Wichita eagle., 1886-11-28
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Ia1I1( Sgole
A STREET CORNETIST.
A MAN WHO MAKES A F.AlR LW-
ING AT HIS VOCATION.

Thrown Out OF Steady Employment and
Forced to DO the "strcet Act ''-Bits
of Experience-CIass OF Custorncrs-Tl,e
Receipts.
What BrooLlynite happening in the vicinity
OF the city hall daily has failed to notice O
tall, well-dressed individual carrying q cornet
under his arm? II tho observer be curious
and take the pains to watch the owner Of the
cornet he VIII find that musician, for such no
Is, viii take a position in Fulton street, be
tween Adams street and Myrtle avenue, end
after many h0urishes viii play the opening
notes OF some popular melody Of the day.
reporter, in company with a score Of idleTs
listened to the street musician while he per-
formed selections from the "Mil;ado" and la
Traviata." The impromptu concert was rot
confined to popular music. by any means.
When the cornetist had worked the block for
all it was worth he made his way to neigh
BORN. saloon, where he was found by the re-
porter seated at a table, quafIing a glass Of
beer with apparent relish. He said:
TRYING THE 'STREET ACT"
1.-TWO years ago l was a member of a thea
ter orchestra in New York, but losing my
y
living, / concluded to try the street act
Does it pay: Wen, yes; although suppose
asteady job would pay better When in an
orchestra | received $50 per week, but il, the
summer / have made nearly twice that sum
in the same space of time. | have just re
turned from a tour of the watering places.
InSaratoga Ipass.d two weeks, during which
| made SO. l put up at a cheap boarding
house and saved my money. At Long
Branch didn't do 50 wei, but managed to
pay expenses. Street cornet playing IS no
novelty, but yet many men seem 20 make
fair living az it.
"Are al street musicians artists"
Not by amy means. The larger part of
the violiIlists, harpis;s and cornetists playing
IL the street are 'hamfats' But two street
cornetists whom 1 know ever played il or
chestras. While / find Brooklynitcs very
generous | always make. more money in
Wall street. For tho past two months | have
visited Wall New and Broad streets almost
daily. The brokers having nothing to do in
the summer conSrcgate on the sidewalks and
hail with delight the coming of the street
cornetist Sometimes in Wall street I have
played to an audience OF 800 brokers and
their CLERKS. Money: Wen, l should think
So Last Friday ! collected IS in twice that
number of minutes"
The thought that his musical qualities were
at least appreciated on that occasion made
the cornetist smile, and he condescendingly
allowed the reporter to set em up again.
Exhibiting his brass cornat the street I4usi-
clan cOntinued:
GIVES \ BIGGER VOLUME.
Il had that instrument specially made for
me. You see it is larger than the ordinary
cornet and gives a bigger volume of sound
It IS necessary TO have such an instrument
for street purposes. The constant passing of
trucks lessons the sound of the lower notes of
the coTnet | seldom play anything Of a
classical nature unless requested to- although
| am perfectly competent to DO 50. Beside,
classical music isn't popular find that Old
familiar songs and waltZcs are better appre-
Ciated. Nancy Lee" "Home, Sweet Home"
"Molly Darling" and similar compositions
never seem to tire tie people. In many OF
the poorer districts my cOrnet is enjoyed, |
can tell You. My customers are not con-
fined 20 the wealthy You smile when [ say
customers Probably you think | don't have
such things. l know Of two little children
living in Montague street who look forward
to my coming each week with a great deal OF
pleasure. They save up their pennies for me
hearty welcome in that street, at least
"Am / married? Yes. and live il Brook
Ign. | support nay wife and four children
nicely from the earnings gained by my cor
net. The life of a street musician is an in
dependent one. He can work when he
pleases, and is not restricted rs to his terri
tory. When Brooklyn and the adjacent
cities become unproductve, l propose to
move my family to Chicago. 1 learn that
the west has not rs yet been visited by street
coTnetiSts. III rainy weather | stay home
and help nay wife tend the babies The liquor
stores are great temptations to street mpsi- |
clans. Many proprietors of liquor stores |
appreciate music and seldom refuse to pat |
ronize street musicians, but their apprecia- |
ton shows itself in The shape of drinks and |
cigars, and not money If a man is natu- |
rally inclined to drink. he win soon become a !
drunkard, if he accepts every drink offered |
him. In winter don't make so much money |
as in the summer, but manage to save enough |
during the warm weather to help me bridge !
over the cold. Eagle