The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-02-11
MUSIC OF THE STREETS.
THE FORTY BRAYING BANDS OF
NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN,

Census of the Discortl Makers of the
| Mctr"pOlis-Thc Lca,lcrless Band of
Three Pieccs-Iiand Organ, Violin and
IIarl,-Whistlcrs.
Much that is musical, and more that is ear
lrh''ins and head splitting in its discortl is
looted. blown, ratified, slueaketl and pounded
hN the thousand odd players on instruments
who pic! up n living in tie streets of New
York and Brooklyn. This regiment of itin-
Grant destroyers of harmony and disturbers
OF peace is made up of about ten divisions.
By far the largest of these divisions is the
one that numbers in its ranks the gutter
lands. Then come the grinders Of the
"i4'tIN organs. Next on the list are the
ninipllators of the crank pianos. Tho
bang" PLAYERS follow in order, and then the
"oi'' Is lllled with the violnists, harpers, COR
'e, s"'''StS pipcis. singers and whistlcrs
t'!' are more than forty street bands
'"''ihs Tor pennies in the two cities every
l"e"a'l'l DAY Three on four Of these bands
'f.noer eight or ten performers each. md
they get themselves up in pretty good style
$" lar as uniforms are concerned The leader
is usually IL nan of middle age and, with the
exception of the strong lunged individual
WHO operates the bass horn and the man who
ari!s tho leader out on the cornet end. the
players are all boys THY make pretty good
music when they nre feeling we'll.
Other street bands have as few as three
pirres-cornct, alt" and bass horn Bands of
lhls description play i'll front of saloons. md
1hry are usually lcadcrless. Sometimes the
alt" norm gets under way before the cornet
anu ITS deeper toned ncighbor, and Just as
frequently the bass horn starts in first OF
all the noises that are forced through imper
le"t horns, that Of the leaierless band of
three pieces is unluestionably the worst.
Yet these bands manage to pick up between
- and 81 Il day
THE ORGAN GRINDER
The organ grinder has long been with us.
lie is remembered 10y the Oldest inbabtnnt
and, Judging from the dolcful strains of
Yankee Doodle and kindred selections that
are heard ON the street. the organs have been
III USE Tor many Years. This instrument is
immensely popular with the children. 1t
matters not how discordant its efforts at
music may he, they like it. In tho tenement
mouse districts an organ grinder is sure to
.sct ilve cents Il tune, and it takes less than
i've minutes Z" grind out u selection with a
'iclh"ihal man at the crank. There arc
"Nri seventy five old fashioned hand organs
' so '@i''A u'''ub .NcW 1OFk, ana 1t n
'"or day when they fail to charm $3.50 from
~" children and mothers.
The crank piano is a natural outprowth Of
tn" hand organ. Progressive civilization de-.
'ihndcd something better than wheezy
"r:';,llS, and the rattlety bang piano was in
tF"'lurcd to fill tho long felt want, as it were.
~ really has some claim OH the public ear.
III tlic iirst place it gives lis music that is
comparatively now. Snntches from tho pop-
ul'f come operas are common with it, and
'ne way IL renders them is not entirely void
"l interest. There are thirty street hand
pianos on regular duty
'io"d banjo music is scarce on the street
Oi the dozen Hld players who make their liy-
nS around town by humping this instru.
in'ht, all but one are negroes There are two
Bang" players up town who know how to ulnv
ilaht well. They frequent the saloons during
t'in winter time and whenever they find
party of young fellows who are out for the
night they make good money One can stand
!ii"ir OF banjo music tl,an he can of any otle,
h'h'l. While tho hand organ becomes intol
cradle III ten minutes, the banjo is listened to
with interest for an hour The banjo timer
ANS usually travel in pairs, and plantation
melodies 20 with the music.
VIOLIN AND HARP.
AS nearly as ran he ascertained there nrc
zen violin harp combinations in existence in
.>'" York city. These players are entitled to
'l"r" merit as musicians than any that play
on 1lir street for what the public is pleased to
give them. Ii requires years of TRAINING to
'r"'lie at all proficient as a violinist or u
i'piNl, and it costs something, too. Out of
twenty-five persons who undertake to moster
'he N!"lih, not moro than one is ever able to
max" good music. Considering this fact for
IL Is Il tactp, it is remarkable that all the
s'f"t Viollnlsts are capable musicians Damn
wei'hcrand cracked instruments do much to
max" otherwise good music squeaky and dis
agreeable.
ne ll"yday of the piper has passed, and the
pipes are now novelty. Once or twice a
year their peculiar music can be heard on the
''rc"is along the river front, but it doesn't
seem I" take as it used to, and the pipers get
llsgllsted and quit.
Three "llistlers-a white man in Brooklyn.
a negro up town and u negro down town
|'urkor their respective mouths to the latest
popular airs on the city Streets For whist
'':T that appeals to ones change pocket tha
negro up town has the decided advantage,
.i' mas n way of rendering Way Down
Jon the Snwance River that is truly me-
pIl"u3 The down town negro makes spc-
'rIi'v of whistling tunes that have varia-
l"'iN, IL" can give you tho "lIocI5ing Birdn
II Twelve different styles, and is prarting
III the thirteenth lie can initiate 1. canary
50 clcvcr, that the birds OWL mother
Couldn't tell the difference.
Singing in the street requires p,cat lnno
'"w"r and it is hard work The only sue
''>Sf'll street singer i'll the two cities j, a ,yo-
man about oO years of age, whose voice is
sweet and plaintive, and whose sad face
brings her money when her efforts at vocal
fail.-Ncw York Star
Louisiana's Queer Ponds.
~ do not understand the lakes or ponds"