Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-12-02
WM. STEINWAY is DEAD.
The Famous Piano Manufacturer
Passes Away at His Home
in New York.

New York, Nov. 30.-William Stein
way, the piano manufacturer, died today
at his residence in this city. Death was
due to typhoid fever.
Mr.. Steinway, who has not been in
good health for year past, was taken i'll
with typoid fever about four weeks
ago. He was thought to be progressing
toward recovery until Sunday morning,
when he suffered a relapse. HIS phy-
sician was instantly summoned and re-
manned with him until the end came, at Il
little after 3 o'clock this morning.
The funeral will take place on Wednes-
day at 10 a. M. There will be private
services for friends and relatives and at
1 o'clock the public funeral services Will
be conducted at the Liederkranz club
The many societies of which Mr.. Stem
way was a member will parade. The
body will be inferred in the family vault
at Greenwood.
Born in Germany.
William Steinway was born ia Seeben,
near the city of Brunswick, Germany,
March 5. 1886. His father, Henry En-
glehard .Steinway. was piano manufac-
turer of that town. Mr.. SteinWay was
educated in the schools of his native
town, learning English, French and mu-
sic. At IA he was an expert musician.
In 1849 Mr.. Steinway's father sent his
son Charles to this country to ascertain
the possible field for piano business
here. The report was favorable and in
June, 1850 the elder Steinway moved his
family and business to New York city.
The business at first was limited to the
manufacture Of one piano a week. Nine
years later the Steinways built their
present factory on Fourth avenue from
Fifty-second to Fifty-third streets. In
1872 additional factories were eStab-
lished at Astoria, l.. |. In March, 1860,
Charles and Henry, Jr., died, and Theo-
dore, giving up the business in Germany,
came to New York and assumed share
of the business. Mr.. Steinway became
the head of the firm in 1889. In 1867,
after the close of the Paris exposition,
elected a member of the Royal Prussian
Academy of Fine Arts at Berlin, Ger
many. In the same year the grand gold
medal was bestowed upon him by King
Charles of Sweden.
Member of the Royal Academy.
He was also elected a member of the
Royal Academy of Arts of Stockholm
On June s, 1892, Emperor William H.
of Germany bestowed upon him the
Order of the Eagle, third class, the high
est distinction ever conferred by that
country on manufacturer. On April
10, 1894. William Steinway was elected
honorary member of the Royal Italian
Academy Of st. Cecilia of Rome, The
oldest and most renowned academy of
the Old World.
Mr.. SteinWay was always active in
public affairs. In 1871 he was an active
member of the committee of seventy aD-
pointed by the citizens of New York to
prosecute the Tweed ring. In 1888 he
was the member of the national Demo
cratic convention which nominated Mr.
Cleveland for the second time Mr.
Steinway was one of the committee ap-
pointed to secure the Worlds Column
bian fair for New York city. At a meet
ing at the city hall he opened the sub
scription list with $4,000. When Con-
gress finally decided that the fair should
be held in Chicago his patriotism and
liberality were exhibited by subscrip-
lion of 5000.
Active in Politics.
In the presidential election of 1892,
Mr.. SteinWay was one of the Democratic
electors-at-large for the electoral college
at its meeting in Albany. Mr.. Steinway
was a member OF the original rapid tram
sit commission and was reappointed
when the old commission was abolished
and the new one named. His compen-
sation of $6250 as member of the old
commission was distributed by him
among fifteen charitable institutions in
New York city.
Mr.. Steinway was liberal in all his
business and personal relations and in
every way earned the love of the people
with whom he came in contact.