Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

married John W. Allen, son of Henry, W. and Cordelia Allen, of New Britain, Conn., and they have had four children — Eva M. (deceased), Josephine F. , William H. and Emma Russell. (4) Charles died in childhood. (5) Elbert E. was born August 13, 1868, in Greenfield, Mass., and was educated in New Britain, Conn., gradu- ating from the high school in 1884. He gained a practical knowledge of the drug business by clerking in stores in Bridgeport and in Newark, N. J., and afterward took a course in the College of Pharmacy in New York City, where he was graduated in 1889. On returning home he im- mediately entered into partnership with his father, and he has made an excellent reputation as a business man. In 1891 he married Miss Ella A. Arthur, daughter of Joseph and Eliza- beth (Clark) Arthur, and they have one son, Henry A. QUSTAVE SCHLEICHER, the founder of the house of Schleicher & Sons, manufact- urers of high-grade upright and grand pianos at Stamford, Conn., has been living retired for the past several years, leaving the business in the hands of his four sons, who have proved worthy successors of their worthy father. Mr. Schleicher is a native of Germany, born in 1827, and came to the United States in 1852, settling in New York City. Under the instruction of his father, who was a manufacturer in Ger- many, he had acquired a knowledge of the art of piano making and cabinet work in all its depart- ments, and, in addition to being a finished me- chanic, he had always given proof of his unusual ability as an inventor in his line. He found ample scope for his genius on this side of the water, but he did not commence manufacturing on his own account until 1866, when the house now so well known all over the United States was established in New York. From the start the business proved a success, and, devoting themselves strictly to the manufacture of high- grade instruments, the Schleichers soon gained a reputation second to none in their line. , The four sons, all of whom were born in Mt. Vernon, N. Y., were in turn thoroughly inducted into the mysteries of the business in every branch, and, having the benefit of their father's years of ex- perience, became more than ordinarily familiar with all the exacting details of this delicate work. At the present time each one of the sons has his own special department to look after and exer- cises a personal supervision over every particular of the work in that department, which in this manner is brought to a high state of perfection. 838 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Andrew J. and Edward G. Schleicher have charge of the manufacturing, and the new factory erected in 1892 at Nos. 125, 127, 129 and 131 Pacific street, Stamford, was designed by them and built under their direction, and is provided ■with all the most modern equipments necessary and obtainable. It is heated throughout by steam, has steam elevators, machinery of the most improved up-to-date construction, and the latest facilities for use in seasoning materials. The Schleichers have invented and patented many of the improvements employed in the con- struction of their pianos, and we make special mention of the sounding board, the pressure bar, which holds the strings in place, the practice stop, to prevent the wearing of the action and to reduce the sound during continued practicing; the special manner of adjusting the action, which keeps it more even; the music desk, to hold the music in perfect position; the arrangement for taking the instrument apart in sections, so that it may be moved without injury through a small space; the patent jmnel protector over the pedals, which saves the panel from defacement — these and many others have combined to win for the Schleichers first rank among modern high-grade instruments. Their new sounding- board deserves special notice, is acknowledged to be greatly in advance of any other heretofore used, and is pronounced a perfect success. Its special feature is the ribbing on both sides, which gives it more rigidity, overcomes strong pressure entirely, and consequently lends added character to the tone; the sustaining power is increased to a wonderful degree. Among the well-known products of their factory we note their "Baby Grand" piano, which has ever since its intro- duction been gaining in popularity, and is an instrument which any house would be justified in being proud of, it being fully up to their standard in every respect. During the past year Schleicher & Sons have •opened a warehouse in the Burlington Arcade (where the main office is also located ), which is under the management of /Andrew J. Schleicher. The New York City warerooms, managed by George Schleicher, are located at No. 9 West Fourteenth street. They have a third ware- house at Mt. Vernon, N. Y. , of which JohnC. Schleicher has charge. Pianos are sold and shipped direct from Stamford, Conn., to every State and Territory in the Union. These brothers are all distinguished as experts in their line, and this, united with their equally prominent traits of business and executive ability, has been the power which caused such steady development and widening of their interests over the country. They are highly esteemed by all who come in contact with them, on any occasion, for their recognized fairness, capacity and genuine worth. HENRY HORN. Industry, frugality and honesty make an excellent foundation for success in life, and the subject of this brief biog- raphy, a prosperous farmer and florist of Soutfi- port, has shown that he possesses in a high de- gree all of these desirable characteristics. Like many of the leading citizens of the country, Mr. Horn is of German birth, having been born October 1, 1827, at Nassau, Germany, opposite Bingen-on-the-Rhine, a son of John and Anna Horn, who both died in Germany, the parents of four sons and one daughter, our sub- ject being the youngest but one, and the only one to come to America. The father owned a vineyard in Germany, was fairly well-to-do, and reared his sons in the school of honest labor. Our subject received a good education in his native city, after which he served three years at the florist business, in Mayence, Hessen-Darm- stadt, completing his apprenticeship in 1845, during which time he received only his board by way of compensation. When he became of age he joined the German army, and participated in the war of 1849 between Prussia and Denmark, immediately after his discharge again taking up the business of florist, in which he continued until the spring of 1852, when he decided to try his fortune in the New World, with its illimitable resources. Sailing down the Rhine from May- ence to Rotterdam, in Holland, he crossed the North Sea to London, England, where he took passage on the sailing ship "Margaret Evans," bound for New York, where he arrived after a voyage of thirty days. Accompanying him was another German liorist, and on Staten Island they, together, soon succeeded in securing work in their line. After four months, however, Mr. Horn went to Madison, N. J., where for seven years he was a florist and gardener for Judge La- throp. In the fall of 1859 he left this place for New York, where he expected to fill a position as florist, but found that he had been forstalled, so during the winter of 1859-60 he was out of work. In March, i860, he came to Southport, having accepted a position with Frederick Mar- quand to take charge of his extensive green houses. With this gentleman he remained until early in 1862, in April of which year he bought, from Samuel Pike, five acres of land on Sasco Hill, whereon he built a small house, and which exhausted all his savings; but his credit was good. These few acres he planted with onions COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 339 and potatoes, and by dint of hard work pros- pered, in course ot time branching out into the florist business, adding other land to his first pur- x;hase, and as his family grew up he had their help. On September 3, 1857, Mr. Horn was mar- ried in Madison, N. J., to Miss Phcebe Anderson, a native of County Cavan, Ireland, born in 1829, and who came to the United States in i<S5i. Children as follows were born of this union: Isabella, who died at the age of eleven years; John, a farmer of Southport; Henrietta, wife of Arthur Sherman, of Southport; George T. , at home; Charles, deceased when twenty- seven years old; Henry W., at home; and Vir- ginia, who died in childhood. The mother of these was called from earth July 12, 1892, and her remains now rest in Oakland cem- etery. In religious faith Mr. Horn attends the services of the Episcopal Church; in politics, he is a stanch Democrat, and he has twice been selectman, being first elected to that office in 1892, and serving continuously to date, except from the fall of 1896 to the fall of 1897. He is one of the best-known old citizens of the town, respected by everyone. His comfortable home stands on an elevation, commanding a view of the Sound for many miles east and west, and is the abode of peace and hospitality. Mr. Horn is one of the self-made men of Fairfield, and one of the most representative of the German citi- zens. He has been very successful. ■m UGUSTUS I. MEAD. The Mead family. ,^*\. which is probably more numerously repre- sented than any other in the town of Greenwich, has been noted from pioneer times for the cjuali- ties that go to the making of good citizens. In war and peace its members have been willing to do their share toward the maintenance of right and justice, as shown in the more complete ac- counts of various branches of the family.