The Indiana State sentinel., 1878-11-13
NV Grandfather's Clock.
New York Sun.l


Not to know ''Grandfather's Clock" argues
yourself unknown. With its accompani.
ment OF winding up, striking, ticking and
running down, il is nightly played in thea
tre aud concert hall 10 appauding auditors,
and is whstled by unnumbred pucsering
mouths. But not to know the words OF this
latest musical hit, or not to be able to name
the author IS simply to enroll ones self
with the thousands who would be obliged TO
confess TO the same ignorance. Two years
ago the writer was shown sheet OF music
by Mr.. Chauncy NJ. Cady. The music was
entitled "GraDdsather's Clock" It was the
unknown. Mr.. Cady hummed it and sale:
That's going to be popular. 1t Will be
lust the thing to catch the popular ear"
This was in '76 Mr.. Cady's prophesy has
come true in rs, and yesterday he himself told
how it was done. "It was written by Henry
c. Work" said Mr.. Cady. "You know him!
No! Bless you his life is q little romance.
Let me tell you about him. In the first
place, his father was Alanson Work, who,
with Burr and Thompson, were in lS4l, con-
demned to IL years hard labor in the Missouri
State Prison, for assisting fugitive slaves
across the Mississippi River. Well,
about the time of the beginning OF the re-
bellion Henry Work came to our Office in
Chicago ii was then with Root, In the firm
of Root & Cady) with the manuscript OF
song. He was then printer, struggling for
a living. We saw that be had something in
him, and not only bought his song, but en-
gagged him TO write for Us for term OF years,
agreeing to pay him stipulated copyright.
After he had turned out Kingdom Com.
Ing" and one or two other popular songs,
we increased his copyright voluntarily. HIS
songs made great hit, especially Wake
Nicodemus." Babylon is Fallen" and
'Marohing Through Georgia" You didn't
know he wrote that. Yes indeed, L told
you that be had it in him.
"His proceeds from his songs" con ntinued
Mr.. Cady, "made him rich. he travelled ex-
tensively in this country and Europe, and
in 1867 be went from Chicago with snug
fortune Then he went TO Vineland, n. j.,
and with his brother invested his earnings
in two or three hundred acres OF land, built
houses aud prepared TO establish an exten-
siye fruit farm. But the hard times came
on, his investments were Improbable, and
he lost all his property. Added to this were
domestic trials OF the most heartrendiDg
nature, and finally there only remained to
him his little daughter Nellie. He disappeared
from view. No one knew where he was.
Meantime the Chicago fire dissolved the
firm OF Root & Cady. We lost $3l5, 600, and
recovered from insurance companies only
$50 600. 1t was q severe stroke to me. /
was threatened with brain fever, and had to
Quit work About three years ago came
here, and started in business again as a
music publisher. I wanted some one to
write popular music for ne, and / thought
OF Henry C. Work. But / couldn't find
him. He had secluded himself so effectually
that it was six months before 1 could find
him. and then 1t was by meeting him acci-
IDENTIFY on Broadway. He was very poor,
! and was trying to support himself and his
| little daughter by writing magazine articles.
| Well, the result of our meeting was that
Work wrote three songs for me, The Mystic
| Yeil,' sweet Echo Dell, and Grandfather S
| Clock These were all published in 1876,
and sold well from the start, but the latter
has eclipsed the others, and, in fact, all other
songs recently published. 1t is the hit OF
| the times"
"But how did you make it popular, Mr..
| Cady? You showed it TO me in 1876. but
did 4 ot hear OF it again until 1878 "
"Pn tell you. / have collected all the
| names of thousands of musical people, deal
ers and the like, and send them circulars,
| with ideas OF the words and music of my
! publications So / did with Grandfather
! Clock The first that the music dealers
| knew of the success of the piece was from
the large orders they received from the corn
| try. In fact the piece has been popular in
the country for over year. Last winter il
was lust as popular in Philadelphia as it il
| now in New York and Brooklyn; and for 8
year and half it has sold in large numbers
on the Pacific coast. / think the first con
| cert troupe that brought it out was the 'Hyel
Sisters Combination They are negroes
They brought it out in New Eengland, Sau
| Lucas singing the solo, and an invisible
quartet the chorus. 1 saw by the papers tha
| it was successful, and went to New Haver
one night to hear it, 1t was certainly goot
thing. The audience gave them double and
triple encores As Sam Lucas said, they
tore up the benches / must tell you
funny experience / had with the San Fran
cisco Minstrels, for it is q good joke on VAN
bold. When the song was first published
took q copy up to Wambold and told him
thought il would max hit He laughed a
me. Said he got bushels OF such stuff ever,
day. l went away. After the song began 4
cell we'll in the country went there again
and he treated me no better. Salt ! ? didn'
want any one to come telling him e hat wa
in his line;' that he wouldn't have sucl
trash on his programme. / wasn't over ant
above pleased. 1 said to myself as 1 wen
away: Il sha'n't 70 there again, but, MI
Wambold you'll have to sing that song yet.
And now every night you may read on tn
programme of the San Francisco Minstrels
'Mr. Wambold will sing Grandfather
Clock Pm gong up there some time, an
ask Wambod If be hasn't some champaign
on ice for me. 1 think the joke is on him.
"well, then, MIR. Work Is no longer s
very poor"
"Poorl 1 should say not. pay him no,
$3.50 month on 'Grandfather's Clock alone
and he gets good thing ON others that h
has written. You know he wrote the famou
temperance song, Father, Come Home
He now has another of similar character, no
a Temperance song, though, called 'Shsdow "
on the WALL and he has also just finished
sequel 20 'Grandfather's- Clock And, an
other thing, Work not only writes the sons
words and music, but Ne designe3 the It'll,
page. AS / said before, he's got il in him.