Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-02-02
POPULAR SONGS.

The st. Louis Republican says: "Auld
Lang syne" is popularity supposed to be the
composition of Burns, but, in fact, be wrote
only the second and third verses of the bal
lad as commonly sung, retouching the others
from an older and less familiar song. 1.-The
Old Oaken Bucket" was written by Wood
worth in New York city during the hot
summer of 1917. He came into the house
and drank n glass of water, and then said /:
How much more refreshing it would be to
take good long drink from the old oaken
bucket that used to hang in my fathers
we'll" His wife suggested that it was q
happy thought for poem. He sat down
and wrote the song as we have it, "Wood.
man, Spare that Tree" was the result of an
incident that happened to George p. Morris.
friends mother had owned n little s,,lace
in the country which she was obliged, from
poverty, to sell On the property grew q
large oak which had been planted by his
grandfather. The purchaser of the house
and land proposed to cut down the tree, and
Morris's friend paid him $40 for bond that
the oak should be spared. Morris heard the
story, saw the tree, and wrote the song.
"Oft in the Silly Night" WINS produced by
Moore after his family had undergone ap-
parently every possible misfortune. One of
his children died young, another went astray,
and a third was aocidently killed "The
Light of Other Days" was written to be in
PRODUCED into Balfe's opera, 1.-THE Maid of
Artois- The opera is forgotten, but the
song still lives, and is as popular as ever.
Payne wrote "Home, Sweet Home" to help
fill up an opera he was preparing, and at
first it had four stanzas. The author never
received anything for it, but though the opera
was failure when played in the Covent
Garden Theatre, the song took, and over
100, 900 copies were sold the first year. In
two years the publishers cleared over $40, 600
by the publication: and the variations, tran
scription and limitations have been innumer-
able. The melody is believed to be a Sicilian
air, and Donizetti has variation of it in his
opera anna Bolena" Payne was afterward
appointed American Consul at Tunis, where
he died, and whence his remains the other
day were sent TO America. Some of his
miseries may be gus,sed from his own words:
How often have been in the heart of
Paris, Berlin, London, or some other city,
and have heard persons singing or hand
organs playing Home, Sweet Home, with
out having q shilling to buy myself the next
meal, or place to lay my head. The world
Inns literally sung my song till every heart is
familiar with its melody: yet have been
wanderer from my boyhood, and, in my old
age have to submit to humiliation for my
bread" Fosters "Old Folks at Home WIS
the best song he ever wrote. Over 400, 900
copies were sold by the firm that first pub
lished it, and the author is said to have
received $4,000 for his share in its sale.
Christy, the noted minstrel, paid $400 for
the privilege of having his name printed on
one edition of "Old Folks at Home" as the
author and composer. The song is thus often
enormously attributed to him. Rock me
10 Sleep" was written by Mrs Allen of Maine
She was paid IS for it, and Russell d Co. of
Boston, who had in three years gained "a, 600
by its sale, offered her SIS apiece for any
songs she might write. Some years after,
when poor widow and in need of money,
the sent them a song which was promptly
rejected. "a Life on the Ocean Wave"
by Epes Sargent, was pronounced failure
BY his friends. The copyright of the song
became very valuable, though Sargent never
got anything from it himself. "What are
he Wild Waves Saying7" was suggested to
Dr. Carpenter by scene from Dickens
novel, "Dombey & Son, )" and the music was
~ Glover. Poor Jack" was from the pen
II Charles Dibdin, the author of the Lamp
lighter" Poor Jack" netted $25, 600 for
is publisher, and almost nothing for the
Luthor