Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-21
WANDERING MINISTRIES.
Things of Shreds and Patches That
Dispense Music.
A Youthful paganini Discourses on His
CaIIiDg-Has Gotten as Far as Play
ing for, stockyards' Dances
Chicago Inter-Ocean.

Chicago Inter-Ocean.
Street musicians are q recognized in
stitution in Chicago during the summer
months.
Out in the avenues there is a spirited
rivalry to the Thomas concerts, and
there is no evening when the weather
permits that there is not peripatetic
orchestra in full blast As a rule, the
music is more remarkable for time than
harmony; but the noise is generally
cheerful and blends well with the clatteT
OF the horse cars and express wagons.
! The people, cooling off on their front
! steps, are patient and long suffering.
! They not only forgive the tOTmentoTs,
! but drop contributions of pennies and
! nickels itke the ragged hat which is
| passed ground, with a liberality that IS
not gagged by the malice of the musi-
clans
Fro baby the most popular are Singing
{ Bob and his companion, two citizens of
4 african extraction. Both have power
! full voices, with that pathetic quality
! peculiar to the negro race. They have
! fund OF plantation melodies, all II the
| same vein. One is a tuueful recipe for
! cooking 'pOssum, III which the main in
! strUCtiOn is
With tatoe to lay that 'possum down,
AND bake him good and brown.
Others relate to New Coon Came to
! Town, - "My Old Southern Home -
/ and "reminiscences OF slavery days. The
! firm carry with them g combination
| brass drum, triangle, guitar and mouth
! organ, three Of the instruments being
manipulated at the same time by the
/ senior member. 4 mammoth hand organ
on wheels, sort of mechanical piano
| arrangement which turns with a crank,
/ supervised by two stOut-hsted Italians,
well dressed and OTnamented with ear
| rings, is extremely popular with the
small fry. The proprietors halt by the
curbStOne, selecting q large family with
a benevolent expression and lot Of chill
! dreu.
Waltzes and polkas and gaIops are
ground out with amazing energy. The
scales are run like lightning, with that
absolute precision which boarding-s school
Instruction frequently inculcates, and
| there are equally fauItIess ana precisei
changes OF key which, however, are5not
criticised by the dogs and children that,
| constitute the appreciative audiences.
The Beautiful Blue Danube, - 'EOnly
a PGusy Blossom and unpardonabTea
lapses into ''SwGot TIolets' are included1
in the repertoire Of the mechanical piano y
Besides these there is q host of Italian
boys who go about with cheap vioIius and
harps OF a kind that never could have
through Tara 5 hall the soul Of music
shed. The violin players hold the instru-
ment after a fashion of their own, and
Quick lingering, which is the best part Of
the performance, IS not according to the
most approved methods Of Joachim.
Yesterday evening, whishing to inspect
him at close range, a patron of the pro-
fession called one of them into the parIor
Of q residence on Indiana avenue. The
boy had been playing industriously be-
fore all the houses in the block, and,
Notwithstanding the excruciating sounds
he had been evoking, was seemingly as
fresh as when he first began.
He stared at his auditors, not impu-
IDENTIFY, but with calm compOsure, and
then, digging his little grimy toes intak
the carpet, bTaced himself against tie
door at an angle of forty-fi five degrees.
Then he began to tune up, and restingG
the fiddle on his slanting knees
led off with ''Eiln waltzSss
This was followed by Sack waltz
and other ancient compositions He
played them all with the air and a dis
, tinguishable second. Some coins were
Raid gae9ore him on a chair, which he
sp6eketed as If he had honestly earned
them, and there was no occasion what
ever for thanks. He spoke English with
scarcely 4 trace of accent.
''What IS your rame?'' he was asked.
Ebony Sech, - was his reply. lie was
not in a communicative mood, and his
replies had the merit OF bTevity.
Al .gs
two to the collection previously donated
he became more communicative.
- live on Taylor street, - he said.
''There are two children, and my mother
takes care of US. We live in room il
the back part of a big house. My father
works on the streets.
''Where did YOU learn to play?''
a man teaches me ana another boy,
and we take a lesson whenever we can.
If [ work hard 1 can learn sixteen or sew
enteen tunes a month. He plays 'em
over for us, then shows us how to finger
'ern, and then we play after him until we
get it right. -
''DO you play by nOte!''
Ono: he teaches by ear. We don't
know anything about the printed music.
Ny violin cost SO, - he volunteered,
holding it up with as much pride as
VTtuOSO might display III 4 genuine Gre
mona. lie was asked if business was
good. ''Not very lao more, - he said
TegTetfUIly. Sometimes, though, can
earn q dollar in one evening. There's
so many Italian in Chicago that play, so
that there 5 not much for anybody !
the old financial problem OF OveT-supply. !
81 start ont right away after get my |
breakfast ii the morning, and play two |
or three hours. The best time is in the |
evening. People amt busy then, and |
they give me more'' -unconsciously /
recognizing the sOftening influence which |
a good dinner eXerts upon the average !
man.
''They pay me the most in the saloons. |
and sometimes me and another boy that !
has harp gets to play for dances. We |
played for a dance on South Halsted !
street and for another at the stockyards |