Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-17
SINGING FOR A SILVER CUP.
Philadelphia Youths IN q Ne,v Species OF
TOc0I Contest

TOc0I Contest.
Seven human nightingales, all males,
warbled in competition for prize silver
cup at No. S04 North Second street last
night, says the Philadelphia Times to-day.
The vocalists and a piano filed the little
stage in the rear Of the hall and the ''hand-
some silver trophy" sat upon an inverted
beer mug behind the bar The spectators
were unable to understand why two abnor-
mai specimens OF the turtle dove were en-
graTed on the cup. One of the man
ayers, however, explained that it was be-
cause doves make such bloomin' nice
picture to look at" The concert proper
was prefaced by bursts Of plaintive melody
from young members of the tight panta-
loon brigade who did not possess courage
enough to enter the lists for the cup.
The three judges sat at table near the
platform, and 4 solemn gentleman, with A
very hot-loOking nose, drew the names of
the vocalists from hat so as to determine
the order in which they were to sing.
This done, the first singer edged over to
the piano-player and said:
Say, young fellah, kin you ketch onto
this-rum -ti-diddy, rum-ti-dah, rum-ti-
lddle-diddy, doodle ah-de-dah."
"You got dot moosic not?" queried the
perplexed instrumentalist.
''Naww
GLOW many fon der crowd hat moosics
got?"
The singers eyed each other without re-
plying.
Zach! Gottr' groaned the piano player
as he turned to his instrument and began
picking out the necessary notes for rum
ti-diddy.'
In ten minutes the accompaniment was
mastered, and the vocalist came forward
to chant dolefully about "Happy Boyhood
Days" Happily for the audience, en-
cores were not allowed. The judges de-
cided that the vocalist lost two points, one
for singing through his nose and the other
for standing IN racefully on one leg when
he caromed on a high note. While the
judges were arguing about Happy Boy
hood Days" q blonde youth, in an ulster
with sealskin collar, got the distracted
piano players ear and hummed: "Lah-de-
dah-dah-dah-dah da, Lah-de dah-dah-dah-
dah-dah-da, h-de-daEdy-dahdy- dab, la
dun dab de dab d." which, it was
afterward discovered, was the
tune of ''Bright-eyed Rose of Kerry The
instrumentalist irrigated his interior with
LhO SShOOhCIS VI DCSE DclOI0 H0
the marvellous variations which Mr.. Dugan
rings in on Barney Mccoy" Mr.. Dugan
sang so well that eleven of his admirers
insisted on his drinking with them. When
he reached his twelfth glass Mr.. Dugan
was ready to be carried home on either
feather bed or rail.
A slender young vocalist, with one of
the most remarkable falsetto voices that
ever tortured an audience, made a record
by his rendition of ''I'll Meet Her
When the Sun Goes Down" The
fifth song was an "Old-fash-
Toned Couple" and the combined
efforts of the singer and the piano player
drove half of the audience to drink. 1t was
a race from start to finish, but the piano
player beat the singer out by half a bar.
The seventh competitor struck a pictures
cue song-and-dance attitude, and pointing
to his fifth rib on the right side, began a
dirge about his heart being always sad.
The judges then retired to decide which
vocalist was entitled to the prize. Half a
dozen ambitious young ''fellahs'' executed
songs and dances, and then, as the judges
had not reached a decision, the weary
piano player brought the festival to an end
by closing his instrument and inquiring:
Glow could. blay me all nighd ven
was played oud?"