ilAt Cornell University Library ML 410.H39W41 MIcah Hawkins and The saw-jnjila sket* 3 1924 022 159 754 anb t|)e )attJiaiU d^scar 3^£selin Cornell University Library The original of this bool< is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022159754 z tit€l//t> O nui/A/^i^'J Music library MICAH HAWKINS AND THE SAW-MILL A SKETCH OF THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN OPERA AND ITS AUTHOR BY OSCAR WEGELIN NEW YORK: PRIVATELY PRINTED 1917 THIS PAMPHLET IS UMITED TO AN EDITION OF 50 COPIES MICAH HAWKINS AND THE SAW-MILL 17R0M the appearance in print of "The Disappoint- ment" by Col. Thomas Forrest (or, as asserted by some, Andrew Barton), in 1767, until 1824, a number of "Operas" appeared from the pens of native writers. Not until the latter part of that year, however, was a production of this kind given on the American stage that was a success. In that year Mr. Henry Wallack, at that time manager of the Chatham Theatre, New York, produced a piece entitled "The Saw-Mill ; or A Yankee Trick. A Comic Opera, in two acts. Written and composed by Micah Hawkins." It was printed in 1824 by Messrs. J. & J. Harper and is a i6mo pam- phlet of fifty-three pages. This pamphlet is now quite scarce and I have seen only two copies, one in the collection of Mr. Orville B. Ackerly, the other in the Library of Brown University. Hawkins, who was really a genius, was born at Stony Brook, L. I., on January i, 1777. He was the son of Jonas and Ruth Hawkins. In 1791 he was bound apprentice to Frederick King of Morristown, N. J., at the coachmaking business. At the age of twenty-one he came to New York and for a few years worked at his trade. Soon afterwards he married Letty, daughter of Benj. Lindley of Morristown, who was described as "a lady of much excellence." Abandoning the business of coachmaking, Hawkins set himself up as a grocer and conducted that business until his death, which occurred July 29, 1825. In addition to his grocery store he also conducted a hotel at the Catherine Street Ferry. Hawkins' sister, Julia, married Thos. S. Mount and was the mother of the Mount Brothers, artists, the best known of whom was William S. Mount, the genre painter. The portrait of Hawkins which is here given as a frontispiece was painted by an unknown artist and retouched by William S. Mount. It is still hanging in the old Mount House at Stony Brook, and is here reproduced through the courtesy of Mr. Orville B. Ackerly, who loaned me a photographic copy of the original. The opera, which is today the only claim to fame which Hawkins has, was written as the outcome of a story told by Richard Smith to a party of friends. It related to an incident which occurred at or near the falls of the Genesee. The story, briefly told, is as follows : Baron Schafferdwal, a wealthy patroon, offers to give 100 acres of land to anyone who will put up a Saw Mill on Oneida Creek, to choose the land him- self, provided he settle on it. A young man, who in the play is called "Bloom," with a companion, "Her- man," hatch up a scheme to put up a mill, disguising themselves as Yankees. The scheme works and not only do they claim the land, but "Bloom" wins the Baron's daughter, while "Herman" also wins the maiden of his choice, "Louisa." This is but a mere outline of the story, but its telling by Smith was not only responsible for the first successful opera written by an American, but another play, supposed to have been written by Garrit Furman, "The Falls of the Genesee" was the outcome of the tale. In the preface to the latter play the author makes the following state- ment: "The following tale was told to the late Mr. Hawkins, and the author of this piece, by Richard Smith, Esq., of Setauket, Long Island, at a convivial meeting a few years ago. We were pleased with the trick (the deception played by the. builders of the mill) and both agreed to endeavour to arrange it in some form, suitable for theatrical representation. Mr. Hawkins, by intermingling songs, glees, &c. length- ened it into an Opera, which was performed with con- siderable success at Chatham Garden Theatre. This piece was written in 1822, and revised 1826. The Author Maspeth, January, 1831." The above was printed and issued in New York, 1831. The following account of the mill in question is taken from a pamphlet entitled "Rochester in iSsf: "The Mill Lot, so called, lying in the centre of the village on the West side of the river and con- taining loo acres, was a gift from Oliver Phelps to Ebenezer Allen in 1789, in consideration of his building a grist mill on it, for the accommoda- tion of the new settlers then moving into the country, but the settlements being mostly made along the main road leading through Canan- daigua to Buffalo, left this section of the country to remain a wilderness for several years. Mr. Allen moved away, left his mill to go to decay, and sold his lot which passed through several hands to the Pulteny estate. In 1802 Nathaniel Rochester, William Fitzhugh and Charles Car- roll, of Maryland purchased the lot, and left it remaining unoccupied until 1812, when they sur- veyed it into village lots, opened it for sale, and gave it the name of Rochester, the family name of the senior proprietor." The "Saw-Mill" was first produced at the Chatham Garden Theatre late in November, 1824, with the fol- lowing cast : Baron Schafferdwal Mr. Morrison. Count Phlegm Mr. Spiller. Bloom Mr. Blake. Herman Mr. Petrie. Stoduff Mr. Simpson Jacob Mr. Roberts. Elna Mrs. Allen. Louisa Mrs. Waring. Norchee Mrs. Walstein. Servants, Canal Lockmen, Workmen on the Saw- Mill, Ladies and Gentlemen, Rustics, &c. Scene : First at Rome, afterwards at Oneida Creek, State of N. Y. THE SAW-MILL: OR A YANKEE TRICK. w9 COMIC OPEHa, IN TWO ACTS. M PERFOBHCD AT THE TBEATBEj CBATRAM GARDES. WITH DIST1KG1II9BED SDCCESS. WBITTEH AKD COMPOSED BY MICAH HAWKINS. NEW-YORK: PBIKTED BY J. & i. HAHPE8, 1824. The piece was successful from the start and on the 7th of December the author wrote to Benj. F. Thomp- son, the historian of Long Island, the following inter- esting letter. This letter is here copied with the per- mission of Mr. Chas. J. Werner, editor of the third edition of Thompson's History of Long Island, and its present owner. The letter is of considerable import- ance as regards the author's own opinion of the opera and its production, as well as throwing an interesting sidelight upon his own character. It is herewith given in full. New York, Tuesday Morning, 7th December, 1824. My (ever-encouraging) Friend, Yours of yesterday came to hand last evening. I thank you for your good wishes toward me. You have ever encouraged me in my feeble at- tempts at literature — pretensions I had never any legitimate claims to, seeing that / had never any education, the very vitals ever, of an author of the smallest degree. However as there has, since time began, I believe, been many such fools as myself, feel no alarm from being disgraced as the first pretender. Why yes; my opera of "the Sawmill; or a Yanky Trick," went off tolerably well. It has been played four nights, with increased approba- tion; notwithstanding that the last night of its representation, Mrs. Waring, ona of the prin- cipals of its personifications, was so indisposed her part had to be little better than read by Mrs. Fisher, who took up the character at a very short notice, with entirely leaving out the singing, which is a very great damage to the piece. The manager wishes to continue it before the Public, but until Mrs. Waring recovers, (which is quite uncertain, her confinement proceeding from a complaint that lays her by almost every winter,) I shall not permit it, having in my possession both words and Music. Between you and I, no one about the Theatre is able to play the character but Mrs. W. — and I do not wish to be garbled, for, IN MY OPINION, with all that good acting can do for me, I expect'very shortly to be honored with severe criticism. Yet "who's afraid ?" Talk not to me of being ahead of you in any- thing — for shame, my friend. If any clever fellow will let you have money, I mean any such within inquiries, you shall hear from me. Ay, our friend Thos. Hodgkinson's death. But it is time, poor Tom — Let him rest. I re-enclose to you "an honest Lawyer" with my thanks for the perusal of what, I presume you mean shall ever be your prototype, which will ever keep you, as you have ever been, most respected by the public, and, particularly by your friend, MiCAH Hawkins. Benj. F. Thompson, Esq., Counsellor at Law, Hempstead, Long Island. That the opera was a decided success is proven by the following extract which appeared in a magazine and which is now copied from a clipping found in a scrap book kept by William S. Mount, now owned by Mr. Orville B. Ackerly. There is nothing in the clipping to show where it appeared or who its author was. "We see it announced that an opera by Mr. Fry, of Philadelphia is to be brought out at the Chestnut by the Seguins, during their next en- gagement, and that it is pronounced to be the 'first American Opera' yet produced. There is evidently a great mistake in this matter, for it will be fresh in the recollection of play-goers, that during the time Mr. Henry Wal- lack was Manager of the Chatham Theatre, an original American opera (and original it was in every sense of the word) was produced there, and had a long and highly successful career. It was entitled 'The Saw Mill,' and was written and composed by Micah Hawkins, Musician, Poet and Grocer. Hawkins was a genius, and was considered in those days a capital performer on the violin and piano. Ole Bull, or Wallace, or Jane Sloman, or a host of other eclipsers, were then the things that were 'to be.' Hawkins kept a grocery shanty in Catherine Street [in 1814 he was at 8 Catherine Slip] and had a piano forte beneath his counter, and played a sort of running accompaniment to the varied de- mands of his customers, which doubtless attracted a good many to his store, and in the intervals be- tween serving out sugar and salt, tea and tobacco, corned pork and cheese &c., he composed the opera, which Wallack at once accepted, and filled the house for weeks. About the twentieth night Hawkins was unanimously called for, and ap- peared upon the stage fiddle in hand covered with blushes and a pepper and salt suit. Here he was in a bad dilemma, being unable to speak his thanks, but Wallack came to his aid, and got him ofif triumphantly. After this who shall say that Mr. Fry's is the 'First American Opera?' " The "Saw-Mill" ran for a number of nights and was played at the Park Theatre as late as November 29, 1825. That Hawkins was a man of talent is vouched for by Thompson in his History of Long Island, in the fol- lowing terms : "Much of his leisure was employed in its (music's) cultivation and he became a capital per- former on many instruments. Indeed it is known to many now living, that he had attained great accuracy and skill in this enchanting science. The piano, flute, and violin were particularly subject to his will and he could make them discourse most excellent music. He was many years a member of an amateur club, which met weekly for the per- formance of the best pieces. He was besides, a composer himself, and produced some exquisite compositions. He was moreover the author of several patriotic and comic songs, which he sung with great effect. He possessed an admirable vein of wit with which he was 'wont to set the table in a roar,' while his faculty for imitation has rarely been excelled. He wrote a number of plays, interspersed with original songs, &c. some of which were exhibited upon the stage." A number of bound volumes of music which were collected by the subject of this sketch are still extant, and from the fly-leaf of one of them was obtained the facsimile of the composer's autograph which is printed underneath his likeness. A violin once owned by him is owned by Mr. John B. Mount, who also owns some of the music composed by Hawkins. Hawkins did not long survive the success of his opera, his death occurring at New York on July 29, 1825. Annexed is a copy of his will dated May 17, 1810, almost fifteen years before his demise. In the name of God Amen, I Micah Hawkins of the City of New York Grocer being of sound disposing mind and memory, and con- sidering the uncertainty of life, do make this my last will and testament as follows, that is to say. It is my will that all my debts be paid as soon as can be made convenient after my decease, after which I do give devise and bequeath unto my be- loved wife Letty Hawkins all and singular the real and personal estate of which I may die pos- sessed or entitled unto of whatsoever nature the same may be as a trifling acknowledgment of her affection and Meritorious conduct. And I also make nominate and appoint my said wife Letty to be sole Executrix of this my last will and testa- ment hereby revoking all former wills. In wit- ness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal this seventeenth day of May in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hun- dred and ten. Micah Hawkins (l. s.) Signed sealed published and declared by Micah Hawkins the within name of testator as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who have in his presence and in the presence of each other subscribed our names as witnesses. Elizabeth Shaw, Pamelia A. Lindsay, I. Lenington. 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