Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-10
SOME FAMOUS SONGS.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN.

C. Fosters Work Frank Towards |
 ndethods-Dexter Smiths Hitzscanlan's
 Inspiration-Penned Upon Plank Fence.
 Almost the only exception to the usual ob- scurity of song writers is John Howard l Payne, of whom more has probably been | written and printed than of all others con- | bined. Nevertheless, as much that has ap | peared in relation to his famous song, l "Home, Sweet Home," has been purely i'm aginary. we may, perhaps be pardoned if we introduce here the true story of the compost tion of this far famed melody.
 It was in Italy that Payne first heard th- | air for which his song was written. As he was strouing one morning along a quiet country road he was struck by the sweet voice of peasant girl, who was carrying to the city basket laden with flowers and fruit The plaintive air which she drilled with so much sweetness and simplicity at once caught his fancy He accosted her, and after few moments conversation asked the name of the song, which she was unable to give. How ever, using his knowledge of music to good purpose, he requested her to repeat the air, while he proceeded to write down the notes. He soon afterward composed the words, and,
  welded them to the Italian air, incorporat- ing the song into his opera of "Clari," which soon gave it a world wide fame
 The only rival to Home, Sweet Home" is S. c. Fosters "Old Folks at Home" As a 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 strangely retiring and diffident author, and some of his most beautiful songs were com posed under the most incongruous conditions. A writer who met him in New York in 1852 says that his favorite haunt was in a tumble down grocery near the Bowery, in the little back room of which one, at least of his famous melodies was written. Foster was q true poet as well as composer, and wrote both the words and music of all his songs.
 It is said that the methods of Frank How ard the successful author of ''Only Pansy Blossom" and other songs, are somewhat pc cular, and would astonish many musicians. MT Howard is negro minstrel by profes- slon. He writes the words of his songs him self, and then with the other members of the company, proceeds to drum out on hotel pianos a suitable air It sometimes requires several instruments and changes of scene to produce taking song, which, when com pleted, 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 hitting the public taste, although he had written many beautiful verses. Upon ons occasion as in deep reflection he strode along the streets of Boston, he heard an untidy urchin cry out to his mother Say, maam put me in my little bed There is subject thought l the song writer, and on reaching home he | proceeded to write out what he considered | the t1attest 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 l author famous, and the sale of Put Me in 1 My Little Bed" soon reached an enormous l figure.
 The familiar "Peek-a-Boo," which has now been worn nearly threadbare, was, according to its author, Mir Scanlan, an inspiration of the moment. It was suggested by the gam | pols or some children, who were playing | around the door where he was sitting idly | picking out tunes uponan accordion. As the | children peeped curiously into his door he l began to say 'Peek-a-boo," nodding his head at the same time Unconsciously the instru- | ment played a few notes to suit what he was Say IAS, anu the ldea or c 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.
 "Evangellne" is without doubt the first song on record to be penned upon a plank fence It was one of Hays earliest lyrics, and was the result of frolic, being written when he was quite young. The author was one Of party who one evening chanced to attend social gathering in a small village Tn Kentucky Among the ladies present was one who so strikingly resembled the ideal 1 portrait of Longfellow's t'Evangeline" that 1 she was at once given that nickname by the | young composer. The company had organ ized a quartet and had given large number | of popular selections during the evening It was bright, moonlight night when they started to return home, and "Evangeline suggested that they try some new song
 "l will write you song," said Hays, eff you will promise to sing 1t before we go homo"
 This was enthusiastically agreed to. It so happened that there was new white plank fence just opposite them at that time. A fire had recently been built near by and mum Der 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 blanks 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 to the end of the fence and there wrote out the chorus. The party sung it over and over, and at last went home with it on their lips
 The following day Mir Hays was requested by "Evangeline" to write out copy CD tpaper but he lauchinply 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 com plete. 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 at tracted much attention, and she finally sent it back to the author to have it published Charles F- Adams in Detroit Free Press.