The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-04-17
Making Sweet Songs.
Paul Hull in Chicago Ne,os.

VINO has not Deen awakened IRON
sleep in the early morning hours by
some party of home-going jewellers sing.
ing, "Way down upon the Suwanee
river1" The melodious music invades
the half-roused senses like dream, and
the dreamer does not resist it. He
closes his eyes again to listen-motion-
less. He has heard the old song many
times before; he can anticipate every
word and note; there is no novelty in
it for him, but he is not provoked at
being awakened. He listens dreamily
and lets the music bring to him thoughts
of home-not the home of his manhood,
made happy by wife and children, but
the dream home of his childhood, where
mother was.
The old song never grows old. Every
body sings it and everybody loves to
hear it sung. No matter at what time
or place its music rises, there will be
found respectful audience. Not even
the street gamin will cry "chestnuts!
home without knowing why.
JOURNALIST, MUSICIAN AND MECHANIC.
There stood in the city of Pittsburg,
forty years ago, cottage at 81 Pearl
street. 1t was cosy home, with vine
covered windows and broad hearth
stone. 1t was the home of Charles P.
Shiras and his mother, familiarly known
to her friends as "Aunt Becky" Shiras.
Charles Shiras had two particular friends
of his own age, Stephen c. Foster and
John Hull These men had been COM
panions from their boyhood, and death
alone broke off their friendship.
Shiras was literary genius. He was
well-educated, brilliant, and possessed
of fertile, active mind. He was am
bilious and animated by the noblest
purposes. For some years, and at the
time of his death, he was connected
with The Pitks6u,g Commercial Journal
All his literary work was full of merit,
and many of his productions gained
wide attention. He published two
small volumes of poems, the best known
of which are "Dollars and Dimes;"
Redemption of Labor" and "The
Iron City," These he considered his
best work, but he strangely refused to
publicly acknowledge the authorship of
the beautiful songs which would have
given his name, with that of Foster. a
Worldwide fame. He erred in his judg-
ment of the effect they would produce,
and, in his ambition for higher flights,
considered them childish and foolish.
Foster was musician and composer.
His soul was full of the poetry of sound.
He had fine, efeminate face, and his
nature was as soft and yielding as a
maiden's. He was a dreamer, often
sad and melancholy, and every bar OF
his beautiful, simple music is marked
with the characteristics of his nature.
He found close sympathy in the fine,
poetic mind of Shiras, and both found
sympathy and encouragement IN the
more rugged and aggressive nature OF
their mutual friend, Hull.
Hull was mechanic, working for his
daily bread from earliest boyhood. Un-
like his friends, he had no eQuCauon;
but the circumstances of his life gave
him strong. good sense and clear judg-
ment. He was lover of the beautiful,
and he found much to admire in his
friends Shiras and Foster. He had q
musical voice, and Foster, who could
not sing, taught him music. He had
retentive memory, and from Shiras he
learned much of literature. He became
the critic Of the productions of both hi'
friends, and his judgment of poem OF
a song was to them all-Sufflcient.
TRIO OF KINDRED SPIRITS.
And so a beautiful friendship existed
between these three in boyhood, In
youth, and until their early manhood.
when Shiras died. They were together
during all their leisure time, and "many
happy hours they squandered" in "Aun1
Becky" Shiras' little back parlor. Il
was here that Shiras, in his resting mo
ments, wrote those beautiful songs tt
please his friend Foster; it was here
I,1al rOSIeT CUnpOoUd music fe- tIs..n r.
please himself and his friend Hull, ant
it was here that Hull sang them for thu
pleasure of all. 49,.
The first song they published wa
cold Uncle Ned" Foster sold it to
Pittsburg house for 500. With thu
money he purchased small piano an(
placed it in "Aunt Becky" Shiras llttl'
parlor. And on this little piano wa
afterward played music which has gone
around the world. "Old Uncle Ned
made its appearance about the yea
1870. and Immediately became popular
Within three years later Shiras ano
Foster together produced "Old Folk
at Home" "susannah, Don't You CRY
for Me-" "Gentle Annie. ""Hard Time
Come Again No More" "My Old Ken
tuckv Home" "Massa's in de Cold
Cold Ground" cold Dog Tray
"Willie, We Have Missed You, ""Com'
Where My Love Lies Dreaming ane
others fully as popular.
1t is certain that Shiras wrote th'
lines of nearly all these songs, excep
"Come Where My Love Lies Dream
ing.'' Foster was willing and anxiou
to share their authorship with his frient
Sliras, but the latter often laughlngl
told Foster that he was welcome to al
the reputation he would get from thei
publication.
Poor Shiras died when he was 2
years old, before he dreamed that tn
songs which he had written in an idl
fancy, as a mere pastime, would live i
every home in the Christian world
Mrs. lane Swisshelm wrote his obituary
| He left young wife and a girl baby
| This baby is now buxom wife an
| mother of babies.
Foster lived some years after tn
death of his friend. He went to Ne
York city, where he died in 1864, frol
the effects of fall in the Bowery. H
was widely known and very popula
His funeral was attended largely by II
literary, theatrical, and musical classe
"Aunt Becky" Shiras, who so ofte
ccolded Hthe bovs'' for staying I'D la