Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-21

she thrilled with so much sweetness and
simplicity at once caught his fancy. He
accosted her, and after a few moments
conversation asked the name of the song,
which she was unable to give. However,
using his knowledge of music to good pur-
pose, he requested her to repeat the air,
while he proceeded to write down the
notes. He soon afterwards composed the
words, and, with the aid of musician
named Bishop, welded them to the Italian
air, Incorporating the song into his opera
of Clari," which soon gave it world
wide fame
The only rival to alone, Sweet Home"
is c. S. Fosters sold Folks at Home" As
musical critic has Justly said, had he not
made the words of the song local by intro
| ducing the Suwanee river, it might well
have equaled the former as the home song
of the world. Stephen Collins Foster was
a strangely retiring and diffident author
and some of his most beautiful songs were
composed under the most incongruous con-
ditions A writer who met him in New
York in 1852 says that his favorite haunt
was in tumble-down grocery near the
Bowery, in the little back room of which
one, at least, of his famous melodies was
written. Foster was true poet as well as
composer, and wrote both the words and
music of all his songs.
1t is said that the methods of Frank
Howard, the successful author of Only a
Pansy Blossom" and other songs, are
somewhat peculiar, and would astonish
many musicians. Mr.. Howard is negro
minstrel by profession. He writes the
words of his songs himself, and then with
the other members of the company, pro-
ceeds to drum out on hotel pianos suit
able air. 1t sometimes requires several in
struments and changes of scene to produce
taking song, which, when completed, is
written out and tried upon the audience in
the evening. If the song pleases it is sent
to the publisher and put upon the market.
The composer, Dexter Smith, is known
to have made several attempts before hit
ing the public taste, although he had
written many beautiful verses. Upon one
occasion, as in deep reflection he strobe
along the streets of Boston, he heard an
untidy urchin cry out to his mother:
Say, ma'am, put me in my little bed"
There is a subject, thought the song writer,
and on reaching home he proceeded to
write out what he considered the flattest
song of which he was capable. The result
of his effort was gladly accepted by the
publisher, and, to the poets surprise
seemed equally to please the public. In
short, it was this song which first made
the author famous, and the sale of "Put
Me in My Little Bed" soon reached an
enormous figure.
The familiar Peek-a-Boo," which has
now been worn nearly threadbare, was, ac-
cording to its author, Mr.. Scanlan, an in
splration of the moment. 1t was suggested
by the gambols of some children, who
were playing around the door where he
was sitting idly picking out tunes upon an
accordion. As the children peeped curl
ously into his door he began to say Peek
a-boo," nodding his head at the same time
Unconsciously the instrument played few
notes to suit what he was saying, and the
idea of a new melody struck his fancy
He Immediately wrote off the chorus of
Peek-a-Boo" upon an envelope, and
added few stanzas afterward, touching up
the song at his leisure.
Evangeline" is without doubt the first
song on record to be penned upon plank
fence. 1t was one of Hays earliest lyrics,
and was the result of frolic, being written
when he was quite young. The author
was one of a party who one evening
CHANGED to attend a social gathering in a
small village in Kentucky. Among the
ladies present was one who so strikingly
resembled the ideal portrait of Longfel-
lows Evangeline" that she was at once
given that nickname by the young COM
poser. The company had organized a
quartet and had given large number of
popular selections during the evening 1t
was bright, moonlight night when they
started to return home, and Evangeline"
suggested that they try some new song.
81 will write you a song," said Hays,
''if you will promise to sing it before wego
home"
This was enthusiastically agreed to- 1t
SO happened that there was a new white
plank fence just opposite them at that
time. A fire had recently been built near
by and a number of charred sticks lay
scattered around. Picking up several of
these, Hays walked over to the fence and
proceeded to write the first verse of his
song on the top plank, and the notes for
the quartet of voices on the four planks
beneath. As all could read music, they
stood back short distance and had no diff
ticulty in singing it. The girls insisted on
having chorus, and the author went to
the end of the fence and there wrote out
the chorus. The party sang it over and
over, and at last went home with it on
their lips.
The following day Mr.. Hays was re-
quested by /" Evangeline " to write out a
copy on paper, but he laughingly told her
that she could go down to the fence and
copy it off. The young lady took him at
his word, and though it was raining hard
she started out and returned with the
words and music complete. To reward her,
Hays then added another verse, and soon
after the lady returned to her home in St.
Louis, taking the song with her. On her
singing it there it attracted much atten-
ton, and she finally sent it back to the
author to have it published l. Charles r.
Adams, in the Musical Journal
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