The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-19
: JOHNNY" GEHAN AND
HIS WORK IN ST. PAUL
JOHN ANDERSON WRITES OF A
CLERKS GENIUS.
Knew Gehan Personally-Had Great
Ability in Directing Church Music
A Modest Layman Who Accom-
plished Great Work In a Quiet
Way, Always Doing His Duty.
TO the Editor Of The journal.

years, and of disease particularly
painful and distressful, because hope
less, cancer Of the mouth Of throat, q
disease which served to give promi-
hence to the grim fertitud de Of Of general Ger
Grfnf ta in ths a 5ttsF a:Esh hs ashan
we always called him. I have often
pondered on the duty Of man to his
church. mean the average man, the
man Of two talents, the layman Of hum
BILE station, the man Of large family,
sound body, keen intellect, but little
goods. What ia required Of him in
Gods plan Of human redemption7 If
he is not the stone. to become the head
of the corner, W here can the great
Gehan is dead, and I recall him as I
knew him, it has occurred to me that,
all in all, he was a model layman.
The simple obituary which the Pho
neer Press printed told how it had
always been Gehan's ambition to lead
tho cathedral choir. AS boy he was
choir boy at the cathedral. There
sessed a voice sweet as a childish treble,
and as he grew older 1t developed into
full, round barytone. He gave 1t
such cultivation as his means and op
portunities permitted, and he availed
himself Of every chance to hear good
singing. Finally he became a choir
singer, but not in the cathedral. First
:; CENTS, st. Joseph's, st. Luke's and,
finally, with the fulness Of his powers,
and with his ear trained to catch the
beauties Of the sacred classics which
for centuries have been the glory Of
the Roman church, he. Joined the cathe-
dral choir, and later became it's leader.
Had Gift Of Song.
The Catholic church is not given to
does It often hire professional singers
80 Praise the Lord with singing,' says
the psalmist, and the Catholics gen
orally do it themselves rather than let
out the job. Gehan was not profess
sional singer. He was willing, con-
scientious layman, with a gift of song
that he was proud to give to his
:; church. Perhaps as leader Of the cathe-
dral choir he was paid; I do not know
was not. I only know that he was
proud to sing in the cathedral choir,
and he did not drift from one church
quartet to another, his talents peri
3cdically on the auction block ready for
the highest bidder.
subordinate position in the office Of the
city engineer of St. Paul, and it was
there he earned his daily bread He
was clerk to the various street COM
missioners, and kept the time and made
out the pay rolls for the small army
Of Irish, German and Scandinavian
laborers who worked for the city. ITe
1 knew them all thru years Of service,
get by "Johnny' Gehan with a dupli-
1 cate time check or one to which he was
not entitled. I imagine that it will
7 be hard to find another man in st. Paul
5 who can take his place in the city
engineers office.
Worth Of His Work.
n. It is q far cry. from the daily SQUAD
to the leadership Of the cathedral choir.
It Is the difference between mingling
S with the cheapest and most simple
minded men who earn their bread in
{ the sweat of their brows, often spend
! ing their wage for that which satisfeth
not, and communing with earth 3 great
est minds whose soul throbs and yearn-
j pressed in notes almost divine. But
perhaps Gehan will got as much credit
g: in the hereafter for giving the laborers
4 their hire and keeping their accounts
straight thru the week as he will for
4 directing their sordid minds and cal
loused hearts toward the infinite on
Sunday. singing tho prayers of the ages
in the choir i, r., loft while they humbly
! Gehan g ambition to lead the cathe-
ydral choir was most worthy one.
dictatorship Of any sort Is not a job
Afor sluggard or an ignoramus, and
nthe man who would direct the choir of
:ba Catholic cathedral must attain the
gaonor by careful preparation. Protest.
&nts have little appreciation Of the ex-
'6aetitudes Of Catholic music. The sue
ut, and it was with considerable curios-
7ity therefore, that once accepted &C.
hans hospitality in the choir loft of
/ the cathedral on an occasion the like
/ or which is seldom witnessed.
Day of Great Ceremony. -
IA It was the day of the conservation Of
two bishops, Rt. Rev. J. N. Stariha and
Rt. Rev. J. J. Keane, bishops of Lead
important day in the Catholic history
Of the northwest. Archbishops, bishops,
4 priests and other dignitaries from far
! and near were present. Seminarians,
! Christian Brothers, chaplains and teach
ers swelled . the procession to about
\ four hundred. The cathedral, bare
and plain to ugliness ordinarily, was
s OCSo1oCCu Will IO"CIo anu uuuuIcuS VI
! lights. Every seat was occupied and
in front of the church disappointed
& hundreds crowded the pavement.
Gehan was in the choir loft, and he
graciously made room for me among
ethe orchestra. "Take that chair before
somebody else gets it, he said. The
sorganist from another church was at
8sssthc instrument, singers from sneighbor-
ing churches augmented the choir, and
DAM orchestra enriched it all. Books
had been thumbed thru and the places
marked for easy turning, and then ev.
sery body waited. Soon the watshful eye
gof Gehan saw the head of the pro.
cession enter the door, and Immediately
his baton raped the choir toattention,
land with motion. of his hand, organ
orchestra and voices filled the great
room with the melody Of the triumpha]
] march. Thrice the march was repeated
sa long was the procession.
SO Not Discord
bI And then began one Of the great cere
monies of church rich in the SPLENDID,
lsiof It's ritual. It lasted for hours. Gou
mods Messe Solennelle,o st. Ce
n =