Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-10-11
EsnIo~ IN isIc "ouses.

- The arsiocratic instrument OF the
present day is unquestionably the banjo
said a teacher of the art Of playing on that
/ instrument, and that Is why l have
come up here among the arIstocracy. Time
was when Wooster street was good
enough for the banj>. Now Fifth avenue,
New York, yearns for it. Ii may be said
TO be now handy harp. portable piano,
yet more essy to learn than either, ard, j
mske boid to say, more satisfying, soul
enthusIng, and filling at the price.
You would be surprised if you knew
what number of social Fights are good
amateur banioIsts and what fuTore there
is st present among the ladies for learning
TO play the banjo lord Dunraven is an
excellent performer. Leonard Jerome s
daughter, nIw the wife If Lord Randolph
Churchill, plays the banjo very well, and
among other ameteur bsnjoists whose
names this moment occur TO ME ere Peter
C1opeI's nIeces, g. q. Guuther, Jr., Miss
Z. 5. Reid. niece Of Whitelaw Reid; Miss
NJ 3. Patterson, granddaughter of ex-
Presiden, johnson; Miss Schaus, daCg6-
ter Of William Schaus, the art dealer !;
Miss Sawyer, daughter OF the well known
merchant; George Law, Jr.; Mrs. Mott, a
near relative of Gordon L. Mott, of Mott
Haven Fred, Vanderbilt; one OF the
Haveineyers don'I remember his initials
Just now: Arthur Clafin. son of y. B.
Claim, one of the best ama.e urs of Brook
lyn; Miss Kingsland. DR.. Brandreth's S
son and daughter, Miss Carleton, daughter
of the publisher; G. ID. Arthur. nephew
e \
cum, L. 5. \; MIR. Charles Hartman.
Mr. r. Noel, Mr.. Metc4lf, Judge Hiltou's
youngest son, Miss w. A. Bigelow, Miss
Jennings and Miss Mathew, all of Fifth
avenue; MIR. George 5. Mallory, grand
sou of ex-PTesi lent Tyler the two Misses
May, sisters OF Fred May, snG-but lis no
use making an elite directory L have
me entioned enough to give you an idea of
what kind of people learn, appreciate AMI
play tn, banj) and | may incidentally
Mention that we have now among our
pupils nine young LADIES moving In good
society aud vino give every promise of be-
coming such performers as Il teacher may
feel justly proud OF, 10 say nothing OF
several more Of whom l do not expect
much art.stIcally. 1t is not every one
that begins 10 learn that continues. The
first lesson is apt To make the rosy tips of
pretty fingers exceedingly tender, and
even to raise bhsters on them, Then, II
the owner of the pretty fingers has simply
taken up the banjo from caprice, or be
cause some other society girl OF her ac-
quaIntsnce has done so, she drops it 10
pain and disgust. but if she perseveres she
will find that after-those tirst blisters go
away no more will come and her fingers
will not develop big joints and sprawl,
as they are liable to from piano practice,
or get unsI ;ntly calouses upon them, such
as come sometimes from playing the hsTp
and slways from lingering the either
And, by the way, We now have what
we had not at all when Lrst began teach
ing, that Is regular music, written tor the
Banjo, adapted to its COMPASS, bringing
out all the tine effects of which 1t Is cap
aDle and suited to the ysrletI skill OF play
eTs, from simple Jigs up 10 the most elabO-
rate aud difficult arrangements OF u c vlolla
aud pisno solos of Paganini, Ole Bull,
" MIlhelnj, GOttschals, and other compOs-
ers for thIse instruments. When | began
teaching in Webster street, twenty y-seven
years ago, got So for ten lessons, AMI
sold banjo, the ordinary ones of those
days, for from 81 to $40. Suci. was the
demand for lessons that male from $3.50
to $500 wees. " hen We moved up on
the BJWety our prices went up little,
aud again when We found ourselves wa
ranted IN gong to Broadway Sieaiily
advancing toward Fifth avenue, you Oh
serve. Now got $40 tor 81 lessons of an
hour each, or $50 Tor the same number Of
half-hOur lessons.
do many theatrical and operaiic peo
pie take kindly 10 the bauiD; others,
mean, than those who make a business
specially Of il, like L)tla, Tor instance,
and kllie Putnam
"Very many. Thalberg was a good
player; so is Cara Louise kellogg and
Ckust, ne Nilsson, and Emma Abbott, L
have heard, although | am not so sure
about her, and the Wallace sisters and
host more tha, i do not ut this mo nelt re-
cal.