Evening journal., 1889-08-27
MUSIC IN HIS VIII STLE.
THE TALENT OF a MEM sER OF THE
CHICAGO BOARD c f TRADE.

~" - 49, - ~ tne Enteffttn-
ing Playing dix -, oa tho Grave OF an
Old Friend THE sosaler WHO whistied
Down triga A..
"At a little ,echertng be was called upon
70 do his part 50 entertaining the company
ami begged oG on the plea that he cuuli do
nothing at whistle That was a fatal ad
mission aud he was Immediately sentenced
by u lsannous vote to whistle for tho edih
cation. II the ladies and gentlemen present
He cent to the piano, touched the keys in
way that indicated that he was no tyro, and
Il en oegan to whistle. playing his own ac
Compartment There are good many iini
tatlons Of the mocling bird extant, but IN
this case the notes and trills Of the mock
ing bird we're faithfully and vividly repro
duced aud it was not minute until the
roomful Of people realized that they were
listening 70 a whistler who outrankod ell the
professionals they had ever heard. Then he
whistied Annie Laurie, and before the end
Of the performance the ladies' and gent.emei
voted this quiet business man the most de
ighrful OF entertainers
THE MERCHANTS REQUEST.
~ know whom you mean, said a CONNER
cial traveller This same whistler was oi,
the road a good many years ago and he wa
one of the best statesmen that travelled When
he could not sall a man a bill of goods he
werid sft down and begin to whistle softly
or would take out little harmoaica from
ais pocket and begin 70 play as though f9
ms own amusement or to kill time He
whistled and PLAYED while be waited, while
other men would have spent the time gruin
bling and growing over their disappointment
IN not making a sals After the whistling
solo be very rarely failed to make a salts
factory sale of goods The stoniest hearted
old merchant could not Withstand such music
There was one old merchant down IN Indiana
who was a regular customer of our whist ling
friend, but he never gave him an order toi
goods until be had played the harnenica ana
whistled several tunes for him This, as
have said, was many years ago When our
whistler made his last trip before leaving the
ro,ld, this Old merchant bought q big bin Of
goods and then said My young friend, your
music has been 70 me one Of the sweetess
things in life For that reason regret that
| sou are going to leave the road, but | want
| you TO promise me that If ever you como !,
| Evansville again you will come over to ths
store and play for me If | am not there
| my body win probably be in the cemetery.
and in that case | want you TO 60 out 10 my
grave and play Dixie and "Sweet BY and
| By."'
The promise was given, aud few year,
later my whistling friend and myself hap
pened to be- in Evansville, and we called al
The store of the old merchant who had made
the stran&- request. We found the son OF tn,
former proprietor in charge Of the establish
iuent. who stated that his father had tcei
dead some years Among thoss presant wa
the old bookkeeper, who spoke Of ths proxnis
made years before, and the son insisted upoi
its fulhllment The family carriage wa
called and we drove out to the cemetery.
large granite monument marked the grav
and the whistler of the old time sat down 6
the base. lie remained silent for few min
ltas, aud thsn taking out his harnonica b.
gan 70 play Dixie II was a strange tuu
for a graveyard and tho elect was confusing
but hen he had finished Dixie he began 3
play In the Sweet BY and By | neve
heard that tune SO played before. The ma
threw his soul into the music, and if a me.
sage ever went from earth to heaven | bS
leve that one did The music was ampl
wonderful, and every one was very nne
moved
TIE wHIsTLNG SOLDIER
"A good whistler is, as a rule, the best 9
fellows said the colonel Eve had one fe
low in our regiment who could whistle any
thing, and who was generally moved {
whistle bis best when the rest Of US were fee
J ing our worst The ugliness in soldier natur
was pretty sure to come out ct the tail end c
a long, muddy march and the swearing O
such times was very distressing to a man wh
had faith in human nature. At such time
cur gay whistler would strike up some favor
ite tune The swearing would cease, th
boys would catch step, and they would &
merrily along TO the whistled melody Aftt
a batte, when the men were despondent an
discouraged, the whistler Of the regimen
would whistle tender, plaintive tunes by Il
hour and know that he gave great con
fort.
AFTER the battle on Lookout Mountain
was one Of the guards detailed to escort Il
prisoners taken in the mountain fight dow
to Bridgeport. where they were to take q
train for the north There were several hui
dred Of them, and the march down fro
, Chattanooga TO Bridgeport was tedious on
but the slow progress brought about clio
u acquaintance between the guards and q
Il prisoners, and on several occasions during Il
= march thecheer.ng whistle of the gay heart
man in blue checred the heavy hearted m'
! in gray. and they were won't to call for mus
1 when the circumstances Of the march we
more than usually distressing
"As they started across the pontoon brid
$ at Bridgeport, two lines Of gray in the cent
Z aud thin line of blue on each outer edg
Il the whistler. ia accordance with very Sc
!, eral call, started a melody suited to the {
y casion The men caught step and went swim
ing across the bridge, ignoring the commal
2 Of theoflicers 70 change step. AS the colun
nesred the center the march had become
4 SORT of jollifcation and Just as the jolity "
't 1T its height the bridge parted in the midc
and in an instant scores Of men were stru
IS cling ID the water There was, Of cour'
Z, great confusion, but in good time ali the N
except three or four were rescued. Amo
is those lost were one Ohio boy and two OF
prisoners.
Is "The survivors we're Immediately load
into the train waiting Every one was great
:, detected. Just before the train started the
Dl came from the whistler who, in his v
clothes, was the very image Of discomfort
!, soft. tender melody II was Ike the wall
l. child. like the song Of a woman with he's
IF breaz, but ended with something that "
h ike tribute to the dead, ike story OF soi
d. oue gone to rest, and scores OF the prisoni
step,ed out 10 the whistler and silently sho
his hand. n-Chicago Inter Ocean.