Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03
THE CHEERYBLE BROTHERS.
Editors Gales and Seaton Said to Have
Been the Originals.

Written FOR The Star
When Dickens was Boz. the pen name he
adopted from his youngest brother Angus
tus Moses, a child, who thus pronounced
his own name, in the years 1888 and 1888,
he spent some days In this city, and again
paid longer visit In 1870, where he gave
readings from his works In Carroll Hall.
on G street northwest, near 10th. Some
time before the latter date he had resumed
his proper name. had become world-famous.
not to say immortal. and boldly came out
in his true colors as the prose Shakespeare
of the world which he had by common con-
sent been proclaimed. l saw him on both
occasions, and at an intermediary date,
1s4S. in Liverpool, England. in play en-
acted by famous authors-Mark Lemon,
Bulwer Lytton and Douglass Jerrold. The
play written especially for the occa-
sion by Bulwer, for the benefit of impecuni-
Gus authors and of course, great
success. 1t was called Not as Bad as We
Seem" l recollect an English criticism or
it at the time which was rather unfriendly.
1t closed thus: " Not Bad as We Seem
is not so good expected" Charles
Dickens, who. 1t might be said was born
In the green room, mainly saved the play
He was a born actor.
When l first saw Charles Dickens, in -
or 80 he was tall, slim, alert and un-
commonly genial Englishman; apparently
not over two or three and twenty-a perfect
Brummel according to my ideas at the time:
a veritable jack-a-dandy, but not ridicu-
lousy so. His surface rather too much
cropped out in show of gold But it was
cubdued. Yes, it subdued.
/ was introduced to Boz in the front bust
ness Office of the National Inteligencer by
Joseph Gales, the senior editor. Col. VIM.
Winston Seaton associate editor, and Maj.
Thomas DonOho, head clerk and managing
editor OF the paper for over fifty years,
were present. Then and there, l am con-
,rg,,n
the Cheeryble brothers-Brother Ned and
Brother Charles and their faithful old
clerk, Tim Linknwater, who refused TO re-
tire as superannuated, who declined a pen
on serving them until he died. or all OF
them died, even without any compensation,
II so 1t should be decreed.
The conception in the brain Of Dickens
was doubtless then and there. The develop
ment took awhile longer. When the crea-
ton appeared In print thousands who knew
OF the circumstances. with one acclaim,
hailed the verisfmilitude of the portraits to
the originals-Gales and Seaton and their
beloved old clerk and major domo the ma
Jor The only departure from true por-
trafture was where he depicted Tim Likin-
water as large and wearing spectacles
Whereas the major was small and slight
and had the eagle eye and eyesight OF his
friend, President Andrew Jackson, who had
commissioned him major on his personal
staff. Hence the title.
1t has been claimed that the Brothers
Cheeryble lived In the city of London; that
they were well-known warehousemen That
is not SO. Dickens completed his sketch IN
O few months, called at the Intelligncer
Office. assembled his characteristics sitters-
begged their pardon. made confession, read
his paper to Brother Ned and Brother
Charles and dear old Tim; got permission to
print, and soon after the whole world knew
and loved the Cheeryble brothers and OLD
Tim Underwater Major Donono frequently
told his family all these incidents and spoke
OF them to his friends
The following article from the Pail Mall
Gazette on this subject is of interest. al
| though In contradiction of the assertions
| In the above article. Dickens lovers
| throughout the world will be interested to
| hear that the warehouse in Manchester of
| the Grant Brothers--the originals of the
| Brothers CHEEKY ble'-is to be altered in a
way that will abolish some of It's interior
| historic features. Curiously enough It is
| just fifty years since Daniel, the younger
| Cheeryble, passed away 1t has been sup
| posed that In drawing these characters
| Dickens relied entirely on report, but in
| fact. he had made the acquaintance OF the
/ brothers Grant at Manchester twelve
/ months before Nicholas Nickleby" was
| and the friendship was maintained for
| many years. Many of the Cheeryble at
| tributes were drawn from real life notably
| the apoplectic butler at the Underwater
| dinner, who anticipated his masters wish
| for fresh bottle of wine by holding IL be-
| hind his back, with the corkscrew already
inserted.