Wichita eagle., 1889-08-31
MUSIC IN HIS WHISTLE.
ThE TALENT OF A MEMBER OF The
CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE.

How He Did His Share of the Entertain
fng-Playins pixie" on the Grave of AN
Z Old Eriend-The Soldier Who Whis.icd
Down q Brigade.
"At a little gathering he was called upon
TO do his part in entertaining the company
and begged of On the plea that he could do
nothing but whistle. That was fatal ed
mission, and he was immediately sentenced
by a unanimous vote to whistle for the eiif-
cation of the ladies and gentlemen present.
He went to the piano, touched the keys il 4
way that indicated that he was no tyro, and
then began to whistle, playing his own &C
compartment. There are good many I'M
tations Of the hooking bird extant, but in
this case the notes and trills of the mock
ing bird were faithfully and wildly repro
duced, and it was not a minute until the
roomful of people realized that they were
listening 70 q whistler who outTanked all me
professionals they had ever heard Then he
whistled Annie Laurie and befare the end
Of the performance the ladies and gentlemen
voted this quiet business man the most de-
Eghtful of entertainers"
TIE MERCHANTS REQCEST.
81 know whom YOU mean, said q CONNER
cial traveller. This same whistler was on
the road a good many years ago and he was
one of the best statesmen that travelled. When
he could not sell man bill Of goods pc
would sit down and begin 70 whistle softly
or would take out little harmonica from
bis pocket and begin TO play as though for
his own amusement or TO Kill time. He
whistled and played while he waited, while
other men would have spent the time grum-
bling and growing over their disappointment
in not making a sale. After the whiStling
colo he very rarely failed to make 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 regular customer of our whistling
friend, but he never gave him an order for
goods until he had played the harrnonica and
whistled several tunes for him. Ehis, as
have said, was many years ago. When our
whistler made his last trip before leaving the
road, this old merchant bought q big bill of
goods and then said: Ny young friend, your
music has been to me one of the sweetest
things in life. For that reason regret that
you are going to leave the road, but want
you TO promise me that if ever you come 10
Evansville again you Will come over TO the
store and play for me. If l am not there
my body will probably be in the Cemetery.
and in that case 1 want you to go out to my
grave and play Dixie" and ''Sweet By and
By"
THE promise was given, and a few years
later my whistling friend and myself hap
pened to be i'll Evansville. and we called at
the store of the old merchant who had made
the strange request Wefound tho son OF the
former proprietor in charge of the establish
ment, who stated that his father had been
dead some years. Among those present was
the old bookkeeper, who spoke of the promise
made years before, and the son insisted upon
its fulfllment. The family carriage was
called and we drove out to the cemetery. A
large granite monument marked the grave
and the whistler Of the old time sat down at
the base. He remained silent for few min
utes, and then taking out his harmonica be-
gan to play Dixie 1t was a strange tune
for graveyard and the effect was confusing,
but when he had finished Dixie he began TO
play In the Sweet BY and By | never
heard that tune SO played before. The man
threw his soul into the music, and if a mes
sage ever went from earth TO heaven I be-
leve that one did The music was simply
wonderful, and every one was very much
moved"
THE WRESTLING SOLDIER.
80 good whistler is, as a rule, the best Of
fellows" said the colonel We had one fel-
low il our regiment vino could whistle any
thing, and VINO was generally moved 10
whistle his best when tho rest of us were feel
was pretty sure to come out at the tail end CT
a long, muddy march and the swearing ut
such times was very distressing to man who
had faith in human nature. At such times
CUR gay whistler you'd strike w some favor
tie tune. the swearing would cease, the
boys would catch step, and they would 60
merrily along 10 the whistled melody. After
8 battle, when the men were respondent and
the whistler of the regiment
would whistle tender, plaintive tunes by the
hour, and l know that ne gave great com
fort.
AFTER the battle on Lockout Mountain he
was one of the guards detailed to escort ths
prisoners taken III the mountain fight down
to Bridgeport, where they were 10 take tho
train for the north. There were several hun
cred Of them, and the march down from
10 Bridgeport was tedious one;
but the slow progress brought about "A Close
between the guards and the
and on several occasions during tins
march the cheering whistle Of the gay hearted
man in blue cheered the heavy hearted men
IN gray, and they were won't TO call for music
when the circumstances OF the march were
more than usually distressing
AS they started across the poatOon bridge
1t Bridgeport, two lines Of gray in the center
aud a thin line OF blue on each outer edge,
the whistler, in accordance with ye.y gen
sral call, started melody suitei 20 the &C.
,asion. The men caught step and went swing
ne across tho bridge, ignoring the command
IF the officers 70 change step. As tEe column
reared the center the march had become a
,orr Of jollifcatio1. and Just as tho jolitv vas
1t is haight the bridge parted IN the middle
md in an instant scores Of men were struZ-
cling in the water There was, II course,
,reat confusion, but IN good tiu'e ali the Tnea
Except three or four wero rssc1ed- Among
hose lot were one Ohio boy and two Of the
sTiEonsrs
The survivors were Immediately !oade1
nto the train waiting. Every ono vas greatly .
detected. Just before tEc train started there
anne from the whistler who, - hls vet
lothes, was the very image of discomfort, a
Oft, tender melody. Il was Ike toe wall ot
child, Ike tho song Of a woman with heart
,reak, but ended with sooetblEy TINT was
.lze tribute to the dead, Ike a story of sorns
ne gone TO rest, AID scores O. tae prisoners /
topped cut 70 tie whistler and silently shook
- hand "-Chicago liter Ocean
Updecelvin= the Young.
TIE San Francisco Chronicle tells q point .