The Portland daily press., 1883-05-30
a Writer of Songs.
Stephen c. Foster and His Many Sweet
Ballads.

tine Nilson paid to the memory of Stephen
G. Foster, when, in response TO an encore at
one of the Mendelssohn concerts recently.
she sang cold Folks at Home, and applause
such as rarely greeted an artist followed its
rendition. And it was an appreciation of
this tiibute thai won this Swedish songstress
so many friends during her brief stay
at the home and among the friends of the
great song writer.
There has been great deal written with
in the past twenty years concerning Stephen
G. Foster, and it has all been more or less
colored to suit the fancy of the writer's or
woven into romantic story without founda-
ton or fact. Fosters wife is still living in
Allegheny, while his only daughter, Marian.
is the wife of Walter Welsh, of Chicago. OF
other relations there are but two living-his
brother, Morrison Foster, of Allegheny, and
a sister, the wife of Rev. Edward Y. Bucha-
nan, of Philadelphia.
THE SONG WRITER'S LIFE.
Stephen Collins Foster was born in Law
renceyille, now portion of the Fifteenth,
Sixteenth and Seventeenth wards of Pitts
burg, ON the 4th of July, 1926. His father,
William b. Foster, ST., was quite wealthy
and resided on the old Philadelphia pike,
back from the road, in frame cottage
house, painted white, with green blinds.
Splendid trees surrounded the early home of
the musician, while back of it, stretching
rods away over the hill, was a magnificent
grove of walnut and oak. The Foster resi-
dence was then known to almost every resi-
dent of the growing city of Pittsburg aud AL
legheny town, as the northside city was then
known. William B. Foster laid out the bor-
rough OF Lawrenceyille, and the homestead,
in the centre of these hundreds of acres,
was for many years after the city had
stretched eastward and absorbed the modest
borough, a landmark to the older people.
The elegant residence Of an iron prince now
occupies the site of the old homestead, on
Penn avenue, at the head of Seth sstreet, the
name the old Philadelphia pike assumed
when it became one of the city thorough
fares. One picture of Fosters early home is
extant. 1t is in the possession of Mrs. Blu
chanan of Philadelphia.
The author of sold Folks at Home'' came
into this world amid the boom of cannon
and blare of horns from the arsenal, half a
mile distant from his fathers house He
was the seventh in line of descent, there be
ing eight children in all. His eldest brother
was formerly state surveyor and afterwards
vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.
FOND OF MUSIC.
There was no early precocity developed BY
hoe t1.o&
young, he developed love for music. moth
ing phenomenal, however, but such as any
boy surrounded with accomplished sisters
might manifest. Old John Kelley, Rev. Jo-
seph Stockton and Nathan Todd were his
preceptors during the time he was acquiring
rudimentary education, but Stephen was
sorry routine student. He was never salts
fed with the drowsy hum of the schoolroom.
and frequent gaps in his record of attend
ance testified to his love of woods and fields.
When he was Is years of age, slight, dark
eyed lad, he went to Towando, where his
brother. William B. Foster, was engaged in
some work as State Engineer He attended
a small college at Athens, Pa, for a year or
more, and here he gave the first evidence of
the genius that afterwards marked his life in
such an eminent degree. He composed a
march, and at the college commencement
had it performed by quartette of flutes, the
composer being one of the performers. ssTi-
oga March was the name of this first pro-
duction. 1t was never published, aud the
was lost. and nothing bnt the
name remains.
AN ERRATIC STUDENT.
Young Foster did not graduate at Athens.
but returned home. and at the age of fifteen
entered Jefferson College, at Cannonsbu4g.
Pa. His course here was erratic and reck-
less. He showed marked preference for
the study of French, German and music. to
the detrimens of the remainder of the
course. When not away from the college
grounds, among the hills and woods, he was
studying musical harmonies. Everything
he accomplished wash snatches and at odd
He finally returned home, where
he pursued his studies under the direction of
a tutor. At this time his parents had re-
moved to Allegheny City, at the corner of
what IS now known as East Park and East
Diamond streets, and it was in this house
that all his earlier songs were written The
first published composition was a serenade.
"Open Thy Lattice, Love, the music alone
being Fosters work. He was then about
sixteen years Of age.
Melodies seemed TO float through his
BRAIN said his brother, speaking on the
subject, day or two ago. IAN idea would
strike him and he would note it down.
have known him to get up in the middle of
the night, light candle and note down
dozen bars of some melody that was ringing
in his ears. After he had it completed to
his satisfaction he would write words to suit
the notes.
HIS NEGRO MELODIES.
Foster was II when his first negro melody.
Louisiana Belle" appeared, the words and
music being his own composition. There is
an impression that he wrote his negro melo-
dies under inspiration gathered from associ-
alton for brief period with the ''children
in bondage" in the South. 1t is a mistake.
however, for at that time Stephen C. Foster
knew nothing of the Southern land, and il
was not until three years after that he saw
the plantation darky in all of his antebellum
peculiarities and life. In the two years fol-
lowing the appearance Of his Louisiana
Belle, he wrote the wordsand music of sold
uncle Ned" "Oh, Susanna and "Way
Down Southn
Along in 1916 be went 10 Cincinnati, Ohio
and accepted position under his brother.
Cumming Men. Foster, as book-keeper, the
former being engaged in the merchandise
and boating trade. After two years behind
the desk Stephen forsook mercantile life.
During this period, however, he composed
sentimental song, Stay, Summer Breath
Hnlcn was puOllshed IN the East. While in
Cincinnati he met w. G. Peters. who had
formerly been music teacher In his fathers
family In Pittsburg. Peters was then en-
barking in business as music publisher in
Cincinnati, and Foster presented him with
the manuscript Of sold Uncle Ned'' and
"Oh, Susanna" lie was not writing for gain
at that time and thought nothing of the val
ue of bis production. Years afterward Pet
ers confessed that those two songs we're the
nucleus of the business enterprise he sue
ceeded in establishing, and that not legs
than $4,000 was realized from their publi
cation: Foster never derived any royalty
from them.
BALLAD WHITING AS A BUSINESS.
In his young manhood Stephen G. Foster
was small in stature, clean-cut but rather
heavy features, prominent nose and farce
dark eyes. He was an interesting conyersa.
Llonalist, but not demonstrative. One peeu-
liarity that marked his life was a habit of TO-
norlng his acquaintance on the street. An.
parently absorbed in himself, he would no
tice no person on the street. When % veare
of age he began to derive a very resnecfable
income from his songs, and then fret thouobt
Of writing ballads as a business, It beino
more to his taste and peculiar inclination
than anything else. He had already mt
twenty five or more songs before The public.
but now he entered into contract with
Firth, Pond q Co. to publish his compost
ions. In 1850 he wrote ''Nelie was Lady,"
fIna 6 -