THE WEEKLY OUTLOOK – DEVOTED TO HOME & OUTING LIFE, LITERATURE, ART, MUSIC & THE DRAMA (Volume 1 Number 4 —August 1, 1896)
Featured in the portraits of notable Davenport men and women in this issue is H. H. Andresen, President of the German Savings Bank. Born in Schleswig-Holstein in 1826 and reared and educated in Germany, this very successful financier came to America in 1851, located first in Milwaukee, then Chicago and ultimately in Davenport in 1855. Experiences as a merchant, manufacturer and founder of the German Savings Bank evidently provided Mr. Andresen with “the love of education, belief in healthful sports and a patronage of art, literature and song” according to Editor Banks.
It probably didn’t hurt that Andresen’s bank was directly below the offices of the Weekly Outlook in the McManus Building, either! Andresen resided at Sixth and Brown with his wife Mary A. Thompson [whom he had returned to Europe to marry in 1854], and their two sons and three daughters.
POINTS OF VIEW also shares the news that the City Hall clock was officially set in motion at 6 o’clock on Wednesday July 29, 1896! The only complaint heard was that now wives would be able to check the time, and husbands wouldn’t be able to get away with setting their watches back to explain away their late arrivals home.
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA provided high praise for Miss Frances Carey, contralto, who “has the divine fire that is given to few; here is the flame that environment cannot smother…” Well, sorry Frances fans, but I couldn’t find much about her stellar operatic career.
OUTING LIFE shared that the Quoit Club had held successful games at the Outing Club. Quoits is a game, sort of like horseshoes, where rings are tossed toward a pin or “hob”.
In other news, the ladies of the Cheiro Club were excited because Cheiro himself was coming to the area and there was an opportunity to see him in person! Evidently the gals studied Cheiro’s book on palmistry for an hour every other week – no small feat to pull off in the summer months in Davenport apparently. This was followed by several musical selections and of course, a charming luncheon.
[Posted by Karen]
