West-Jersey pioneer., 1878-06-27
HOW POPULAR SONGS ARE WRITTEN.

Dexter Smith had written number of
clever verses which he carried to his pub
Usher. That gentleman, after glancing
them over, handed them back, with the fol-
lowing doubtful criticism: "These are very
good, Mr.. Smith,-too good in fact. Yes,
they are too good for me. Use them, in
the Atlantic, or some such place. What l
want just now is something after this pat
term" and he read to the astonished writer
some selections from several of the popular
ballads. Smith was disgusted. ''It surely
can't be possible" said he, "that the public
wants such miserable stuff as this" "It is
not only possible, but true.' 'sThen 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 dirty little urchin yell to his
mother, "Sa-ay, ma am! Put me in my little
bed" There was his subject! And, going
home, filled with determination to write
the most unutterable mess of dreariness he
could think of, he composed the song which
has since made him famous. His little joke
was we'll received, and its reputation spread
until the sales reached an enormous figure
In this connection, let me give you the num-
ber of copies sold of few of the best known
publications of this kind: "Put me in my
little bed, "by Dexter Smith, $50, 900; ''Mol-
lie Darling" by Will S. Hays, 100000; "Si-
yer threads among the gold," by Danks
(who is very popular $4,000; "Come home
father" $4,000; "Evangeline, $4,000;
''Tramp, tramp, tramp" 100000; "Nora
O'Neill," $1,000; ''Sweet Genevieve," 2O,-
900. Many of these still sell steadily, and
| will doubtless continue to do so for num-
ber of years. Songs written to suit the
times frequently reach immense sales, and,
as in book publication, those which appear
the weakest are not infrequently the most
successful.
| How TO CHOOSE HoRsE.-An English
paper tells us that the purchasers of horses
for the French army always endeavor to OBJ
| tain first look at the animal when he is
tranquil and in the stable; noting if the an
NAL supports itself equally we'll on all its
legs, and if one seems to yield, specially ex-
amining it. Attention is then directed to
the largeness of the pupil OF the eye, which
ought to be more dilated when in the stable
than when exposed to light. After the ami
NAL has been lead out of the stable, the eye
ought to be examined, to see if the pupil
has been contracted; if not, the sight is fee
BILE. Others, to test the power Of vision,
feign to strike the forehead with the hand
If the hollow over the eyes be profound and
the temple gray, old age is to be concluded
Wounds about the temple suggest attacks OF
the staggers; and when the end of the nose
presents circular scars, it may be concluded
the horse has been twitched with cord tC
having had to submit to some painful oper
tion.
A pot containing over $4,000, in gold
was unearthed by farmer named Sawyer
of Scott county, ILL.,, while plowing on his
farm a few days ago. The gold pieces
were eagles, black with age, and of the
coinage of 1905. No one seems to know
by whom it was buried, but rumor has il
that some Government official, in early days
hid the treasure, and either died or was
never able to find it again.
The thin, pious man, who is continually
groaning over the wickedness of the world
is more troubled with dyspepsia than blessed
by religion.
A Chicago lady complains of the unremit