The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-08-22

Bob was Gothamitc, the third son
and the ninth child, joint production
of a staunch old sKnickcrbockcr' and
a West Indian Creole rather sin
gular union, but decidedly a prolific
one. Stimson, senior, 5cinyin what4pa-
ragraphists term 'easy circumstances,
remarkable fccundi:y Of Mrs. S. was the
not bcmoaned as a misfortune.
Bob had six sisters, short and fat,
good natured and loquacious Ian
guage' was large throughout the faini-
ly; fully up to a chronological - TAX
ing that figure as the maximum of the
ratio of comparison. 'Mirth' and
Tune especially, the latter, were also
very generally and powerfully dcvclc p
cd OH the dark haired craniums of the
junior Stimsons. They we're all sing
crs,-any of the nciyhbors would have
given you that piece Of information
without the slightest hesitation, "a reg
ular family choir ; any little impcrlrc-
tions in whose performance were ccr-
tainly not attributable to inusita;ion.
They were cmphatically musical fam
ily,-lineal descendants from the son
sis 'Calliopc:' practically familiar with
the use of every known musical iMstru-
ment from 'jews.harp' to a 'bassoon'
or orchestral serpent, '-bcyinning. Gas
Bob said,) early, and taking to it ma
turally. This was not rery surprising,
although the pcrtinacity and utter dis
regard cf time and place cvinced in the
indulgence of the family propensity,
certainly svas remarkable, so much SO
that there was ordinarily an immense
amount of moving going on in Slim
sons vicinity every May-day. 1t was
4 chief misfortune of theirs ard stand
ing subject for remark with them, that
they were forever surrounded 10y un
musical people, creatures who had no
taste for music, who had even gone SO
far as to demonstrate against what one
brute had denominatcd as their 'intcrn-
al hullaballoo.'
They were familiarly known in the
neighborhood as the noisy ninc!!' sim,
iltude doubtless intended to be applied
to the unfortunate daughters of Pier
os,' (who failed in their contest with
the MUSES. and were cruelty transform
ed into Magpies therefore, rather than
the legitimate Nine of classical noto-
riety. This, however, they bore with
exemplary equanimity. Truly, as Bob
said, t was Of no use getting angry at
a man who was so musicaly obtusc rs
to call scientific execution of the
Battle of Prague on six different in.
struments, "a laundering nuisance as
did one neighbor, upon a certain occa-
sion, who had halloocd himself hoarsc
from an opposite window in demanding
an Immediate cessation of what he was
pleased to term the 'curscd uproar,
upon pain of a complaint to the mayor
Jon the following morning.
But our business is with Bob, not
with his sisters or their accomplish.
ments. In addition to the musical ia
Guilty of the inherent power of which
he would state,- illustration, that,
when but three years old he could, up
on a common comb, covered with thin
paper, produce sounds so clo2cly rcscm-
bling those of a violin and perform ccr-
tain tunes with such power and accura.
cy as to induce an old blind gentleman
in an opposite dwelling incontincntly to
throw out pennies from his chamber
window in the belief that it was the
performance of some street minstrel,
with a view to aims. This, Bob would