Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-01-09
~LIsTEN TO THE MoCKING BIRD"
The History Orthe Celebrated Song.

The popular ballad, Listen to the
Mocking DirS," was written and hrst
published in 1885, by Septimus Win
rer, OF Phi'adelphia, under the nom de
plume of ''AlIce Hawthorne, his
mothers maiden name. 1t was sug-
gested incidentally by listening TO col
ored man, Dick AIilburn, known as
''Whistling Dick" who wandered
about the city whistling in imitation of
mocking bird, ut the same time
stTumIEing an accompaniment upon
the guitar. Struck by hIs remarkable
performance rs a warbler, Mr.. w. said
to him one day, half in jest, dick,
Ill write you a song for your mOckins
bird" The compass of the negro's
voice was hardly an octave, and, as
will be observed, the melody was made
very simple, so rs not TO be beyond his
reach. The words, Listen TO the
Mocking Bird" which ran higher,
were to be spoken by him, not SUM,
except where they came within his COM
pass, followed by the whistler'S marye-
lous imitation of the bird. The man
was 4 very goOd-natured fellow, but of
SO little intellectual capacity that,
though lie came to Mr.. Winners music
store night after night to learn the
words of the song, he was never able to
master more than one verse OF II.
such, however, was his sense of the
comic, and such his facility in improv-
ising lines to the music, suggesting r.di-
culous fancieS to attract the laughing
crowd, that his ''MOcLlng Bird" soon
ldteL greatly To Dicks local reputa-
tion, The song was published in bal
4
ular, and such is his hold upon the pub
lie fancy that, although il has been
sung and whistled and played the coun-
try over for an average lifetime, ii still
retains its place Is a song of national
Reputation. 1t was sold by Mr.. Win
ner to the firm of Lee * Walker for 4
tnling sum- The profits from its sale
have exceeded SlOO, 900, perhaps the
largest amount ever realized from any
musical composition OF its class. There
have been published upwards of fifty
different arrangements, with variations
each differing from every other in some
musical popularity, making it one or
the most widely known of all airs and
ballads; and yet the composer, during
the 2S years Of the first copyright,
never received upon the song anything
beyond the price at which 1t was orig
Inally sold. This song 1T once gave
him = reputation which opened the mar
ket everywhere to his efforts. 1t was
followed, rs it had teen preceded, by
others in different veins, humorous
and pathetic. Ills Erst song, '-lIow
Sweet Are the Roses" was published
IN 1SJJ; his last, merry Party at
the Zoo, F" 4 tuneful bit of humor, has
Just appeared 1SSS) in one of the maga-
zines. Between these dates he has
written n hundred or more songs, both
words and music, many of which have
sold by tens of thousands and are very
widely known; among them, 'What IS
Home without Mother?'' Let US Live
with Hope, ''I'll Sail the Seas Over"
etc, besides large number of instruc-
ton books upon different instruments.
some of these songs which, nj the time
Ot writing them, lie sold for Il few dol
lars each, have netted their publishers
full is many thousands, and he laughs
pleasantly rs he recalls the mistake of
these low figures. Ills songs have had
very large sale also in Great Britain,
more than sixty of them having been
cepublished in England. Ills numer-
Gus instruction books, which have sold
very widely, have been published under
his own named, but his songs, under
various ROHls de plume, among them
Alice Hawthorne" the most familiar,
giving name 10 the Hawthorne bal
lads;" "Aspley Street." from the street
in which he lived; MARK Mason" 4
degree of the Masonic Order, 10 which
he belongs, as well rs others. Mr..
Winner was born in Philadelphia, May
IL, 1927. lie received his musical edu-
cation from the late DIR. Leopold Mel
snen, leader of the old Musical Fund
Society of that city. lie is 4 thorough
American, and one of the remarkable
men of Philadelphia, who has done an
Incredible amount OF work in n iirec-
tion that has contributed greatly TO the
good rs well as 10 the enjoyment of his
fellow men. y genial gentleman, full
Of the true spirit of humor and brother
y kindness, Contented and comfortable
who has not, IN 40 years lost day
from his business through illueSs-he
remarked, in his music store on Eighth
street, Il few days since to the writer:
when L reached 90 / thought it about
time to stop work, but the other day /
Let my old Sunday school teacher In
he Park, looking hale and hearty, and
ne told me lie was 81. Now, If l have
TO be 81, | may just rs well keep at il
TOR twenty years yet