The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-12
POPULAR MUSIC.
Tho Compositions that Mot With Great
Success.

Tho Competitions hat Mot With Great
Success.
I have been talking with some of the
music publishers here. (writes a New
York correspondent with a view to get.
ting out some of the interesting facts
about the popular" publications OF the
day. No compositions in the whole
range of music meet with such financial
success as those which ordinary people
are accustomed to look upon as "trash."
And, while a writer of high toned melo-
dies looks with contempt upon the COM
poser of "Don't be angry with me, dar-
ling" the latter is consoled with the
reflection that, even if his work is not
esthetic, it pays. For instance, Will 8.
Hays, of Louisville, we'll known as an
author of popular songs, has made a
modest fortune out of a single ballad
called "Mollie darling" And he con-
siders this one of the poorest he has
ever written. But it bears the merit Of
simplicity, and by far the greatest de-
mand is for songs of that quality.
Tie histories of some of these are full
of interest. At this moment I think of
rather an odd incident, wne a ballad
inspired purely by the meaningless
stuff in fashion was accepted in earnest
by the public, and had an enormous
sale. The song l referto is Put me in
my little bed," and it isn't long since it
was sung throughout the country by
everybody, from squalling infant to fat
and placid matron. The author, Dexter
Smith, had written a number of clever
varses, which he carried to his publish
er. That gentleman, after glancing
them over, handed them back, with the
following doubtful criticism:
"These are very good, MI. Smith,
too good, in fact. Yes, they are too
good for me. Use them in the atlantic,
or some such place. What I want just
now is something after this pattern"
And he read to the astonished writer
some selections from several of the pop
ular ballads. Smith was Disguised.
cit surely cant be possible" said he,
"that the public wants such miserable
stuff as this"
cit is not only possible, but true"
"Then I don't wonder that mine Is
too good for your use. Good day!"
And the young composer half angrily
strobe out of the Office, rejecting upon
the degeneracy of the public mind. He
was going along one of the narrow Bos-
ton streets, absorbed in his thoughts,
when he heard q dirty little urchin yell
to his mother, "Sa-ay, nam Put me
in my little bed |" There wa his sub
ject And, going home, filed with this
determination to write the most unut.
terable mess of dreariness he could
think of, he composed the song which
has since made him famous. His little
joke was well received, and its reputa-
ton spread until the sales reached an
enormous figure.
In this connection, let me give you
the number of copies sold of a few OF
the best known publications of this
kind: "Put me in my little bed" by
Dexter Smith, $50. 900; "Come, birdie,
come" same author, 100, 600; "Mollie
darling" by viii s. Hays, $1,000; "Sl-
yer threads among the gold" by banks
(who is very popular), $4,000; "Come
home, father" so, 900; "EvaLgeline,"
900; "Norah ofneill," 100000; "sweet
Genevieve," 20, 900. Many of these sell
steadily, and will doubtless continue to
do so for a number of years. Songs
written to suit the times frequently
reach immense sales, and, as in book
publications, those which appear the
weakest are not infrequently the most
successful.