New-York tribune., 1900-05-03
AN INVALID'S LIFE WORK.
CHARLES A. CHEEVER DEAD PARA
LYZED FROM INFANCY. HE GAINED
FAME AS AN INVENTOR.

| A New Yorker died yesterday who all his life
| accomplished results under a handicap that
seemed actually prohibitve and overwhelming.
| Paralyzed from his waist down. his physical de-
| velopment stunted at early age weighing not
| more than seventy pounds at manhood. unable
4 to set his feet on the ground. obliged to be borne
| about in the of attendant everywhere
! he wanted to go. Charles A. Cheever's indomta-
| BILE spirit carried his frail and shrivelled body
| far toward the front in the race with his fellow
| men for success, for wealth and for distinction.
! Invention his hobby, but. unlike most in
ventors, he had business ability enough to grasp
| the commercial rewards which the world owed
| to the creations of his fertile BRAIN and though
| II reported that one time he did lose con-
siderable money he left it is said, comfortable
| estate
Mr. Cheever died at the home of his father
and mother. John H. and Fannie d. Cheever, at
Wave Crest, Far Roclzaway, yesterday morning.
He in his forty-eighth year. Death came
uneX pectedly. He attacked by the grip
about week ago While his illness was severe,
it was not the cause of his death. He died from
heart trouble. Mr.. Cheever was an interesting
man and his life was unique in many respects
Possessed of active brain, determination
energy. pluck. and faculty for organization, he
utilized every power to the utmost. He was
particularly interested in the development of
devoted to the exploitation of electrical inven-
tions He was the originator of many electrical
appliances which he patented. Many of them,
while not fundamental in their character, so i'm
proved the invention of others that they were
generally adopted.
He obtained patents electric rock drills,
electrical appliances for elevators, telephone ap-
pliances and electric fire engines. The larger
part of his patents for improvements to
ela I is said hat cd
tions numbered more than one hundred.
INTRODUCED THE TELEPHONE
Mr.. Cheever was born in Boston on September
I, 1852. When four five years old his par
ents moved to New-York. One of his first vent
ures connected with the Introduction of the
telephone in New-York. He became acquainted
with Alexander Graham Bell the inventor of
the telephone. when the instrument was consid-
cred nothing but very remarkable scientific
toy Becoming interested In the invention he
undertook to get it into actual use. After much
effort he succeeded. He organized the various
sub-telephone companies in NewYork State. and
erected and owned the first telephone line in
New-York City. 1t ran from his rooms, at No. !
50 Fffth-ave to the house of E. n. Dickerson. in !
Thirty -fourth-st. He afterward for the purpose !
of demonstrating the commercial value of the |
telephone, connected his Office in The Tribune |
Building with the American Institute Fair over |
this wire could be heard the playing of the !
band at the fair.
He interested with Thomas A. Edison in |
Edison's first phonograph. and later in his !
graphophone, and was identified with the forma- |
ton of the North American PhonCgraph Com !
pany. and organized sub-companies in different |
parts of the country to introduce the graphic !
phone. He organized and for several years was ,
president of the Okonite Company, Limited, |
manufacturers of insulated wire and submarine /
cables He was also identified with a company !
q
telegraph messages from moving trains, and !
conducted experiments on trains of the New
York, NewHaven and Hartford Railroad. |
These experiments. while. in a measure sue |
cessful, did not prove commercially valuable.
ACTIVE IN OTHER LINES
Besides his ventures in the field of electricity |
Mr., Cheever interested himself In the develop !
ment of real estate with success He conceived |
the idea of laying out of the first seaside |
home parks, and planned Wave Crest and later |
Cedarhurst, at Far Rockaway.
Mr.. Cheever a great lover of Yachting |
He was member of the New-York and Sea- |
wanhaka Corinthian yacht clubs, being one of |
the early promoters of the latter. He was !
greatly interested In the racing of small yachts
and owned first the sloop yacht Truant and |
afterward the schooner yacht Crusader He !
spent one season in Europe on the schoolship |
St Marys. making the trip to and from this !
country on board that vessel.
MI Cheever also musical in his tastes
ana was regular attendant of the opera
lie was for many years prominent figure .
at DelmonicO's, in Twenty -sixth-st. He made
1t practice TO dine there daily for many wears
and there his friends would ga ther to meet him :
his coming and going always attracted atten-
ton, as did all of his movements because of
the manner in which he carried from place |
to place.
MT CheeVer was not actively engaged in bllsi-
ness at the time of his death, having retired |
TWO or three years ago. He never married He |
leaves besides his father and mother two
brothers. j. D. Cheever of No II East 1,bir
teth-st, and II. d. Cheever now travelling in
europe, and two sisters, Mrs John E Cowdin
OF NO Is Gramercy Place, and Miss Cheever
or wave Crest, Far RoCkaway The funeral
will be private. "