Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-16
Helena Montana, Thursday, February 16, 1882
ANECDOTE OF BILL NYE.
How he Encouraged a Blind Street
Musician.
Salt Lake Tribune.

Salt Lake Tribune.
Bill Nye, the famous hand-organ player,
was travelling in the east some years ago
He was walking up Michigan Avenue one
evening in Chicago, when the strains of q
hand-organ attracted his attention. Advan-
cling to the spot he found a poor blind man
turning out the dOleful sounds of Home
Sweet Home, with q righteousness of detail
that caused the quick ear Of the great vir-
tuoso to detect the early neglect of the mans
musical education and bending over him
asked in kindly tones OF his life and Cir
cumstances. Stating that he was the sole
support of an aged step-mother, a drunken
father who was q city alderman and two
dozen poor relatives in Kalamazoo, the
Boomerang editor agreed to take his turn at
the organ The old man gladly resigned the
machine, and no sooner did the dett hand of
Nye touch the crank than all within ear
shot knew that a master paw was maulin9
the melodies Of their country. Discarding
the notes, he cast the book aside, and with
his eyes turned toward the mansard roof of
the Palmer House, improvised a sad, weird
melody, which caused hundred hands to
gather the nearest bricks and shower them
into the outstretched hat Of the dreamy Or
ganist. Some missed the hat, and crashing
into the organ, wiped forever from the ears
of man one of the most extraordinary pieces
OF crank music since the stars sang together
OF the mystic plains of Laramie. Nye's
bald head was the shining mark which the
crowd loved, and there wasn't a splinter left
of the hand-organ. The organist sold the
brick at 81 a thousand, and never ceases to
bless the memory of the unknown friend
who helped him in the spring Of 1850.
4 "Reminiscences of the War.
Harper's Magazine.
During the civil war there was, rightly or
wrongly, a lamentable prejudice entertained
against brevet rank and Brigdier-Generals
Lincolns estimate of the comparative value
of the mules and Brigadiers gobbled up by
Confederate raider-the army mule was af-
tectionately known as the "brevet horse
is known to most readers but there is an
other story, scarcely less complimentary,
and much less familiar. According to the
anonymous libeller, during an active engage
ment, Colonel, while bravely leading on his
men, received terrible blow in the head
from the fragment of she'll which COM
pletely exposed his brain. He was carried
to the rear and intrusted to the care OF a
surgeon, who at once resolved upon heroic
treatment, and removed the brain bodily to
prepare the lacerations. While he was OBJ
sorbed in this delicate operation, and aid-de-
oamp unconscious of the severity OF the Of
ficers wound, rode up with message that
Colonel Blank was wanted Immediately at
headquarters Mechanically, like the BRAIN
less pigeon in the interesting surgical exper-
iment, the gallant officer clamored into the
saddle and rode away; and when the surg
con, having completed the Encouragement of
the wounded organ, returned to place it in
position, he was astonished totind the patient
missing. At that moment his attention was
attracted by the sound of galloping hoofs,
and looking round, his surprise was intensi-
fed on beholding the Colonel ride to the
front as gayly as if nothing had happened.
Hi, Colonel no, Colonel!' shouted the
surgeon persuing him. "Stop. You're for
getting about your brains" Never mind
about them,' roared the hero, clapping spurs
to his horse. II don't want them-l've just
been hrevetted BrgadierGeneral"