Wichita eagle., 1888-07-01
SOME FAMOUS SONGS.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER
WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN.

c. Fosters wcrk - Frank Howsrd'si
+ NethoS,s-Dexs=r Smiths Eit-scznian,x
InspiratioS-YsnneSiU Upon = Plank Fesec.
Almost the only exception to tire usuai OBJ
s-urity Of Sozg writsrs IS John Howard
Payne, OF WHOM mere kzs probably beer.
written and printed Than Of al ctA<=s com
pine1i Nevertheless. a. ranca tnst hsy ap-<
5earei N r~azsioa to hs nxnsous susg
'Hemc. SWEET BONA hiss been purely I'm
aginary. ne rssy, pe-hspS> be psrsured II We
Introduce n.xe the sr-ss s;xry Of tsc coxnpcxl-
ton % this far far-3 roesusS
Fl WIS In It..y thai Payne first hard IN
! air Tor szfsch bis scz- wes vTit.xa As he
wg.s strulznS o1s rzrz&zy ssrag quies
country ruxsd be uzs Etrurk ey tho sweet
voice or p..zsas girA> wao v-r< cr-yt-1g 20
the city q h4sSrs Laden Nth e1rrrs and fruis-;
The p.ainrive sir winch shc t-Elhc. VITA 50
n1rch sEss<nesx sid ssFa-ssSary asancecazEhe
his fancy. he cuz<z-d her, and sfser = few
moments caISersxttnn askei s>e rzaH q tbs
song. which xes ssss szsshlc % givs- How
ever, rxias. ks knDwfaSe Of rIsrcc 70 good
purposs. he sSx;zssSssd irSr To rspc.f tsss SIR,
while be procee<kd 90 wr3se dorm the nosez.l
with the and Of HlusiGHzn Exzse1 B<hops
/
ing the sorg iss.D rs OPERA OF sC..ari. .
econ gave L. word wi<le fExa
| The only rival % sKIasre SaperS Horza.r
is s. G 2x1rrs ssol2 Fagls at Rcsra~ Al
a musical cxzesc hxs Js.z.3y szai. Bad hs nos
made tho surrss cf 10 sung bs-zi BY 3usrr>1
duclr< Che S<rzzEts river, Z night web
have eqgIxAas sie isYxaar - she kczzse song ot
the worA SEandna CcflilS FosScr xRs .
strangely rst2rirg and Gll-Steat z1sho=, and
some OF his H,1xt bczHt:ul spas-s were com
posed unSsrsee mast inesaaSruous euuSlISicns,
/ 4 writer ~hc met nam N New Y srk n ISsl
SAYS tha. hzs fsyorite haunt wzss in q ErsFnbiec
down grocery near the Bowsry. IN tAs htlis
back room Of which one, at least. Of biz
/ famous melodies was written Foster was n
| true poet as well as COMPOST, and wroto
| both the words and music Of all rs scarS
1t Is said that the methods OF Drank How.
! ard, the suacezcSfUl sss1ttsar OF ~0riy fs.fsY
| Blossom and other songs. ara somewhat pc
cahar, and would EstonsSh mary musicians
/ Mr. Howard Is a negro minstrel by prufss-
/ sion. He writes the words CT his soES-g him
self, aud then with the other saerabes-s uf che
company, proceeds 70 6l1irn cut Ga hotel
| pianos n slitSble air II SOMETIMES recfairsxs
| several instruments and changes q ACNE %
4 produce "a taking song. which, wilau com
petea, is written oct ard trisi upcn the
audience IN the evening II lhcsong phases
1t Is sent to the publisher and put upon the
market.
The composer, Dexter Smith, is known to
have made several attempts before hitting
the public tnste, although he had written
many beautiful verses Upon one occasion,
as IN deep reibsc1fon be stroSle uloug the
streets Of Boston, he heard IN Gutidy trrf IN
cry out 70 has mother: "Say, yua'a1El, put mo
IN my httlo bed" There Is a subject. then at
the song writer, and on reaching horne be
proceeded to write cut whet no considered
the fiatteSt sOHg Of which ho WIS caTslfle
| The result of his efT0r, w1ls gladly accepted
| by the publisher. Gnd, % the posts surprise,
seemed equally tn pleasc the public la
short, it was t1is song which FIRST nlnde tia
author famous. and the sale Of 'sPuf Die l..
/ Ny IAttle Bedn COON reached an enornouz
| figure
The familiar ''Pesl--a- Boo,s which has now
been worn nearly thra1dhare, was, accortiir,c-
TO its author. Mr.. Scanlan. an tI:so3raflon cS
the moment IL WIS suggested by the e-nrs-
bols of some ckii1ron, who we're PLAYING
Ground the door where ho WIS sitting, IDLY
picking out tunes upon an accordion. As the
children pec7ed eurio1iy sto hiz door ha
began 70 say PEEK s-boo" noading bis bead
at the same tina UnDons4ouxly the inasras-
ment played few Dotns to sur. what hs WAS
saying, and the idea OF c ruw Ineiody struck
his fancy lie traFnetiatsly v.rose of ITO
chorus Of 'Peek -s-EssoF upon an envelope.
aud added a few stsn--rz afaaz- ward, touching,
up the song at hss isiTrr,s
"EvangeiIuc~ l. vssbca< doatE- r5o FIRST.
song on record 70 BE- r.ssDcd uTson a plank
/ fence IL WAS ozss oe Hayl' e1fiiz.t iyriczI
and WAS the result Of a frolic, brig written
| when ho was quite ynuay The asthCr ygaz
one OF I'arty who ora evuaiBg ehancr-t 10
attend social gathering In a szfisn v1iia.ss
In Kertacky. Ar5srz to ladirs g,rysozzt REs
one ~ho 40 strikIngly rysG.nsalsd TIE ljeai
| portrait Gf LonZf a1lox's ~lEvusscr1Sre" that
abe was az once s1vs-a tlat nscsaaassae by tle
! young composer. Tiss company bad or-ysn-
lied quartet AL Is-sf. given a iur--n nufsslsr
CT popular s.sleezIens dnriag -, evening. II
was "a bright. moonlight uight ~ben they
started 60 recarn hsEse, and ~Exspnxsliz1ss
! suggested saat they Try H1Hss r@yv szs1z
"a VIII write you a sosss." ss4d Hiayx. @fn
/ you siH promise 70 EinS. IL bsforo 80 80
/ home"
/ This was euthssiszicsIly arread 70. Iszo
! happened ts1at there a nssg x'hsfo T4ar4k
\ fence just opposite tisesn atthat e1y~so a fxg
had recently been sailt rear ~ ard rnsn-
/ Der q csssFrsd stlcks by scatsered aruani
/ Picking UP sevETai a terri HAYS vEsislsd ever
% The fe1e5 and T-roc@sgaod 70 write tna Erxs
/ verss OF his song ora tho top plank. AID Ells
notes for the q1rztz1 OF Soseez On ose fD1r
| plaTlts bcrzs1tA- "A al cDzid ycsad ruInzs9
/ TREY stood back a Short Gizzsncc nsd bad no
I diatcai.y IN Gny1ny a Ttss CL-z tslzSz;ssd ozs
/ having q chorus, al tte aath1r susrt tot1zs
! end Of TIE fenco ard trerB wrote 6zss tsss
/ ohorns Tue parry ring II o~rr ard o>sary
/ ard et last wRut toAee VIII i On Caslr kpx
/ The following day EE. BssyB ass rHGcnesz1
/ by "Essngeifzz,S 70 wrias cut q cry o1s
\ paper. hut ~ lagga-sGsy tod fsr that ass
+ ccsSd 20 dSzB &C tiss t~Lrs szzi ccpv isSkf
I 5l1e yozus, lady cnok hfzs zt bH xosd, sz1
/ though {: We rziz1nz Essri ss-s z-szr4.sd ouz
/ a-sd rt11rred With fhs wsrs.s -lrss Esnzz-oxxn2
pistA- To reward ia~ HsyS fh~s ssszsed sa<
ot1lE- rs-ra. sza sooz sstzr ia l1ay -.
t1rzei % bSy hozas In 81 I<s11s, taxing as
sae2 With her On sSr ssev1nz . tl<zns u at
trxlss<d Zach zt.@zs~Gz. $40 - fsc~Tly Sszss
s. tzcs 30 slssoz-<u - brEvs 2 r-54sssz16---
Charles e. ks14rnz "a Iics7uss kTsz Frssz-
---~--------------------
Tnnsxal CnE1zo "a Lsez-7a~z-