The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-10-04
SONGS OF A GREAT PEOPLE.

One afternoon, in the winter of
1860. we'll known New York news
paper man was walking up Green
wich street in that city, when the
sound of piano drew him inside
saloon. AS he was slipping glass
of cider the proprietor tod him that
the piano player was man who
ma 'e songs for living-when he
was sober. The newspaper man
glanced at the little bent figure
seated at the piano, and to his sur
prise recognized him as Stephen
Collins Foster. the most famous
song writer of the day. His clothes
were ragged and dirty, his face
bloated, his condition most pitiable.
When the visitor spoke to him,
Foster began to cry, saying that he
was without money and without
friends. Drink had brought him
where he was. The newspaper man,
who had known him for years, gave
him money and tried to cheer him
up. Often after that he sought him
out only to find him amid the most
sordid surroundings, the money that
had been given him gone for liquor.
One day in January, 1864, his friend
having missed him for several weeks
with much difficulty traced Foster to
his lodging place in one of the
crowded tenement districts. The
landladv told him that Foster had
attempted suicide a day or two
before and been taken to Bellevue
Hospital. Thence his friend followed
him only to find his remains among
the unrecognized Gead in the ghastly
dead house of the hospital. Thus
miserably ended the life of the swent
est of American song writer's.
| FOSTERS FAMOUS SONGS
Foster was native of Pittsburg,
and was buried there He began
writing songs while he was still in
his teens, and before he was 80 had
written open Thy Lattice, Love "
20 Susannah, ""Uncle Ned, "Old
Folks at Home, " "Old Black Joe,"
"Our Old Kentucky Home, ""N Nellie
Bly," and Come Where My Love
Lies Dreaming" songs whose sim
plicity, pathos and char = made their
writer's name a household word
Foster was a born singer. and any
experience that touched him was
certain to bear fruit in song or bal
lad which found an echo in the
hearts of the people. Melodies"
said one who knew him we'll, "con-
stantly foated through his BRAIN"
He would compose the air of song
first, later writing the words and
making them blend and harmonic
with the music 1t is an interesting
fact that the majority of Fosters
plantation songs were written from
only hearsay knowledge of slave
life. One of the sweetest among
them, "Massa's in de Cold, Cold |
Ground" which runs:
When de autumn leaf was falling,
| When de days cold,
| Twas hard to hear old massa calling,
| Case he weak and old,
was suggested by the condition of
his father. who had become help
less paralytic The homesickness
which followed his removal from
Pittsburg to New York produced
his "Old Folks at Home" the song
in which he always took the greatest
delight, and which he-as does many
another-always considered his hap
piest effect.
| "HoME, SWEET HOME
The Ever of Thee" of ames
Lawson, the tramp, was written from
out a broken heart and all our sweet
est and tenderest songs have had
their origin in the personal expert
ence and feelings of their writer's. 1t
was thus with the Home, Sweet
Home" of John Howard Payne.
Self exiled from America, it was on
country road in Italy that Payne
first heard the air to which he later
set the words of his song. A peasant
girl was singing it, and SO profound
was the impression it made upon
him that he requested the girl to
repeat the air and wrote down the
notes as she sang them. Not long
after he composed the song itself.
The first publisher OF "Home, Sweet
Home" made 1000 guineas from it.
To Payne, through failure to prop
erly protect his right, it brous hit little
else than fame, but that in abundant
store The original manuscript of
the song is now in the possession of
the family of the late George w.
Talbutt, of Washington, a life long
friend of Payne.
| THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER.
A memorable and glorious Incl
dent inspired the "Star Spangled
Banner" of Francis Scott Key. In
September, 1914 British fleet at
tempted the capture of Baltimore.
Its attempts were thwarted by the
American garrison stationed at Fort
McHenry, and after a two days
bombardment was compelled to re-
treat On board one OF the attacking
fleet was Francis Scott Key, who
visiting the British commander under
a flag OF truce, had been compelled
| to ra,,,ip until the actiop wac over