The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-06-20

try. Inc lower part OF Gre6n street ana Deer
ing's bridge were opened in 1906, but there was
no Portland street for twenty years later. Mr..
Dodge rebuilt his pottery in the rear of Osgood's
tannery, next below Portland street and the
narrow lane leading from Green street to it was
called Potter's lane. The son, Benja min
Dodge was then about II years old, and Long
fellow less than two years younger, and was
then in college. My first knowledge of the
pottery commenced in 1924. When sent to
that part of the town, always hurried to have
time to look into the pottery where, out Of
schools hours, were collected party of boys
who watched the moulding of the ware, and
those who liked it, drove the horse in his
rounds to grind the clay. Mr.. Dodge made
progress in his art He commenced to orna-
ment the most expensive jars, pots, and water
pitchers. especially those made to order, mark
ing them with the initial letters of names l
recollect one piece Of ware made to order in
1925, on which was figure which purporred to
be likeness of Gen. Lafayette, who was then
the Nations guest. This was in the best style
OF Dodge's art, having the initials on the oppo'
site side, of the lady for whom it was intended
as humorous present. On some OF the ware
made by Mr.. Dodge, were attempts at the like
ness of animals and Birds some in relief, and
some made in the glazing OF those in relief,
the legs and tails of animals seemed to have
been placed without due care. A horse would
have the forward legs Of giraffe and perhaps
the tail of 3 cow-cats had a severe curl in
their tails, like that of nervous dog Some Of
them would now remind us of Dckens's tom.
cat, which in one of his Christmas stories, is
represented as being chased by dog, which
magnifed his tail to such a siza that he could
not get back through the hole by which he
came into the street. Indeed if Noah had been
obliged to select from such animals for his
pairs for his ark, he would have been puzzled
as to the species in some cases. The busts of
persons seem to have been put on with more
care, most of these we're profles. After
the vessels were finished, aud set in an an
other room to dry, it was favorite trick of
some bad boys (whom the good man tolerated
Notwithstanding to disfgure the human faces
by drawing down the corners of the mouth
with the finger producing ludicrous express
sion-;n this mischief some of the vessels were
knocked askew. This disfg uring, the potter
did not often observe, until 1t was too LATE to
mend, and this, imperfect" ware was burnt in
the kiln with the other ard set away on a
shelf by itself, to be sold at less price. This
row of pots, jugs and pitchers was a curiosity.
The faces looked as though they were making
scornful mouths at their neighbors, or in a
broad grin at some other carcatures. There
were jugs with compressed MOBILES which a
round stopple would hardly fit. Longfellow
could not have been one of these urchils, as he
was then in college, but he may have had a
hand in it at the other pottery years before.
Mr.. Dodge senior must have been the artist
who so impressed the young poet as the young
er Dodge was less than two years his senior.
The old potter finally left his wheel and kiln to
his son and became melancholy and finally in
sane, often retreating to his garrett and calling
on his son to protect him from imaginary
foes. In one of these frenzies he put an end
to his mental misery by severing his jugular
with one stroke of knife. Mr.. Dodge was a
good citizen and kind neighbor. He had long
been a consistent member of DR.. Payson's
church.
On the eastern slope of the hill, in the old
cemetery, is an upright slab of slate, with this
inscription:
"BeDjamin Dodge born in Exeter, N. H., May, liza,
Died in Portland Jan. 1, 1882
The son Of the same name, who had learned
the business and was partner in it With his
father, continued to manufacture brown ware
from common brick clay. He Invented very
valuable green glazing-the secret Of its COM
position he could not bs prevailed upon to i'm
part to any one, and it is now one of the lost
arts. During the time Of the son, stranger
came into the pottery, and after looking at the
process of moulding while, he repeated these
lines:
No handicratsman's art can with our art compare,
We potters make our pots of what we potters are.
They pleased Mr.. Dodge, who asked to have
them repeated. again, and then wrote them
down. He afterwards moulded them on clay
tablet and burnt it like his ware. 1t was then
set in gilt frame and was hung up in the
pottery, which is still pottery, and the tablet
is there still. If Longfellow ever saw it it was
after he became a poet of celebrity Mr..
Dodge lived bachelor, but at last the heredi--
tary melancholy came upon him, but he never
was considered insane, although he died by his
own hand 10 1876, aged 20. VIC,
WINDHAM, June 18th.