Evening star., 1924-05-03
GEORGE SPlER DIES
AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Prominent Jeweler Succumbs at
Seventy After Automobile
Accident.
GREAT CIVIC WORKER
Famous Matchmaker High in
Smithsonian Affairs.
CIVIC WORKER


1ngton, and the founder and first
president of the Neurological Insti-
tutc of America, died at the Wash
inSton Sanitarium, Takoma Park, Md,
yesterday morning, after an illness of
nearly two years, following a serious
automobile accident. Funeral serN ices
VIII be held at Lees chapel. So Penn
Sylvania avenue, Monday afternoon at
o'clock. Ernest Geichner, lifelong
friend, will officiate.
Mr.. Spier is survived by his son,
La Sale Spier, the well known plan
lst OF this city; his daughter. Mrs.
Vera Spier Kuhn, wife of Walt Kuhn,
erick X. Spier, now residing in De-
tFoit, and other brothers and a sister
residing in Germany.
Mr.. Spier was born March %, 1854.
IN Bueckeburg near Hanover. in
north Germany. His father was Cantor
Johann Heinrich Spier. u singer of ma
tional reputation, and Superintendent
OF the public schools. Mr.. Spier had
been prepared for an academic ca
rcer. but the death OF his father dur
ing a typhus epidemic made it nee
esSary for young Spier to earn his
living and he was accordingly ap-
prenticed TO a master mechanic and
CIronometer maker. AS soon as he
mad received his certificate as an ex-
pert Matchmaker he set sail for
America, arriving June s, 1872. and
Two days later began life at his trade
IN New o1rk. Meanwhile, living ip
Iioboken near Stevens Institute Of
Technology. he studied for year un-
der one of its professors
Came Here In 1879.
Early in April of 1873 and shortly
after President Grants second in
auguration; he arrived in Washing
Ton Tor II had been the dream of his
young life TO see the great white
dome of the Capitol. He has been a
resident of this city ever since
For eighteen years he served at his
trade with prominent local jewellers,
and July Is. 1890 he opened his own
jewelry store at $40 9Th street, where
he remained until his retirement from
business October Z, 1922. after fifty
- years of active business life, dur
"S winch he acquired d fortune
-" married a Washington girl, Miss
Olga Marie Hesselbach, who was at
tho time associated with Alexander
Graham Bell in welfare work He
counted among his friends many of
Washington's eminent men of sci
ence and research work. And while
never neglecting his business at any
time. he was keenly alive to his
adopted citys welfare. He early be-
came a member in the Board of Trade,
WAS a charter member of the Cham
her of Commerce and the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association and
was for two years president of the
jewelers. Society of the District of
Columbia.
lie was one OF the rorfgi inators- Of
the early closing movement. when the
stores used to be kept open until .
O'Clock every night except Saturday,
when they closed at II o'clock. This
was in 1885 and marked a new era in
the successful commercial life of the
National Capital.
Scientific Work.
February Is, 1920. MIR. Spier was
appointed on the staff of the Smith
sonIdn Institution as custodian of
watches, and as such made d report
to Carl w. Mitman. curator of me
chanical technology of the United
States National Museum, on the inn
portanCe of the science of more ac-
curate and better time keeping.
Among his recommendations was the
establishment of a national horologi-
cal society under the guidance of the
Smithsonian Institution to promote
the science of time keeping, to unite
all persons interested into one ma
tional organization, to establish horo-
logical schools to confer degrees of
efficiency in practical and theoretical
knowledge of time keeping and to es-
tabIish headquarters at the National
Capital.
He also recommended the erection
of a structure in Washington to be
known as the time building" in
which should be shown the develop
Iuent of the art and science of time
keeping from the earliest period and
for the collection and housing of OBJ
jectS illustrating the history of time
Keeping and to impress upon the pub
lie mind the Importance and value of
correct time keeping in the economic
life of the country.
Shortly afterward the powerful aid
of the National Research Council was
secured and under it's auspices the
Theological Institute of America was
established October 20, 1921.
Heads Theological Institute.
This achievement was regarded as
So wonderful among scientists and
others engaged in the manufacture
and perfection of time-keeping in
struments, that Mr.. Spier was honored
with election as the first president of
the institute, position which later
he was compelled voluntarily to re-
linquish because of it's demand upon
his time.
severely injured in an automobile ac-
cidcnt and upon the advice of his
physicians went to the sanitarium at
Takoma Park for long rest cure.
He remained there until his death.
To MIR. Spier belongs the honor, it
Is claimed, of supplying the only
watch ever awarded by Congress, the
usual custom being to award a medal
or some other form of testimonial.
Mr.. Spier was regarded as
scholarly man and a poet by his
closer friends. and he was devoted to
the cause of higher and better music.
His unostentations benevolence. his
pride in his adopted city and his keen
interest and activity in every move
ynent for the welfare of people of his
nationality were marked character
istics. He had a wide circle of friends
and acquaintanceS not only in Wash
ington but throughout the entire
country. Among his intimates he was
held in high and affectionate esteem.