Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-03-03

| in the Air" was written by glass paint
er named Bailantine. He was fond oil
looking at the Goals and imagining face.
| and forms in their fiery depths, and the
| song is the result ofone of these dreams
"Rain on the Roof" is said by Kinney
| the author, to have come 10 him with
| out effort. 1t was sent to Cincinnati
paper and rejected. A few
days after one of the pub
fishers of the paper happened to be
looking in the waste drawer and found
the poem, and with an oath demanded
who had put 1t there. 1t was printed
the next day and went whe ever Eng
lish was spoken. Fosters 'Old Folks
at Home" was the best song he ever
wrote. Over 100000 copies were solo
by the firm who first published it, anG
the author isSaid to have received $l5,
600 for his share of its sale II e idea o.
writing negro melodies occurred to Eos
ter from seeing what pleasure was given
by the crude absurdities prest nted In
his time by the minstrels. He thought
he could do better. Beginning with the
"Camptown Races" he went on to the
simple and pathetic songs and melodies
which have made his name famous.
Christy, the noted minstrel, paid $40C
for the privilege of having his name
printed on the edition of "Old Folks al
Home" as the author and composer
The song is thus enormously attributed
to him. Rock Me to Sleep" was writ
ten by Mrs. Allen Maine. She was paid
$5 for it. and Russell & Co.. of Boston.
who had in three years gained 1000 by
its sale, offered her IS apiece for any
song she might write. Some years after
in Of
money, she sent them song which WAS
promptly rejected.
"A Life on the Ocean Wave" was by
Epes Sargent, and pronounced a failure
by his friends. Russell, of the Boston
firm of music publishers, took the words
flom Sargent, and the latter tells the
tale ofthe melody. 1--WE passed through
the music store; Russell seated himself
at the piano; read over the lines atten.
lively; hummed an air or two to himself
then ran his fingers over the keys; Their,
stopped as il nonplnssed. Suddenly a
bright idea seemed to dawn upon him
melody had all at once tioated into his
brain, and he began to hum it and sway
himself to its movements. Then strik-
ing the keys tentatively few times, he
at last confidently launched into the air
since known as "A Life on the Ocean
Wave" I've got it, he exclaimed. 1t
was all the work of few minutes.
pronounced the melody success, and it
proved so. The copyright of the song
became very valuable, though | never
got anything for it myself. 1t at once
became favorite, and soon the bands
were playing 1t i'll the streets. A year
or two after ifs publication | received
from England copies of five or six edi-
lions issued there by competing pub
fishers" "The Stormy Pearl' was writ
ten by Proctor for Neukomm to set to
music. The latter was wise in his gener-
alton and induced the poet to write for
nearly fifty songs, which he, set
to music and sold. He realized largely on
the poets work, since his own was Of no
value. and little of it has remained in
the public ear "What are the Wild
Waves Saying" was suggested to DR..
Carpenter by scene from Dickens
novel, Dombey 4 Son, and the music was
by Glover.
Wrapping Old Stairs" are the old stairs
at Mapping, a fight leading down to the
water. Percy, a song writer of the last
century, musing on the scene which the
old stairs had seen, wrote the song
while sitting on them soon before they
were torn away to be replaced by others.
'Poor Jack" was from the pen of Char
les Dibdin, the author of the lamp
Lighter" Poor Jack1 netted $4,000
for its publisher, and almost nothing for
the author. The "Lamp.Lighter" was
happy inspiration. While Dibdin was
being shaved in dark shop lamp was
suddenly lighted in front and the fash is
seen in the song.
A sentimental song is song Which
embodies beautiful sentiment. 1t is
thus not necessarily love song, but may
be ofany character. Most arias in operas
are strictly speaking, sentimental songs,
as well as the large pro portion Of songs
which are sung in the social circles. One
of the best sentimental songsis "Days OF
Absence" written by Rousseau, the great
French skeptic, to carry out tavorite
idea of his that the most moving song is
by its very nature simple both in melody
and harmony. He also wrote another
song on three notes only TO show what
variety these three could give. "Stars of
the Summer Night" a very famous song
for serenaders, was written by
Alfred II. Pease, the noted pianist,
whose sad death in this city few months
ago was SO greatly deplored by his
friends. Loves Young Dream" was
one Of Muore's best, bat the tune
to which it is commonly sung is from
an Irish ballad called 1.-THE Old Wom-
an" Moore sang his own songs SO
we'll that both the auditors
Once when he was singing this song a
lady who heard him imp1ored him to
stop. "For heavens sake stop, this is not
fo, To
Is from one of Mozart's operas. while
away With Melancholy" is the slaves
chorus in the "Nfagic Flute" one OF his
best productions. "Auld Robin Gray"
was the work of Lady Anne Lindsay.
who tells curious story of the circum-
Gifts composition: II called to
my little sister, the only person near,
and said i have been writing ballad,
my dear. | am expressing my heroine
with many misfortunes, / have already
sent her Jamie 10 the sea, and broken
her fathers arm, and made her mother
fall sick, and given her Aud Robin Gray
for lover, but I wish to load her with
a fifth sorrow within the tour lines, poor
thing. Help me to one' STEAL the
cow said the little Elizabeth. The COW
was Immediately lifted by me and the
song completed" "Kathleen Ma.
was sold by Crouch
The author, for $25, and
brought the publishers as many thous-
ands. Crouch was hopelessly IMPROVE
lent, and in his latter days became a
tramp. When Nine. Titiens was in this
number of years ago she sung
Kathleen Mavournern" in New York,
when dirty tramp introduced himself
Is Crouch, was recognized, and thanked
Ter for singing the song so well. "Bon-
lie Doom" was the only English song the
Emperor Napoleon liked. He detested
Ill the music ofBritian, and at st. Helena
aid that it was the only tolerable COM
position the English had ever pro-
luced. "I'll hang my harp on a willow
rec" is said to have been the compost
ion of young English nobleman who
1ad fallen hopelesslv in love with the
princess Victoria. When she succeeded
o the throne, he gave up in despair and
wrote this famous ballad. "Annie
laurie" is 200 years old and was the pro-
luction Of a man name Douglass to cele-
)rate he praise of a girl
named Laurie. The lady afterward, with
rue femenine Inconsistency, de-
erted the man who made her
amous and married another man named
Ferguson. "Sally in our Alley" is as old