History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

1437

lished a plant for the manufacture of pianos. His start in the industry
in Vermont was in 1863, and with more than twenty years of experience,
he made his business in Grand Rapids a prosperous concern and in I89o
moved it to Muskegon. There a stock company was organized, and under the name of the Chase-Hackley Piano Company, a large plant was
erected and a flourishing industry established. Its capital stock is two
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and its branch houses are in
Chicago and in Richmond, Virginia. The annual output is thirty-five
hundred pianos, and the manufacturer's name is a guarantee of the quality. Milo J. Chase and wife had six children, three of whom are living.
Arthur is living retired in Colorado; the second is Braton S. Chase; and
Olive, is the wife of Chas. B. Branner, who represents the house in Richmond, Virginia. The father and wife were active members of the Presbyterian Church, and he was a thirty-second degree Mason and a Democrat in politics. Joseph Chase, the father of Milo J. Chase, was born
in Vermont, of an old New England family. His occupation in the Green
Mountain State was lumbering, and from that industry he made enough
to retire and spent his last years in comfort.
Braton S. Chase was born in Pennsylvania, June 5, 1857, a son of
Milo J. Chase, and received his collegiate training in the Augusta College at Kentucky, where he was graduated in I880. His early training
experiences were in his father's piano factory, and Mr. Chase knows both
the business and manufacturing details. He is now vice president and
general manager of the Chase-Hackley Piano Company, gives all of his
time to the manufacturing and general business administration of the
concern, and is one of the enterprising business men of Muskegon.
Mr. Chase was married to Irene Evans, who died in 1895. Indiana
was her native state. Mr. Chase for his second wife married Mrs.
Nichols, whose father was John Wetzel, a native of Ohio. Mr. Chase is
Independent in politics.
CHARLES F. BIELMAN. The city of Detroit must ever continue to
have precedence as one of the most important ports on the Great Lakes
and here have been developed many enterprises in connection with passenger and freight traffic on the great inland seas. One of the most important of the navigation companies maintaining headquarters in the
Michigan metropolis is the White Star Line, and with the evolution of
the admirable service and large and substantial business of this corporation Mr. Bielman has been most closely and influentially identified. He
is at the present time secretary and general manager of the White Star
Line and secretary and treasurer of the Stewart Transportation Company. Mr. Bielman is known as one of the progressive and public-spirited citizens and representative business men of Detroit, has a wide
acquaintance in marine circles, and is one of the loyal and valued
members of the Detroit Board of Commerce, of which he has served as
president.
Charles Frederick Bielman was born in Detroit on the 20th of April,
1859, and is a son of Frederick and Ellen C. (Daley) Bielman, who were
well known and highly esteemed citizens of Michigan, and who established
their home in Detroit more than half a century ago. Charles F. Bielman
was afforded the advantages of the public schools of his native city and
while still a boy he initiated his association with the line of enterprise
along which he has achieved marked success. At the age of fourteen
years he went to Marine City, where he entered the employ of John J.
Spinks, postmaster, merchant and local agent of the Star Line steamers,
which operated between Detroit and Port Huron and of which the present White Star Line is the successor.
Vol. III-15