdeacon of Washing- ton in 1900. He was elected bishop coadjutor of Pennsylvania in 1902, and was consecrated at Holy Trinity church, Philadelphia, May 1, 1902, by Bishops Doane, Scarborough and Whitehead. He received the degree of D.D. from Hobart and Trinity college in 1889.

McKEAN, James Bedell, representative, was born in Hoosick, N.Y., Aug. 5, 1821 ; son of the Rev. Andrew and Catherine B. McKean. and a descendant of Thomas McKean, the signer. His father was one of the pioneers of Methodism in nortlieastern New York, and removed to a farm at Half moon, N.Y., in 1828. James Bedell worked on his father's farm ; attended the academy at Jonesi'ille ; taught there for several terms ; estab- lislied a select school at Clifton Park, and served as superintendent of public schools. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1847 ; practised at Ballston