Evening star., 1925-09-20

age he was an accomplished organ
ist. He show ed at once his mastery
of the largest and finest instrument in-
this part Of the country, then recently
installed In the church edifice. From
that time until his death in 1909 he
gave an uninterrupted service of
matchleSs character.
Upon coming TO the city. he began
teaching organ. piano and voice. and
his studio was crowded with pupils all
his life. Perhaps his greatest work
was in teaching voice. for il became
known in time that pupils trained by
him had no defects To he overcome in
taking later training under the finest
foreign masters. He developed a large
number of pupils into singers Of great
usefulness in church and concert work
not only in Washington hut else
where. In this way his teaching had
a great effect in establishing new mu-
steal standards Of the very highest
character al a time when Washing
ton had no powerful leadership. other
than mis- own. TO bring out and unity
the musical ability of the community.
AS a choir director he was uneXcelled.
He never suffered inferior music to
find its way into the services of the
church.
perhaps in nothing did the genius
in the peculiar character of his work
in accompaniment In this he was
never rivaled. He never played the
organ or piano in such an exercise as
if his instrumental part were the
chief feature of the song which was
being sung. He never tried TO force
the. singer by his accompaniment into
some Interpretation of a song which
was strange to the singers mind.
/ EXHIE can readily understand that
/ DIR. Bischoff was proud of his
ability 10 enter into the work of the
world in his chosen profession
! and TO make his way successfully un-
der the handicap Of total blindness.
| He took a deep and sympathetic in
/ terest in the rise of modern efforts to
train the blind TO forms of occupation
which would afford self-support.
| DR.. Bischoff resented any tendency
to treat him as an imperfect man
/ physically. He wished to be spoken
to as all other men are spoken to,
| Occasionally some person, lacking in
! tact. would say: Doctor, has some
| body read you this item in the paper"
Such a definite reference TO his in
| trinity always panied him to the
| depths of his soul. He refused to be
pitied and any evidence of that feel
/ ing in others cut him to the quick.
! 1t was very seldom that any reference
to his infirmity fell from his own lips.
But occasionally he spoke of 1t lndi-
rectly among friends in a very effec--
tive way.
"Once. in A mans Bible class, 1t
was noticed that he could more
| quickly and accurately quote the Old
| Testament than any other member or
! the class. Finally one of the mem
| bers said: Doctor. how is it that you
know the Bible so well?' This was
! a question which might be put to
any we'll trained Bible student. Well
said the doctor, YOU would know it
as we'll as I if you had read 1t
through repeatedly by the tips of your
! fingers
He was we'll trained man in gen
eral literature and in public affairs.
! Indeed. he could hold his own among
men everywhere in discussing and
commenting upon anything which
came up in general conversation.
He was a companionable man. He
loved his friends and wanted them
around him. Many of the inner cir
| Gle became devotedly attached to him
and many others in n wider circle
were always glad to be in his COM
pany. He was always cheerful.
! Toward the end of his life attacks
of cold affected his hearing tempo
raril% and he suffered from depression
at times for fear that his hearing
would be permanently impaired. But
he never suffered such things to over
come him and throw him off his bal
ance as a man. He had a distinctly
victorious and conquering spirit. His
friends all knew him as a genuine
man and loved him for his manly
| u1alitieS "