Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Late George Harvey Chickering.
'T'HE death of that honored member of
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the trade, Geo. H. Chickering, which
was recorded in The Review of last week,
removes from the sphere of human activity-
one of the noted men of the industry. He
was the last male survivor of that family,
which has contributed so much toward
making the American pianoforte industry
in every sense an art one, for the name of
Chickering must be indelibly associated
with all that is best and highest in the
realm of musico-industrial art.
The life of Geo. H. Chickering was pass-
ed practically within factory walls, for at
the beginning of his eighteenth year he
manifested an earnest desire to enter the
factory of his father and acquaint himself
in a thoroughly practical way with piano-
forte making, which was then a compara-
tively infant industry.
Under the guidance of his distinguished
parent, Jonas Chickering, he graduated
from every department of the factory and
became a skilled master workman, and
for many years maintained a superintend-
ence of the great Chickering establish-
ment. In fact his active relations with
the corporation which bears his name were
maintained up to within a comparatively
recent period, when the weight of years
began to tell on him and he was forced to
retire and pass the sunset of his life amid
the charming environments of a tasteful
suburban home at Milton, Mass. Here
surrounded by his flowers, for he was an
ardent lover of all that was beautiful in
nature, he passed the last days of his life.
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George H. Chickering was born in Bos-
ton in 1830, and as a boy lived in Chester
Square, which now forms part of Massa-
chusetts avenue. He went to the. Boston
public schools before becoming associated
with his father in trade. He was twice
married, his first wife being Miss Ball, a
sister of Thomas Ball, the sculptor. His
second wife, who survives him, was Miss
Nichols. Two daughters also are living,
both being married. One of them is the
wife of an artist and lives in Italy. The
other is now the wife of George L. Nich-
ols, a prominent lawyer and vice-presi-
dent of the Chickering corporation.
Mr. Chickering was at one time the mov-
ing spirit in a musical organization known
as the Chickering Club, which nourished
before the days of the Apollo Club, this
last-named being the offspring of the
Chickering Club.
In the Apollo Mr.
Chickering always took an active part as a
younger man, and up to perhaps ten or
twelve years ago he was a singing mem-
ber and rarely missed a rehearsal. He
was the club's president for some years,
and always has been more or less identified
with its executive board.
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The artistic element was strongly domi-
nant in Mr. Chickering's appearance. The
refinement of face and form possessed by
him we would naturally associate with ar-
tistic more than industrial life, and yet
Mr. Chickering was at the head of the
great industrial institution until old age
compelled him to lay aside the active.duties
incident to factory management upon
younger men. He had a perfect horror
of anything that savored of vulgarity, and
was the embodiment of refinement and
aesthetic taste. He loved the beautiful in
music as he loved to pass his days among
the floral beauties of nature. He pos-
sessed a dignity and courtliness which
were at once attractive and impressive.
His conversation always sparkled with that
brilliancy of thought which revealed his
deep mine of information and intimate
knowledge upon general topics, for it
should be understood that he had found
the time even in his busy life for extensive
reading, covering almost every range of
human thought and endeavor. His voice,
always soft and well modulated, was al-
ways raised in the defence of right and
ever keen and incisive in condemning a
wrong.
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Geo. H. Chickering was a rare combina-
tion of the poetic and industrial element.
The leaning towards mechanics he inherit-
ed from his distinguished father, while the
other side of his nature was softened and
spiritualized by his mother's influence.
During all of his younger years he mani-
fested the warmest interest in the musical
affairs of his native city, and was president
of the famous Handel and Haydn Society
for a long term of years. He was in truth
a courtly, dignified and sensitive man, and
one who has contributed much toward the
up-building of a great business. He passed
an active life of three score and ten, and
lived to see the Chickering name and fame
known in all lands. A grand American,
and well may men of the industry point
with pride to the life and accomplishments
of this modest and distinguished member.
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Innumerable illustrations of the fine
personal qualities of this noted member of
the trade might be related. One of his
acquaintances who knew him intimately
upon learning of his death remarked the
following in pleasant remembrance of Mr.
Chickering's kindly qualities:
"He was of the most gentle nature,
loyal to his friends and especially devoted
to the older employees of the piano fac-
tory. He was most unworldly, preferring
to devote leisure time to the cultivation of
flowers, a fancy with him. He was a
saintly man and full of heartfelt sympathy
for anyone in trouble, a veritable personi-
fication of sympathetic sensibility."
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Without words of eulogy and using the
simple but impressive ritual of the Prot-
estant Episcopal Church, Dr. E. Winches-
ter Donald conducted the funeral services
over the remains of George H. Chickering,
at Trinity Church Sunday afternoon. The
Trinity quartet was increased to eight
voices and rendered " T h e King of Love
My Shepherd Is " and "Now the Laborer's
Work is O'er." Besides the family, many
employees of the Chickerings were present
and representatives of the Handel and
Haydn Society, the Cecilia and Apollo
clubs. The ushers were C. H. Eddy,
George G. Endicott, H. C. Chase, F. H.
B. Byrne. The interment was in the Mil-
ton cemetery.
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RESOLUTIONS BY BOSTON ASSOCIATIONS.
At a meeting of the Boston Music Trade
Association held at the office of the Mason
& Hamlin Company, Boston, Nov. 18,
1899, the following preamble and resolu-
tions were passed:—
Whereas, Not only the Boston Music
Trade Association, but the entire piano-
forte industry of the country has met with
a severe loss m the death of our dear
friend and associate, Mr. Geo. H. Chicker-
ing, the last surviving member of the old
house of Chickering & Sons, recognized
throughout the musical world as the pion-
eers in the manufacture of pianofortes in
this country.
Whenever our trade has been called to-
gether and we have had the honor and
privilege of his presence, he has always
been chosen our president; and whilst we
regretted that his health did not permit of
his taking an active part in our Associa-
tion, we have always felt that he was with
us in the spirit, and he always expressed
to us his best wishes for our success. He
was always foremost in the promotion of
any good work, never letting pass an op-
portunity to extend a favor or do a kind-
ness.
As an Association and individually we
shall always cherish in our memories the
many rare and exceptional personal quali-
ties possessed by him. Holding the high
position which he did in our pianoforte
trade, he was still always thoroughly un-
assuming, and we recognized in him a man
of the strictest integrity. He possessed a
thoroughly Christian spirit, which with
the associates who knew him best placed
him in even higher esteem than what
ordinarily would be gained by a merely
successful business career, inspiring us all
with a feeling of more than ordinary
friendship, and gaining from us not only
our highest respect, but a genuine af-
fection.
Resolved: That we extend to his family
and business associates our deepest sym-
pathy in their great loss.
Voted: That a page of our records be
set apart for these resolutions, and that a
copy be sent to the press and an engrossed
copy to the family.
Francis H. Owen, Sec'y.
Henry F. Miller,
Chandler W. Smith, \- Committee.
Edward S. Payson.
Serious Charge Alleged.
A dispatch from Kokomo, Ind., under
date of Nov. 18 says: Neil Merrill, claim-
ing to represent the Wulschner & Sons
music house of Indianapolis, Ind., was
arraigned in the mayor's court here on a
charge of obtaining money by false pre-
tense from Thomas Ruse, of this city.
Early in the trial Merrill slipped from the
courtroom and disappeared.