George H. Mahan Retires - 1911

George H. Mahan Retires After Thirty Years

Utica Saturday Globe, December 1911

 

George H. Mahan

1859 - 1918

 

Norwich [Chenango Co., NY]:  The consolidation of the local offices of the Western Union Telegraph and the Bell Telephone was brought about on Saturday last when the formal transfer was effected.  The telegraph office has been located in the Eagle Hotel for nearly 40 years and the present lease does not expire until April 1 next, but the Bell company will combine the business with the telephone office on East Side Park at their own convenience.  Mrs. Grant Balcom, who has been operator for three years past, will remain at the key under W.R. Dodson, who was recently made manager of the Norwich telephone exchange.

 

Manager George H. Mahan retires after being in charge of the Norwich office of the Western Union Telegraph Company for 30 years, lacking two months, and after 36 years of service with the company.  Starting in as messenger boy at Clinton when a lad of 14, six months later he was appointed operator and placed in charge of the Clinton office. Soon afterwards he was made an operator in the main office of the company at Utica and a little later promoted to a responsible position in the Syracuse office.  The arduous duties proved too great a tax on his strength, impairing his health, and at his own request he was returned to Clinton.  In February, 1882, he was asked by Supt. Gifford to come to Norwich as operator for manager Frank W. Rogers and soon thereafter was made manager of the office, succeeding Mr. Rogers, whose time was fully taken up as clerk to the surrogate's court and later as postmaster.  Of all the hundreds of telegraphers with whom Mr. Mahan has associated or who worked at the business when he started he recalls but five persons now actively engaged therein. These are Manager John E. Bierhardt and Chief Operator Daniel V. Ferris, of the Syracuse office; George Channer, of Utica; Manager Stebbins, of Waterville, and Agent Joseph F. Euin, of Clinton. 

 

The most cordial relations have always existed between him and the officials of the company and mutual best wishes attend his retirement after so many years of faithful and satisfactory service to give his entire attention to other interests.  For six years he has conducted a 30-acre fruit farm near Norwich, is an officer and actively participating in the work of the Humane Society, is a prominent Odd Fellow and a member of various other organization.

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Obituary

The Tully Times, December 27, 1918

 

The funeral services of George H. Mahan were  held at Norwich Sunday, in charge of the I.O.O.F. of which he was a member.  Mr. Mahan was well known in Tully [Onondaga Co., NY], having resided here with his brother for some time.  His death occurred at Clinton [Oneida Co., NY], December 20th after a short illness of influenza followed by pneumonia.  Mr. Mahan was born in Clinton February 2, 1859, and was educated in the Clinton liberal Institute.  Later he took up telegraphy and for a time was manager of the West Union office at Norwich where he also became local editor of the Norwich Dairy Sun.  In early life Mr. Mahan was united in marriage with Miss Stella Onyan of Clinton, who died about eight years ago.  He is survived by a son, H. Gilbert Mahan and a daughter Mrs. George Keller, both of Syracuse; also two brothers, Charles H. Mahan of Clinton and Fred M. Mahan of Tully; and two sisters, Mrs. William Barker and Mrs. Chas. Onyan of Clinton.  Before coming to Tully, Mr Mahan had resided with his children in Syracuse.  Early in the fall he accepted a position with the Savage Arms company of Utica and resided with his sister at Clinton.

 

Funeral

Chenango Union, December 1918

Funeral services over the remains of the late George H. Mahan were held at Odd Fellows' Temple Sunday afternoon, burial at Mt. Hope [Norwich, NY] being in charge of the Odd Fellows.  Mr. Mahan died December 20 at the home of his sister, Mrs. Ella Onyon, at Clinton, N.Y.  He was sixty years of age.  For a considerable portion of his life he was a resident of Norwich, having been operator for the Western Union, a newspaper man and for several years a successful gardener.  He is survived by a son, H. Gilbert Mahan and a daughter Mrs. George Keller, both of Syracuse.