The biography of Harold T. Chase follows this letter/photos/ clippings
Letter to Mabel -- December 18, 1881 -- Wilkes-Barre
Dear Mabel;
I don’t know exactly whether it is considered improper or not to write on this size of paper - if it is I hope you will attribute it to “aestheticism” and it will then be all right as it’s the only kind of paper I have. We only have one week vacation for Christmas, which is ½ our usual time, so we will improve it by having parties etc. every night, and gay times, skating & coasting during the daytime - the latter of course providing we get the ice & snow. Nan Leavenworth will have the first I believe, but she says if everybody expects her to and hears of it, she wont. Everybody knows it though - and all because she confided it to her bosom-friend who was a girl ! She told that girl that it was a secret, and the consequence is it’s all over town. A masquerade is coming off at Parrish’s pretty soon to A’s and our sets. Daisy Conyngham is expected home Wednesday with a friend from school, and Jess Rieman (I don’t remember whether you saw her or not) will be home this week. Everything has been pretty quiet since you have been gone. No parties or anything to enliven us. The boys have had two games of Hare - and - Hounds; in the first one, Billy Maffet and I were Hares and ran about 6 miles; we reached home a half an hour before the rest but they said our “trail” was poor so we did not gain much credit for it. Yesterday morning we had another in which Tom Darling and Billy ran - about 12 miles - as Hares. He started from the school-house and ran down to the “Red Bridges”, at Plymouth, crossed the river and followed along the mountain through Kingston and on up to Forty Fort (near where Aunt Maria taught school) and followed the river down home. The Hares were pretty well “tuckered out” as they were hard pressed toward the last. Billy hid in the woods and the Hounds passed him and Tom kept on till his scent gave out and then was caught, near the Episcopal church. Sam kept up first rate. He beat Archibalditeros Parsonitis (short for Arch. Parsons), who had to give in and rode home on a wagon. We expect to run every week.
Last night, Sid, Ede. Lynch and Nan. Leavenworth and I were over to Palmers. We had a pretty good time playing cards (poker!) etc. Sid. and Ede. kept us laughing all the time with their “lover’s quarreling.” Sid. would continually call on Nan. to protect him from Ede. who he said was casting sheep’s eyes at him, and then he’d weep copiously and Nan. would come to the rescue; after which Sid. would shake her vehemently by the hand and subside for a minute or so. In a minute, he’d again commence it by collapsing in his chair and groaning to Nan. Ede. seemed to enjoy it immensely and she had Sid. would probably have kept it up all night if it had not tired the others. I was rather digusted. They start Sid. on his nonsense every time they have the chance, and then outside make all manner of fun of him. Ede.’s in league with them and helps them out by staring at Sid in the most ridiculous manner which invariably starts him off. It’s a regular circu, and when that gets monotonous, the others usually go at Sid & Nan who act toward each other in the most affectionate manner - “feeding” each other with the same spoon of ice -cream and sharing the same glass of water, then about five minutes, Sid’s hand will suddenly dart forth and “shake” Nan’s. There seems to be a regular programme to go through. I can imagine what times they have trimming the church (Episcopal) every night. I have not been up there but the episcopalians with Ede Lynch to every night and I suppose the performance is repeated with variations. Episcopalians have far more fun trimming their church for Xmas than we do. There are so many more girls and boys of the same set in the church, and the very few Presbyterian girls join their ranks and the consequence is we are left alone.
I received a letter from Frank on the same day yours came in which he said that Harvey had “a - a - something on his upper lip” which was progressing rapidly. You spoke of it as a shade or something - so I suppose it must be visible and not imaginary. It must have made its appearance about the time he became an editor. He used to keep it down I remember - or at least it was down whether he kept it so or not. (I feel rather better after that). - That pun died hard. It burdened me sadly - I could feel it on my mind as soon as I mentioned Harvey’s new acquisition and it weighed me down, I have gotten it off (my mind) at last however. I hope it won’t give you another relapse of the ague, they sometimes act that way.
Nan Leavenworth told me last night that I had a message for her from you! Or at least said she hears I had. I don’t know how she could have “hears I have” - unless Lee Palmer told her so. You see from that that I don’t often see the girls - in fact I believe last night was the first time I called on any one of them since you went. And probably would not have gone for some time if I had not been invited. The next time, I have a message to any one I hope I will be more prompt, so If you have anything of importance or otherwise, Mabel, you wont be afraid of my neglecting it - it will give me a good excuse for calling on the girls and I will be sure to take advantage of it. I see there’s little news in this letter - in fact I guess you know more W-Barre gossip than I do if you keep up a very stirring correspondence with Lee Palmer, as she probably gives you all of that important topic that is stirring, and it is pretty old usually when it reaches my ears. If you have any real fresh news of W-Barre doings transmit them to me, as I want to know what’s doing around town. You remember the call we made on Jess Flick when I gave her my watch-chain to fix - I haven’t heard from that since. I guess I’ll have to make a friendly call when she comes home for the Holidays! I’d like to know to what masculine friend she loaned that chain. I suppose some New Yorker sports that! No, I guess she’ll have it finished when she reaches home. I wont slander her !
Everybody is about as dull as usual about town. No-one is very interesting unwell, and noons is unusually hilarious and bright. We’re just about like we always were and will be until Christmas - then I suppose times will be decidedly gay. If you can - or rather if you do - find out who are to have the festivities and carnivals, parties etc., I hope you wont violate any confidence by letting it out to me. I don’t see why no one will have a sociable if it is know before hand, but that seems to be the fact and the fellow that first discovers the great and mighty secrets -- can keep them if he wants to. He usually don’t. Everybody sends love. The boys often inquire after you -- I always tell them you’re about as usual! It sounds something like the famous bulletins, don’t it? This epistle is longer than you wrote me, so I’ll expect something handsome in the size of your next letter!
Cum omne amore, tuus propinquus, Harold T. Chase
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| Harold T Chase around 1866 |
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| Harold T Chase, around 1864 |
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| Harold T. Chase 1922 or so |
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| Harold T Chase 1922 |
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| Annie T. Chase 1922 |
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| Annie T. Chase 1922 |
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| Wilkes-Barre Record Article |
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| A portion of Harold T. Chase's obituary |
Harold Taylor Chase Biography: Born in Wilkes-Barre, PA on April 13, 1864 to parents Edward Henry and Elizabeth Taylor Chase. His siblings included Samuel C. Chase, Frances B. Chase, Ethel Hill Chase, and Mary Ann (who died at age 1 year). He attended public schools and the Harry Hillman Academy (originally called the Wilkes-Barre Academy) in Wilkes-Barre. He attended Harvard College to study journalism and graduated with Honors in 1886. He worked for one year at the Wilkes-Barre Record before leaving town for Topeka, Kansas.
He became the associate editor of the Topeka Daily Capital newspaper in 1887, becoming the Editor in 1893.. He served as Editor for over 40 years. He was an active supporter of Republican party politics throughout his life.
He married Annie Thompson on January 15, 1890 and had two children (Ethel Eugenia Chase (born 1896) and Hamilton Chase (born Sept. 14, 1901)).
Harold suffered from heart disease between 1926 and 1935, becoming more disabling in the last 2 years of his life. He suffered a paralytic stroke several weeks before his death on June 22, 1935 in Topeka, Kansas.
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A Biography of Harold Taylor Chase, written by Hamilton Chase , perhaps in the 1960s
Born April 13, 1864 in Wilkes-Barre, PA
Educated at the Wyoming Seminary in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Harvard College - Class of 1886. He was the editor of the Crimson during his senior year.
The first year out of college, he was a reporter for the Wilkes-Barre Record. He moved to Topeka in 1887 and became a reporter for the Capital. In 1890, he became an editorial writer for the Capital. In January 1890, he married Annie Thompson. They had become acquainted when she was attending Dana Hall in Wellesley, Mass (and he was at Harvard).
He became Editor of the Capital in 1895 and he occupied that position until his death on June 22, 1935.
Father inherited his politics from his father, Edward H. Chase, who was a Wilkes-Barre attorney. Edward served one term as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania Assembly.
Father, however, was always on the liberal side of the Republican party. He opposed Bossism, the power of the railroads and was strong for the Teddy Roosevelt branch of the Repubican party. He worked with all Kansas governors, with the exception of the Populists.
He was particularly close to Governor W. R. Stubbs during his two terms. He was especially active with the legislature in 1925, I believe.
At any rate, the State Colleges at that time were under the direction of the Board of Administration appointed by the governor. Gov. Jonathan Davis took a dislike to Chancellor Ernest K. Lindley of K.U. and set about having his Board of Administration get rid of Lindley.
Father through the Capital and through numerous interviews with members of the Legislature was successful in obtaining adoption of the law providing for the Board of Regents. Chancellor Lindley later asked Father to help him with the first recommendation for appointment to the Board of Regents and C. B. Merriam was appointed -- this according to my best recollection.
He was appointed a member of the State Tax Code Commission by Gov. Clyde Reed in 1929. He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Washburn College in 1931.
All his life to the very end Father was a great student and a true Christian. His Harvard education tools with him, he read Greek and Latin works. When I was fifteen years old and he had been out of college thirty years, I asked him for some help one evening with my Caesar. He read the assignment to me almost as easily as if it had been written in English. I suddenly realized that father was a scholar. In my senior year in high school, he frequently read Virgil with me in the evenings. When I had to have an emergency appendix operation, he reminded me that I’d be getting behind in my Latin assignments and asked me if I didn’t remember a phrase from Virgil, “Forsan et haec olin meminisse invalit” (spelling not guaranteed) -- someday you may look back on this with pleasure. He then called my teacher and permitted her to think the phrase had been my idea. My grade at the end of the semester was all I had earned.
Father for a good many years taught a young men’s (high school age) Sunday School class at the First Presbyterian Church. Also, he was a Trustee of the church for a good many years. He and Dr. S.S. Estey were great friends and Dr. Estey said father accomplished as much for the public good with his pen as he did from his pulpit.
It’s been written of father that he was distant and preferred the privacy of this library. This is not entirely correct. He liked people and possessed the most subtle sense of humor of anyone I’ve ever known -- always kindly and never cruel. Along this line he was a charter member and helped organize both the Topeka Country Club and the Lakeview Club.
-- Hamilton Chase
P.S. Harold Chase was no ordinary man.
Topeka Public Library, Topeka, Kansas
