Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-05-12
"a CRITICISM as is critlei.m.7
- From the Bunkum Flag staff.J

The tStaf was always pre-eminent in its
musical criticisms. Its notice Of the adj
vent. of Leopold De Meyer, the pianist
"Thunderer," under the nom de plume of
nHerr Smash" was very striking piece
of strong writing. He gave concert iu
Bunkum, where his "Graud Piano" was
secured to the floor by traverse timbers,
andA sidelong piece ofiron:
"uerr Smash soon entered with 81 bust
of unanimous applause. His appearance
was excentriIl. a bushy head like Il
bushel, and n smear of moustaches onto
his upper lip, otherwise II frock coat aud
sundries. He also carried a cauIbrick
handkerchief perfumed with musk. We
smelt it, He took his position, planting
himself firm, while two upholsterers tack
ed his coat tails with little brass studs:
also secured his body with ropes. His
audience were by this.time Mt the highest
point of the kee Deeve, and time they was.
He took off his gloves, hurled his eyes oil
around the theayter, looking grim, held
his wrists about three feet above the key
board, letting the ends of his fingers hang
down. his hair stood right up, and we
knew that eminent jeopardy wasa coming.
So lie held them for three minutes, while
all the whole audience was nigh out of
breath. and while they was so, down he
this he looked round with q smile, and the
enthusiasm of the audience, unable to
hold out any longer, broke through oil
bounds. Before this was over he lifted up
his fingers and down he camO again, inso-
much that the brass plate of the piano was
wrenched off, and one leg thrown pretty
much across tho room. Unmindful of
this, he now began gallOping with his
fingers from end to end of the instrument,
turning head over heels between aquiverand
a semi -quiver, and all right again and on, be
fore anybody could know that there was any
time lost. He first played Yankee Doodle,
out of compliment, smothering it up with
the blanket of ornament, and so tucking it
in that when the Yankee did peep out with
his face we hardly knowed it. Says we to
ourselves, "Cau this be Yankee Doodle
come to town, Yankee Doodle dandy2'-
After this, however, unloosing his musical
bark FROM the wharf of patriotism, he be-
gan to play the Battle of Prague, the Bat
tie of the Nile, Battle of the Pyramids,
Battle of Wagram, Battle of Ansterlitz,
and Battle of Bunker Hill, all concentrated
into one grand junction canonade, which
AFTER the third volley ripped off his coat
tails, tore up the brass nails, and threw
the lid of the piano clean across the room,
while the sensation of the audience was
unmitigated in the extreme. Ladles wa
we'd their handkerchief, and children at
the breast bawled aloud, while some ofour
friends were so foolish as to boo-hoo out
of mere enthusiasm. inst as you think it
nil done, horns, fddles, cymbals, gong,
and kettle drum with bang, bang. fiddle
de fiddle de iddle; bang, bang, bang; fiddle
de DUN de iddle; bang, bang, bang; then
slow measured bang, BANG, BANG, then
at it again fiddle de iddIe de iddle de
crashl crash! smashl and with that, legs,
keys, iron, wire, sank down ON the floor
in one mass of hetero generous chaos, and
Herr Smash, his hair on end, his coat tail
IrTipped off, hi$eycs flashing fire, his mus
taches looking thunder, his fists clenched,
hls meouth foaming ran right off the
stage"