Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-07-11
HOME, SWEET HOME.
The True Story of the Immortal Song
Told for the First Time.

4a0 4Eoc StOry Oh the Immortal Song
Told for the First Time.
Some things there are which by .
common instinct mankind holds sacred.
Among these are the scenes of heroic
deeds. the precincts of patriot graves.
and the birthplace of sublime thought,
in proof of which need only be mem
toned such names as Lexington, Mount
Vernon and Independence Hall. And
within the District of Columbia there
is spot which the American people.
If familiar with its associations. would
not deem unworthy of mention in con-
nection with those named.
Half century ago George W. Tall
BURT. then young man and unmar-
ried. was the owner by inheritance
of a plantation of two hundred and
thirty-one acres. lying just across
the east branch of the Potomac from
Washington, his fee simple domain
touching the river at a point OPP
posite the navy-yard. Here he lived
in elegant leisure, having about a hum
dred slaves, and, to digress for q mo-
ment. the visitor may still see near his
home row of graves. from which are
pointed out the particular resting
places of some more distinguished than
their companions for humble virtues
One is remembered as the "cOlored
nanny" of a person since raised to
eminence. while another is revered for
an intimacy with several family gener-
atoms This young man, possessed
of ease and af1uence, was a boon COM
panion of John Howard Payne. whose
dust has since become SO sacred. The
old home still stands. as it then stood,
in an Eden bower on the bank of the
river, and here, under a venerable chest
nut tree, sitting on a rustic seat that en-
circled its trunk, Payne and Talburtt
used to drink their mint julep, sing
their merry songs. and talk of the
lives they were to lead. Talburtt had
promised Payne that whenever he
wanted a home it should be built on
the plantation, and they would spend
their bachelor lives together. Much
Of the old plantation is now within the
modern suburban village of Anacosta,
and on an elevation that commands a
1iew of the National Capitol and its
surroundings. which quite ravishes the
eye with its beauty, stands the house,
now owned and occupied by Mr. II. A
GriswOld, built in fulfillment of this
promise. The sight was selected by
Payne himself before departing on
his foreign mission. but he never
returned to enjoy the home of which
he sang; and thus absolved from his
vow of celibacy Mr. Talburtt after
ard mo iod nd IL
the new house. in which children were
born to him, one of whom, still res
ident of the village is the mother of
j. Harry Shannon, widely known as
the Juvenile orator. But the chief
point of interest is yet to be told, for,
Notwithstanding the claim that Home,
Sweet Home" was written in Tunis or
in London garrett, the original man.
uscript. in the handwriting of the
illustrious author himself, and bearing
his own interlineation. is still in the
possession of the family-Mr. Talburtt
having died in 1865-and it was on
the rustic seat under the chestnut
tree. on the bank of the east
branch of the Potomac, so near
the mouth as to be practically on the
main river. and a little more than a
mile east of south from the Capitol
building. that John Howard Payne,
with his own inspired genius and an
aide-de-camp of mint julep. drafted
this immortal composition. The rustic
seat. held as a precious heirloom, is
preserved in the attic of the old home;
and the chestnut tree, now partly
dead. with its top cut away and much
of its bark clipped off as mementos.
still marks the birthplace of this song,
that will live while the English tongue
is spoken or a matched roof covers the
head of humble inhabitant of the
earth.-Washingto Star.