The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-19
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY.
Mrs. and Mrs. ID. III. Chandler Received
Their Friends Last Night.

Their FRIENDS Last Night
Yesterday Mr.. and Mrs. Daniel H.
Chandler celebrated their golden wedd ng
anniversary at their home on Oxford
street. The house was beautifully dec
GRATED for the occasion. The parlor was
mass of evergreen and roses, and the rear
room, where tea and chocolate were
served, was also beautifully decorated.
Mr.. Chandler was undecided until lately
what the firm of the celebration should
be. but finally decided TO have a public re-
ception from 5 o'clock to 9. this being the
only way that suggested itself by which
the hosts of friends of the venerable
couple could all be present. 1t would be
hard TO estimate the number who came in
to congratulate Mr.. and Mrs. Chandler up
on having reached the golden milestone,
but it is safe to call 1t many hundred.
All of the children were present. They
ar Mrs. Henry S Trickey. Mrs. G. K.
Halves. Mrs f. r. Harrington. Mrs.. Leafy
Waters of Chelsea. Mass, Albert L. Chand-
Ter of Wrstbrook, and William e Chand-
Ter of this city. Mr. Chander's sisters,
HAt o. 1snOGtef VI LuW6llx
Mass, and Mrs. Laura Wilson of Haver.
hill. Mrs. Chandler's nieces, Mrs. Charles
Task Of Lynn, Mass. and Mrs. Edward
Parrot of Great Falls, N. H., were also
pre- ent. A list of the Portland people, not
Included in relationship, who were pres
ent would be too long for publication.
The presents received during the day
were numerous and valuable. Among the
gifts were a gold cream pitcher from the
Bangor Band. accompan led bv letter re-
GREETING that the donors could not all come
to deliver it ia person. Another gift much
priz-d by Mr.. Chandler was from r. t.
Bailey of Bridgton, veteran of the Tenth
Maine, of which regiment Mr.. Chandler
was bandmaster. When the soldiers were
paid off for the last time Mr.. Bailey re-
ceiYed five gold dollars which he has kept
ever stree. He sends one of them to MIR.
Chandler as token of esteem and friend
ship.
In the evening an elegant gold headed
cane WAS received from Portland CON-
mandery. K. T. The band came In early
In the evening and filed by Mr.. Chandler,
each one taking him by the hand as he
passed and congratulating him upon the
occasion. When Harry Webb went by he
handed Mr.. Chandler a bandanna hand
kerchief which, when unroiled, was found
to contain ten Eve dollar gold pisces. Mr..
Chandler was much affected by this gift
from his old associates.
Goss's quartette furnished music during
the evening, and Mr.. George A. Thomas
held forth in his usually entertaining mar
ner.
The young ladies who presided In the
coffee room were Misses Belle Farnsworth,
Abby Morse, Edith Trickey and Alice
harrington.
Mr. Chandler was born in Merrimac, N.
81 , 50 years ago. At the mature age of 10
he made his debut as musician, his in
strument then being fife. He organized
band while still youth. being its leader
and manager when he was II years old.
He went from Merrimac to Nashua. thence
to Lowell, Mass. thence to Boston. coming
TO Portland In 1843. He was invited here
to manage the band, which he has made
famous all over the Northern states. The
band had been in existence but shiftlass
management was running 1t. The men
who were behind the enterprise were of
the opinion that there was money in the
business If 1t was properly handled, aud
accordingly secured Mr. Chandler's SER
vices. OF the band of lS43 he is the only
one left in the city. Mr.. Walter Thomas
and Mr. P. J. Wiley joined in 1845. but
Mr.. Chandler antedates them by two
years. The Portland Band. as it was first
called, was the band of this section for
many years, taking part In all of the cole
brations occurring here and many in other
parts of the state up to the breaking out of
the war.
The First Maine Infantry chose the
Portland Band as the regimental band
when it was mustered In. When the First
Regiment was merged into the Tenth, Mr.
Cnandler's musicians were continued, as
they also were in the Twenty-ninth. with
the exception of a short time, when by or
der Of the War Department, there were no
bands allow
R-turning from the war the band took
up its place again. which 1t has held ever
since. The longest trip the band ever
took was in 1881, when, with the Portland
Commandery it went to Montreal. through
New York state. and returned through
New Hampshire. Mr.. Chandler himself,
and generally his band, has played in near
ly every city in the district bounded by
Washington, Montreal, Detroit, Mich, and
st. John, N. B.
Beside his band work Mr.. Chandler has
had generations of dancers under his eye
and musical direction. The first dance he
ever played for In this city was at A. w.
81. Clapp's house on cumberland street,
near Elm, in 1S43, when he was furnishing
music for Brockway, an old time dancing
master. MIR. Chandler did not take up the |
violin until after he came here, and then |
he picked up his art without any teacher. !
He was one of the few men at that time |
who could ''call off" while he was playing, |
something that many musicians have hard |
work to learn. He was consequently in |
great demand. Mr.. Chandler's fest ven
ture as music master for dancers was In |
1874. when he started In with course of