The Grange advance., 1874-05-13
The Hutchinson Family,

coe Register Of May 7th, will be read
with interest by all the thousand,
throughout Minnesota who have been
charmed by the sweet songs of the
Hutchinson Tribe Of Asa" There is
probably not another family living, in
the United States at least, that has so
warm place in the affections Of the
people:
I'VE find great pleasure in acknowl-
edging the receipt of a little pamphlet
from our friend, Asa B. Hutchinson,
entitled. "A Brief Narrative of the
Hutchinson Family including brief
biographical sketches Of each Of the
sixteen sons and daughters of the
"Tribe Of Jesse,' by Joshua Hutchin-
son, recently published by Messrs. Lee
& Sheppard, Boston, Mass. We make
the following extracts, which We are
quite sure will be interesting to our
readers
THE PRoGEN1ToRs OF THE TRIBE"
Jesse and Mary L. Hutchinson, the
progenitors Of the I" tribe," lived in
Milford, N. H., during the years from
1777 to 1868.
Farmers by profession, musicians by
incident" the father possessing a rare
baritone, and the mother a sweet and
mellow contralto voice. The father
with strong physical constitution, the
mother with decisive nervous organi-
zation. Injured to the active duties Of
farm life, the development of their phys
ioal nature was enhanced by the con-
slant exercise Of vocal music in the fam
lily and in the church. In the field, at
the plough, by the wayside, in the for
est hunt, and in the household lullaby,
did the father while away the joyous
days of early married life; while the
mother at the spinning wheel and
loom, Ginning with her buzz aud clatter,
did weave into the very tissue of the
fabric where her nimble fingers piled,
the sweet voice Of sacred song,
"Hush my dear, lie still and slumber."
ASA, THE FOURTEENTH CHILD.
Asa, the fourteenth child and young
est son,-genial, manly, companionable
Asa, the son Of "Jesse in his old age"
From a child be exhibited elements of
maturity, that won for HIM the respect
of the household. He was his fathers
:'pet boy; and if there ever arose the
emotion Of jealousy in the older men,
| bers, it was easily reasoned as miti-
eating circumstance; that he was pecu-
liarly fathers "dear boy" Inheriting
large share of the musical gift, he
soon came to understand his place in
the family choir. He almost intuitive-
ly felt the necessity Of greater show
of the lower bass quality to perfect the
harmony Of the whole, the greater part
Of the members iaclining to upper
register" Hence the necessity of more
power in the "lower register and
without any solicitation, he assumed
the bass, and found that there lay his
power. While yet child, accompanied
by his father to the church (for that
was the nursery for religious aspira.
tions), as the choir we're singing, he
would indulge in moving his head
against the old pew railing, producing
a vibration so fine, that when the vic.
lnicello and double bass were in full
blast, the feat, especially in the heavy
chorus, was as effective as the sub-bass
of a big organ guided entirely by his
intuitive musical sense and innate love
Of harmony. But he had hardly
reached his teens before he became the
owner of his pet instrument: the vic.
lincello. He soon became proficient
and was ever ready to lend his rich
voice with the commanding bow, to
form basis for the richest harmonies
Here let me speak Of a physiological
fact. The voices Of all the family were
baritone, and as many instruments com.
posed Of the same metal are known to
produce the best harmony; so vice GER.
sa, where the instruments are made
from a diversified composition. The
reputation Of the Family" has been
based as much upon this physiological
other.
| While Asa's voice was superlatively
beautiful in the. medium register, it
was equally so in the lower SO that he
could descend to the octave in G or
double B fiat with the most perfect &C.
cu!acy and care; and being carefully