Very few of the 200,000 inhabitants of St. Paul are aware that the three-story, three-cornered building on Third street at Seven Corners once contained one of the most popular amusement halls in the city. It was called Irvine hall, and at one time Melodeon hall. Dan Emmet had a minstrel company at this hall during the years 1857 and 1858, and an excellent company it was, too. There was Frank Lombard, the great baritone; Max Irwin, bones, and one of the funniest men who ever sat on the stage; Johnny Ritter, female impersonator and clog dancer, and a large number of others. Frank Lombard afterward achieved a national reputation as one of the best baritone singers in the country. He was much sought after for patriotic entertainments and political conventions. His masterpiece was the Star-Spangled Banner, and his great baritone voice, which could be heard for blocks, always brought enthusiastic applause. Some time during the summer of 1858 the Hutchinson family arranged to have the hall for a one-night entertainment. By some means or other the troupe got separated and one of the brothers got stalled on Pig's Eye bar. When their performance was about half over the belated brother reached the hall and rushed frantically down the aisle, with carpetbag in hand, leaped upon the stage, and in full view of the audience proceeded to kiss the entire tribe. The audience was under the impression they had been separated for years instead of only twenty-four hours. The next evening Max Irwin was missing from his accustomed place as one of the end men, and when the performance had been in progress for about fifteen minutes Max came rushing down the aisle with carpetbag in hand and went through the same performance as did the lost brother of the Hutchinson family. The effect was electrical, and for some time Max's innovation was the talk of the town. Dan Emmet, though a wondering minstrel, was a very superior man and was his own worst enemy. He was a brother of Lafayette S. Emmett, chief justice of the supreme court of the State of Minnesota. The judge, dignified and aristocratic, did not take kindly to the idea of his brother being a minstrel. Dan was not particularly elated because his brother was on the supreme bench. They were wholly indifferent as to each other's welfare. They did not even spell their names the same way. Dan had only one "t" at the end of his name, while the judge used two. Whether the judge used two because he was ashamed of Dan, or whether Dan used only one because he was ashamed of the judge, no one seemed to know. Dan Emmet left a legacy that will be remembered by the lovers of melody for many years. What left the judge? When Emmet's company left St. Paul they got stranded and many of them found engagements in other organizations. Dan turned his attention to writing negro melodies. He wrote several popular airs, one of them being "Dixie," which afterward became the national air of the Confederate States.