The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-03
JOSEPH TASSO.


 fi;cia;sat Cory. of The ArkdhsdW Tratvier.
 In comfortable brick cottage on d quiet back street in Covington across the river, sits an old man calmly await ing death He has lived long beyond the allotted three-Score years and ten, and his life story is romantic one. Al though Death foot is on the threshold thceottage is not a solemn nor sad house. It is home of melody, and de licious bits of song and music bubble out from II whenever the door is opened or window raised The old man is Joseph Tasso, the pioneer of music in the Ohio valley the first music teacher of Cincinnati the man who wrote The Arkansaw Traveller" and who, fifty years ago delighted audiences with it's comical story and infectious music. For six weeks he has been confined to his house, and to his chair-tor he dares not lie down His disease is of the heart, and the doctor says 1t is more that his organism is nearly worn out than of disease proper that now threat ems him. He Is sinking into the grave as softly as a child sinks to sleep All his life has been a source of joy and sunshine to his friends and neighbors, and now he is reaping his reward in ten der care and kind wishes
 Since his illness became known he has received hundreds of letters asking for his autograph, from all over the country.
 Marie De Los Angeles Jose Tasso was born in the City of Mexico on August 3, 1902. His father was an Italian, of good family of Turin, who had a great passion for travel great curiosity about the places and peoples of America and an ample forum" with which to gratity his tastes.-Ht- was an uXorious old fcl- low, too, and believed in marriage a> d divine institution of which he could lot get too much, for he married, one after another, seven wives. in all Josephs mother being the fourth Her father had been governor of an Italian state, so the young Tasso had no reason to feel ashamed of his progenitors She Wa, the mother of four sons, all of whom grew to seven feet of stature save Jose. That son inherited from his father pas fa fOn1naSS fCp and liar aptness with the violin. At six he could play exceedingly well. and in two more years had made such marvellous progress for child that he was sent to Europe to receive all the advantages the famous schools of Paris could confer on him. From lSl0 to lSl6 he was most of the time in the Paris Conservatoire de Musique, under the celebrated Chem bini who was much impressed with his little pupil from far off Mexico, and gave him every possible advantage Later he was under the instruction of Prof Maille. Accidentally Tasso attracted the attention of !. B. Ballot the first solo violinist of Paris. and his musical education from that time was assured
 Those Were stirring times in Paris then and young Tasso saw much of them for boy, for he spent most of his time when not studying i'll seeing the sights, and the recollections of those days are now the most cherished of his "reminiscences He was in Paris when Bonaparte was in the height of his pow CT and deli ights to tell of all he saw and heard then: of the sixteen beautiful horses sent to Napoleon by the emperor of Morocco; the internal machine placed in the street to destroy the first consul and the began boy who touched 1t and was blown into thousand pieces and of the brave coachman who whipped up his horses, saved his master life and was decorated with the bright badge of the Legion of Honor by Napoleon for it. But the boy got homesick now and then He had few letters, of course. in those days of packet ships, but when one did come it made the lad long to see America and-his handsome mother again. Meantime his father had located, for while, at Richmond, Va, and dealt in precious stones. One day he met a party of strangers in the street He knew them for Americans, he laughingiy