Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-10-07
SHE MADE ONE MISSTEP.
Sad End of Once Talented Chicago
Singer.

Mrs Cassie Mattison, or as she often
styled herself, Mrs. Arthur r. Curtis,
died at the northern hospital for the
insane near Oshkosh, July 16, 1897.
People die at the northern hospital
frequently, but unless they are well
known the notices of their deaths sell
dom get into the local papers. Mrs.
Madison had been an inmate of the
hospital some time, having come there
from Chicago. When she died there
were no friends to claim the remains
and they were inferred with the host
of unfortunate friendless dead in the
hospital cemetery. 1t is to be pre-
sumed that the death was not thought
worthy of notice as no notice of it can
be found in the files of the North
western. 1t now transpires that this
friendless woman, who now lies in
the hospital cemetery, was once a not
ed singer in Chicago, and charmed
vast audiences with her voice. She
rose to fame N her calling, and had
friends by the thousands, until she
fell-that ended all. And when she
died, alone in an hospital for the in
sane, there were none of her one time
friends present, to cheer her dying
moments, or to mourn over her re
mains. The story of her life as given
below reads like a romance, pointing
out the moral that one rash act, one
misstep may blight the brightest ca
rCer.
She was born in Bennington, VT,
in 1885. When an infant her parents
removed to the west and settled in Au-
rora Illinois, and there she grew up
and received such education as could
be afforded her. Music was not taught
her by master and on system, but
she sang with astonishing effect when
she was not more than ten years old
She was natural singer, like any song
bird in the groves of Kane county. 1t
was not long before she was taken into
the choir of one of the Aurora
churches, when her voice drew more
people than did the minister's to the
Sunday services. She was in urgent
request on all public or social occa-
sions of which music was feature.
The Aurora people regarded her with
pride and improved every opportunity
to extend her reputation. Soon she
was known and admired throughout
Kane county. There were those in
Chicgao who had heard her singing
and pronounced it wonderful. Scien-
tIfic musicians here, such as Hans
Balatka and others, hearing her could
rot believe that her voice had not been
thoroughly trained in accordance with
the best methods. She was the social
favorite in Aurora and no sociable or
party VS. complete without her.
One of the conductors on the Chica-
go, Burlington & Quincy railroad,
Robert Mattison by name, lived at Au-
rora and was regarded in those days
as eligible to mate with any fine young
woman. In short time the gifted
young singer became Mrs. Mattison. |
After her marriage she was a good !
zeal in Chicago, and occasionally took |
the place for the day of some absentee |
in church choirs. Her first engagement |
here was in 1878 as one of the quar-
tette in Trinity Episcopal church, then |
located in Madison street. The other |
woman in this choir was Mrs. Emma |
Eostwick, who afterward sang in ST.
James church, and died two years
ago in the east. The male voices were
those of Frank and Jules Hubbard.
This combination of talent was main
+aiDpd fill 1874 when Mrs Madison
went over to the Second Presbyterian
church choir, which then was COM
posed of Mrs. Cassie Madison, contral-
to; Miss Fannie A. Root, soprano; A.
r. Sabin (now assistant superinten-