The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-08

Next after the beggars and street ped
lers, in the line of nuisances, cone the
street musicians, vocal and instrument
al Which are the most exasperating
has never yet been determined, though
tits generally conceded that peculiar
kind of mechanical piano, which is
rolled about on wheels and industriously
ground by an able-bodied ruf1ian, is bet
ter calculated than anything else they
have to drive one to madness. 1t is
much worse than the regular hand or
gan which the Italian takes with him or
finds in america, for its power is great
err, The pipe organs are not so bad, for
there is something soft and not al
together unpleasant in their wheeze, and
ever and anon soft, pleasant note is
struck, but these machine pianos are
regular stringed instruments. operated
with a crank, and metallic strings at that,
so that they will last long time, and
as they are never tuned, and are inva-
riably ont, there is something tiendish
in the effect they produce. There is one
company in Naples that manufactures
these instruments and lease them to the
lazaroni who infest the streets, for a
small sum per day, which is paid just
before they start out in the morning. As
the owners name is upon them in large
letters, the grinder cannot sell or pawn
them. And. SO he has fol- profit what
ever the long suffering people choose to
give as immunity from the horrible
combination of discord that afflicts them.
You can get rid of one by the pay
ment of say three cents, though to close
the instrument and leave before the ''se-
lection is finished requires, say, five.
They hunt in couples, the organ being
accompanied by tamborine, the latter
instrument being convenient to pass
around for coppers. But for the tambo-
rine the organist would be put to the
exertion of producing shell in which
to receive the blackmail
There are bands of guitarists who are
not quite so tormcnting, for the guitar
does not produce the volume of sound
of the piano, and then there are violinists
and cornetists, and fully equipped bands
who do serenades, unless bought of,
skillfully
But the great nuisance are the mixed
parties of vocal and instrumental must
clans, always a quartette. There is a
guitar, first and second violin and a
mandolin, the latter being diminutive
guitar with metal strings which produce
a sharp, ear-piercing tone. These
people sing and play alternately, going
through programme. at the conclusion
of which they take up regular collec-
tons, and you must give whether or no,
because nobody wishes to look mean.
These people get permission to play in
the halls of the hotels during dinner,
and on the excursion boats to the various
points of interest in the bay.
The national music of Naples is pecu-
liar and has strongly marked character
istics. 1t is all a rollicking smooth,
easy to catch sort of composition, the
kind of taking music that though you
have heard an air but once it stays with
you, and you catch yourself humming
or whistling it for months after. 1t is
like everything belonging to the people,
snowy and ornate. rather brigandish
than otherwise, and on the whole, when
you can get just enough of it and nc
more. rather pleasing. 1t is full Of
pleasing chords and cadences, explosive
at times but always mellow and ex-
pressive. Very much of it is devoted
to including the idea that Naples is the
only spot on earth worth living in. which
would be true could very severe and
merciless epidemic destroy the natives
and make room for decent population
D. r. Locke, in Toledo Blade.