Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-12-28
WOId Shady.n

IN sore poverty ana almost unnotlCeu
a man who deserved n better fate
We refer to Frank Lumbard, the cam
paign singer, of whom everybody II
the west has heard, and with who's,
name is identified many Of those quain
and stirring melodies-"Old Shady,
in particular-to which the popula
heart always SO readily responds. HI
was New Yorker by birth, we believe
but went to Chicago some thirty year
ago, where he remained ever after
wards, and where he was as well know
as John Wentworth or any other fa
miliar local parsonage. The reports
say that in his last fitness the numer
ous friends of better days were shame
fully neglectful of him, and he leaves
wife and child utterly destitutc-not
very pleasant commentary upon thu
charity and gratitude of the great city
where the poor dead singer $ services
were so often and so chccrfully giver
for public and social purposes.
In the early part of his career Ltim
bard was music teacher; then hi
tried the negro minstrel business; ant
finally, during the Fremont campaign
of 1856, he hit upon the happy anC
original expedient of singing between
the speeches at political meetings. The
idea was n taking one, and soor
brought him into general and popular
notice. His presence and his songs be
came an almost indispensable feature
of every big republican gathering in
Illinois; he shared with the ablcs
speakers the applause of great delight
ed crowds; and it is only simple trutl
to say that his voice made more votes
than that of the most eloquent anC
persuasive stumper. When the mem
orablc campaign of 1860 came on, will
"Old Abe" for the Republican standard
bearer, he entered the canvass will
special enthusiasm, and was in wide
request in all directions. He sang tha
year nearly every day and night, "di
viding time" with orators of nationa
reputation, and making himself nam'
that was by no means least among
those best known to the people.
When the war broke out his splendit
gift of song was in still greater de
mand, and itwould be difficult to meas
urc the influence it had in arousing pop
ular feeling, securing cnlistments ant
inspiring general faith and courage
The recruiting officers wanted hin
everywhere; the camps of rendezvou
offered him royal welcome; and in an.
public assemblage of the time he wa
sure to be called out as soon rs no
ticed and to be encorcd again AM
again. In 1868, during the siege o
Vicksburg, he went down there witt
the sanitary commission, and sam
"Old Shady" John Browns Body,
and other patriotic and spirited song
all along the lines; and we may be sur
that the thousands of brave and up
preciativc fellows who heard him, AM
who had many of them listened to hin
at home in time of peace, though
more of his melodies than they did o
all the canned and bottled daintics il
the sanitary boxes. There were shout
and cheers wherever he went; persona
friends met and greeted him in ever.
regiment; and marked attention wa
paid him by the highest as well as tn
humblest of those in authority. 1t wa
in fact q genuine ovation; and he prob
ably remembered it always as the mos
vivid and gratifying experience OF hi
life.
In the political contest of 1864 h
was again prominent as singer at re
publican meetings, as he was after
wards in succeeding presidential cam
paigns-always on the republican side
for it is to be said of him that, unlik
most professional singers, he had dis
tinct political convictions, and rcso
lutcly refused to employ his art in an.
cause which did not have the ap
proval of his Judgment and hi
conscience. His whole public ca
recr was associated with the growth
progress and triumphs of the republi
can party. To say that the party neyc
did anything to recompense him for hi
repeated and effective efforts, is to stat
very palpable fact; ard yet he was S
constituted that ordinary political re
ward would have probably done him lit
tie good. Once in his life, just once
he did try oflice-holding q few months
only to make dismal failu:c of it, an
to 20 back to his easy and careless pun
suit as n singer. He was equipped al
ter the Bohemian plan-jovial, convi
vial, open-handed and impatient of cor
troll and routine. But he was an homes
man, n prime favorite, and in no sens
a loafer. He was, as we so often say
his own worst enemy; surely he ha
no other, unless those friends were III
conscious enemies who so often liberia
ly piled him with liquor when what h
needed was bread. The way of HI
life, as Carlyle has it, was not wise; br
it was frank, hearty and good-humore
to the last, and whatever else it may
appropriate to say or not to say col
cerning his manner of playing his pa
as a man among men, it is entirely ju
and true to declare that, with all h
blunders and imperfections,
lie never made brow look dark,
Nor caused a tear-but when he died.