The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-07-18
POPULAR SONGS.
CURIOUS ORIGIN OF A NUMBER
OF FAMILIAR BALLADS.
What Suggested put Me in MY
Little Bed"-HistorY Of a College
Song-The Peculiar Origin
of "Evaneeline," Etc.

1t would seem almost that in later
years the success of a song has been in
direct proportion to the frivolity of its
subject. The composer, Dexter Smith,
is known to have made several attempts
before hitting the public taste, although
he had written many beautiful verses.
Upon one occasion he took copy of a
very carefully written composition to his
publisher, and that gentleman suggested
to him that he should publish it in a
first-class magazine, admitting frankly
that it was too good for him to make
available.
"What, then, does the public want2"
queried the astonishcd author.
"Something like this" was the reply,
and the publisher read to him several
extracts from the latest successful bal
lads.
Smith was disgusted and left the Of
fee. 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. l"
There is subject, thought the song
writer, and on reaching home he pro-
ceeded to write out what he considered
the fattest song of which he was capable.
The result of his effort was gladly &C.
cepted by the publisher and, to the poets
surprise, seemed equally to please the
public. In short, it was this song which
irst made the author famous, and the
sale of "Put Me in My Little Bed" soon
reached an enormous figure.
Probably no American song has a
more curious history than the favorite
college melody, 'It Was My Last Cigar"
The words were written some forty years
ago by student at Yale College named
Condit, and handed to James NJ. Hub
bard-now an important government
mail official, but at that time professor
of music at Yale-for him toset to music.
This Mr. Hubbard did at single sitting,
and the MS. was sent to New York for
publication. A copyright was then Sc
cured by filing in the office of the Pro-
bate Court in each county. Hubbard
took a proof sheet of the song, and
handed it with the fee to q Mr.. Cleve-
land, who was a clerk in the Office of
Probate Judge Blackman, and gave no
more thought to the matter for some
time. The song spread from college to
college, and after year or two the au-
thor found that it was beingpublisned all
over the country without either credit or
pecuniary benefit to himself.
On fastening to claim his royalties,
Mr.. Hubbard was defed and told that
he no copyright, which, on investigation,
proved to be the fact. The friend to
whom the music and fees had been given
had fallen dead the day after the trust
had been committed to him. Ten years
afterwards theidentical proof given
to Cleveland was found-still rolled up
and covered with dust-thrown up out
of sight upon the top of bookcase IN
the Probate Clerks Office in New Haven.
Over million copies of the song had
been sold by one Boston firm alone, who
admitted that they had made the largest
profits they had ever made on single
Sheet of music; but neither the author
of the words nor of the music ever real
lied a penny from this, the most popu-
lar college song ever written.
One of the most cur.ously written of
compositions is the celebrated song,
'Evangeline," by Will s. Hays, the pro-
life song writer, author of 'Mollie Dar.
ling" "Nora O'Neil,' and Some 200
other melodies.
"Evangeline" is without doubt the
song on record to bepenned upon plank
fence. It was one of Hays's earliest lyrics,
and was the result of a frolic, being
written when he was quite young.
The author was one of a party who one
evening chanced to attend social gath
ering in a small village in Kentucky.
Among the ladies present was one who
so strikingly resembled the ideal portrait
of Longfellow's "Evangeline'' that she
was at once given that nickname by the
young composer.
The company had organized a quar-
tette and had given large number of
popular selections during the evening.
It was bright, moonlight night when
they started to return home, and "Evan-
geline" suggested that they try some
new song.
II will write you song," said Hays,
eff you will promise to sing it before we
20 home"
This was enthusiastically agreed to.
1t so happened that there was new
white plank fence just opposite them at
that time. A fire had recently been
built near by and 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 quartette Of voices
on the four planks beneath. AS all
could read music they stood back short
distance and had no difficulty in singing
it.
The girls insisted on having chorus,
and the author went 10 the end Of the
fence and there wrote out the chorus.
The party sung it over, and at last went
home with it on their lips.
The following day Mr.. Hays was re-
quested by "Evangeline" to write out
copy on paper, but he laughingly told
her that she could go down to the fence
and copy it of. 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 an
other verse, and soon after the lady re-
turned to her home in st. Louis, taking
the song with her. On her singing it
there it attracted much attention, and
! she finally sent it back to the author to
have it published.
The manuscript was sent to nearly