Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-13
ALL WERE SWEET SINGERS
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE
FAMOUS HUTCHINSON FAMILY.
Famous Years Ago on Two Continent.
Their Two Noble Objects
Only One Survivor.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Hundreds OF persons in Washington
whose recollections can carry them back
| to the sixties will recall with pleasure a
visit then made to the national capital
| by famous company of singers known as
| the Hutchinson family. There resides to-
| day in this city, q granddaughter of one OF
| the Messrs. Hutchinson. from whom the
facts related In this article were obtained,
| but whose name is suppressed at her re-
quest
Public interest has recently been revived
| in these singers, whose sweet voices. at
| tuned to simple melodies. entranced tens
| Of thousands all over the country by an
| attempt made by some OF his relatives TO
place of John w Hutchinson. the only sur
viyor of the original family" I'm an insane
| asylum and gain possession of his property.
| The attempt failed, for the judge before
| whom the case was tried decided that the
| veteran, although he had passed the al
| lotted years of man, is still mentally capa-
| BILE OF caring for his estate.
The family was in many respects re-
| markabe one. There We're sixteen brothers
and sisters all gifted far above the aver
| age with musical voices
| 1t remained for three of the brothers.
John, Judson and Asa, with their sister
! Abby to blend their voices in perfect har-
| mony. They came from their home in New
Hampshire, and began their concert work
in small way, but 1t was not long before
they attracted attention by their wonderful
singing and the fact that there was pur-
pose in 1t. a purpose adhered to through
the fires Of criticism and abuse and in
which they never faltered. The emancipa-
| ton of the slave and the prohibition Of the
| liquor traffic became their watchwords.
The brothers held very progressive ideas.
and did not hesitate to give them voice.
They had the courage of their convictions
and never hestitated to sacrifice personal
comfort where principle was involved.
| 1t has been said Of John that he would eat
o tin plate and give 500 to help rum
away slave and forget both transactions
Immediately.
An Independent Lot.
The Hutchfnsons never seemed to do any
thing just because other people did, and
they had their own way of accomplishing
their objects. At one time their common
treasury was an earthen pot in the cellar.
to which each helped himself their
| wants demanded In later years they sep
arated into tribes-the tribe of john
tribe of Asa" &c. Asa and John re-
| sembled each other very closely. As
friend remarked: They went to bed John
and got up Asa
Many times during the early public life
of the brothers, when discouraged and
ready to give up. they were cheered and
sustained by Johns courage and readiness
to make the most and best of everything,
and now when he is old and family be-
| reavements have left him lonely and family
trouble has laid a heavy hand upon him.
he still has the same sustaining strength
and courage as when forty years ago ne
faced a bowling mob and sang them into
peace.
Some years preceding the civil war the
Hutchinsons visited England and sang 10
large houses and before many of the celeb
rites of that country. Harriet Martineau.
John Bright Charles Dickens and many
others equally well known to the world at
their praises their
musical gifts.
When the brothers first started on their
campaigns Of song they entered into
compact to abstain from the use of tobacco
and alcohol and demoralizing associations.
The compact was never broken. John
Hutchinson's voice Is still sweet and tune
full, and when he Is warmed to his subject
1t rings out with wonderful power. He has
given in his long musical career more than
1000 concerts and though eighty years
of age on his next birthday, he is still nope
| full Of doing more public work. He is
very forcible speaker with an Irresistible
| fund of humor, and his powers Of mimicry
have assisted greatly in pleasing and inn
pressing an audience. He was always or
a peaceful nature in matters relating to
himself. though quick to resent and battle
against a wrong to others.
The town of Hutchinson. Mimi, which
was founded in the fffties by the brothers,
Is a fourishing community and Is steadily
growing. 1t was here that the Tribe OF
Asa" settled. and when he died. few
years ago, he was mourned by every res
ident. John Hutchinson still has real es-
tate interests there. and thinks no more OF
a run over to Minnesota from his New
Hampshire home than ordinary man OF
his age would Of a trip from Washington
to Philadelphia or New York. There is
scarcely town Of any size in the country
in which he has not sung, and in many Of
them more than once and he Is now con-
templating another trip to Europe.
Story of a Famous Song.
"Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp
Ground" was first sung by the Hutchinsons.
It's author was drafted into the army in
1863. The night following this he went to
bed full of conflicting emotions. Patriotism.
grief at leaving the loved ones at home and
dread Of war struggled for the mastery.
Lying awake in the long, still hours, his
thoughts took form, and. rising from his
bed, he wrote ''Tenting Tonight" He COM
posed both words and air. copying them
both, and the same day went to Asa's
home who called John in to sing the solo.
Asa sang the bass, and the Hutchinson
children Joined in the chorus. Thus
this touching song given life.
One of Mr.. Hutchinson's favorite songs,
THE FatherhoOd oil God and the Brother
hood of Man." was composed by him under
very peculiar circumstances. Going to
Hutchinson. which at this time was a very
primitive town, John wished to find place
where he could have seclusion and quiet
for time, as his hand and heart were full
of theme which he wished to put into
words and music. Hotels were few and too
public, and there were no desirable board
ing houses. After a fruitess search, John
was walking down the main street when
he came across his old log cabin the first
house built in the town. He found the
lower part occupied by a blacksmith. Be
ing told that nothing but cinders occupied
the upper story. he started to go up, found
the stairway gone got a ladder and climb
ed in through unglazed window. He
spread the floor with new hay, filled tick
with clean straw. and went to bed with a
heart filled to OyerfOWinR with gratitude
for the much-coveted opportunity of being
alone and at peace.
A Beard on the Subject.