The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-05-08
The lIutchi msOn Family OF singers
From the Dad Granite state.


EDITOR INDEPENDENTS:
As there are hundreds of old people in this
country who have in their early life away
down East heard the sweet singing of these
old fashioned singers, permit me to say that,
before leaving Chicago, they, "Tribe of
John" told me he would sometime come to
see me on Puget Sound and sing to the peo-
pie. This winter he has been singing with
his family in California and writes me that
he will be here sometime during the latter
part of May
When it was shame and scof among
most men to pronounce in favor of the slaves,
and the stigma ''abolitionist" was equivalent
to ''horse thief and 'vagabond, " there came
out of the hills of New Hampshire poet
and band of singers who lifted up their tune
full voices in favor of freedom and against the
right of property in human beings black or
white.
They were known as the Hutchinson Fam.
lily. Jessie was the poet, and Judson, John,
Asa and Abbie the singers. They were
gifted by nature with pure, flexible and
grandly expressive voices. Jessie wrote
with boldness that made men tremble, and
his brothers sang with strain that rolled
its waves of melody from Maine to Florida
and now John is finishing up his 37th an
nual tour, this time from Maine to Puget
Sound. They all lived to see the triumph
of the cause they espoused and the fultillment
of the prophetic utterances of the eldest
brother Jessie. The band of brave brothers
who were Kissed, hooted, pelted and ostra-
cised for opinions sake, but never faltered in
their course, were co-laberous with Garri-
son, Mott, Phillips, Douglas and Jas. G. Biz
ney. And while speaking of Douglass,
l mean Frederick, he was the first man to
shake our trembling hand on an occasion
when we made our first public speech
against Andrew johnson after assassination of
Lincoln-and his words of cheer were to us
then like "apples of gold in pitchers of sill
ver'
The Hutchinson's sang from the early
anti-slavery days to the breaking out of the
Rebellion, when some of their number took
up arms for the Union, and the band added
to the patriotic spirit of the Union soldiers
by singing to them about the camp fires,
which act reused the wrath of Gen. Nc
Clellan, who drove them from the army.
They travelled. the world round, singing "'The
Old Granite State" and hundreds of the old
songs we have all heard in the days that are
gone, and you, MIR. Editor, will never for
get the day you and your good wife listened
to their sweet music at a gathering of Min
nesota- Wisconsin editors at Minneapolis in
1867, | believe of which convention you
were member, and we procured the sing
ers, stopping them to sing while on their
way to their home, Hutchinson, Minnesota,
and the beautiful wife of Asa that you lis
tened to that day is singing on the ever
green shore of eternity
This Tribe of John" consists of John,
and Fanny, his wife, and Harry J. their
son, the finest Tenor and Basso Profundo in
the United States, who has travelled with
the best ompanys-Camilla Urso's for one.
Miss Phillips, fine singer, assists the COM
pany. This will be their only trip to the
country. They will sing on the farms, in
the cabins, in the churches or halls-any-
where and everywhere where men and
women do congregate to listen to such
things. Societies wishing to engage them
can do so by at once addressing them at Pal
ace Hotel. San Francisco. You will all have
an opportunity of hearing this band of old
fashioned singers. j. w. COCHRAN.