Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1885-09-24
A BORN MUSICIAN.
priginal.I


"WLst OF him!
This Is the most remarkable thing ever
heard Of supposed every one knew joseph
Briggs He was Torn musician. II was a
tradition OF bis infancy that he sang dis
tnctly ali the tunes he had heard before he
could speak a word, and il is "A nlat:er of
record that he often made his poor OH father
marcl in tms - his mu sic before he was six
months old. When he grew older ne took
TO glas e as naturally as a TOPPER and he
fashioned many tunes out of them with the
help of hammer With his pinafores he
had drum, and nouth-or.an canie with
his first bcotl Wncl Joseph was ten wears
Of az bis father moved from lis native
village 20 this city, and the yar.ou5 musical
attractions # the metropolis captured the
youthful Apollo hand aud boot lie offered
such pecun.ary encouragement 10 hand
organs, street bands, s.ro.ling ylolini is and
sagrant vocalists tia neighto applied 20
the board Of health for relief. and the value
OF real estate in that vi.inis5 suffered
visible decline.
"Most boys have periods in their lives
which are denoted by changes in the style
of sheir habiliments. but epccLs H. young
Mr.. Briggs career were marked by altera-
tionS in the form OF his musical pastimes.
He passed naturally from tn hand organ
to the flute period, which CORE spondel with
the hair-oil and cravat age in normal and
unmusical youths When this interesting
time arrived the name of Joseph Briggs be-
gan to be noised abroad throughout the
D ma Ifrfh fhsNYl f,.
more vigorous than polite and as the soft
summer air waited the strains OF his toot-
mgs over the back fences and down the
street there came responses both deep and
loud, and the people began to wish that he
hal never been torn. But when in the
first blush OF his young manhood he laid
aside the mournful six-keyel flute and took
up the brazen cornet, for the first time did
the populace. as one man, have murder In
Its heart. When in the solemn stiffness of
the night he glued his lips to MS cornet and
blew his lungs into "Eome Sweet Home"
the cats came out Of their hiding places and
arrayed themselves ON the back fence,
speechless with green eyed envy.
when Joseph Briggs practiced on the cor
net nature held it, peace. There was only
room in tie world for one such noise at a
time Fortunately one night while attempt
iny an aria from 'Traviata' on two differ
ent keys be sprained ms right lung. and for
a time the neighbors were pleased TO learn
that his life was despairel o. After hover
ing between life and death for several |
weeks hs finally recovered, but his coruet
days were happily over.
''He next took up the piano. but again /
the fates interfered in the cause of public 4
health. An accident bereft him of several /
fingers of his right hand. When this news |
was proclaimed the re joicings were general.
But the public is easily delude1, as any /
theatrical manager can readily testify.
Joseph's wounds were no sooner healed than
he purchased violin. The accident which
rendered his piano playing uneven did not
IN the lecst interfere with his manipulation
Of the violin bow.
"H the other phases Of Joseph's musical
career had been vexatlous, this was posi-
tivelY agoliz:ng, and life in the neighbor-
hood began to assume the shape Of pcnance.
AT the end of twoyears of constant practice,
Mr. Il. .ggs hal acquired sufficient proficiency
10 join an orchestral society AMI on one even
ing a week the afflicted neighborhood slept
in peace. Finally the organization took up
the study of Wagner, and Provideace again
interposed in behalf Of the people Joseph
carelessly attended a rehearsal one evening
without taking the precaution to place cot
ton in his ears, and when the sinister brass
instr n,c...s s-e,led On a forte passage, his
ear-drums gave way and be was stone deaf
This casualty was made the cause of public
rejoicing throughout the entire block, and
the leading social club changed its name 10
the wagner Society" in grateful re:neTl-
brance of the occasion. But alas for human
hopes, the loss OF his hearing only made Mr..
Briggs the more axious to play. and as his
affiiction rendered him incapable OF knowing
whether he was playing in tune or not, his
performances cast a gloom over thu com
munity only less sombre than a total eclipse.
''While Mr.. Briggs was the unconscious
center OF so much Indignation, he was not
without support in the neighbOrhood Miss
Mary Jones was the daughter of a retired
brewer, and lived amid much maSnifcence
in the same block. She was pretty - ccom-
nlished, and as tine only heir to her fathers
wealth. lie was the object of large amount
of attention among the eligible young men Of
the neighborhood. When Mis- Jones first
heard Joseph Briggs play she was outspoken
in conformation Of his efforts, but as the
general wrath grew stronger her anger
changed to pity. Size, too, was musician.
She played the banjo, end realized what it
was not to be appreciated.
"As Mr.. Briggs troubles began to accumu-
late Miss Jones' pity changed to sympathy,
and when his overworked ears gave way she
took measures to make his acquaintance.
their conversation at first was
necessarily beses with difficulties 1t led
direct to love, and at the time Mr.. Briggs
resumed his violin playing quiet we'd
ding was solemnzed in the brewers man
sion and Miss Jones became the deaf musi-
clans bride. The first effect OF this was to
make Joseph more execrated than ever.
Cankerous envy was added TO the other
feelings with which he was regarded, but in
a shcrt time this wore away, and In less
than two months no enc in the neighbor-
hood was more respected and liked than
Joseph Briggs
II suppose he quit his practcing" OBJ
served Mr. Badger.
''Not at ALL" replied the Major. He
PLAYED more assiduously than ever"
"Well,n remarked Mr.. Badger, sagely, 1T
makes considerable difference whether a