The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-29
FAVoRITE OLD SONGS.

In small and old-fashioned but cozy
chop house, way down town, two veritable
Bohemians sat the other afternoon, says the
New York Times, and over their pipes aud
ale exchanged recollections. Their talk
after awhile touched upon old familiar
songs, many of which posses peculiarly
interesting local associations.
NOW, there's The Old Oaken Bucket
said one Of the Bohemians, that song had
its birth up here in Duane street in 1917
| Samuel Wood worth, a gifted but cratic
printer was living there at the time. One
hot summers day he went into his house
and drank a glass of water, remarking
| That tastes good, but how / wish that ]
could drink just at this minute from the old
| oaken bucket on my fathers farm Wood
worth's wife remarked alphabetically,
what a poem could be written on that
thoughtP The printer pondered for a
minute, and sitting down at the nearest
| table began to write Soon the touching
verses beginning How dear TO this heart
are the scenes of my CHILDHOOD were
written Soon afterward the words we're
coupled with melody composed by Kali
marx for 'Araby's Daughter and were
sung far and wide"
| "'Wooinan, Spare That Tree is another
famous song, based en- a local incident"
said the second Bohemian. 1.-THE words
were written by George P. Morris, who
| lived IN New YORK almost all bis life, and
died here in 1864 When he was boy his
home was on farm not far from Bloom
| inRdale de was wont to play there under
an old tree planted by his grandfather
| Many years after he had left the farm and
| the property had passed out of the hands of
his family, he happened to be in that neigh
| borhood one day and saw a man about to
| cut down that old familiar tree He begged
| the man TO desist, and received the gruff
| IA hriu 20
| firewood. He gave the man the money and
| took bond for the safe protection of the
tree Soon afterward he wrote the noted
| song, which was set to music by Henry Rus
sell"
"You have heard how "A Life on the
Ocean Wave came to be written. l sup
| poser querled the first speaker, es he moist
ened his lips from his ale mug. mo! Well
it was this way: Epes Sargent was walking
| along the edge of the Battery one bright
| morning when the numerous craft, dancing
on the glisteAing water, brought to his
mind suggestion made to him some time
before by his friend, Henry Russell, that he
write marine song. He wrote the words
Of "A Life on the Ocean Wave and showed
them to George 2. Morris. who remarked
that they made nice little poem, but they
would not do for S )ng. Soon afterward
Russell met Sargent and asked him for the
verses. Taking them to a music store at
| DTOduWay ana IdTR plaCe, russell went
into little back room, seated himself at a
piano, and in few minutes composed the
air of the famous song. Sargent never re-
ceived a cent for it, although the sales of
the song were large.
ben Bolt you remember, was noted
song along about 1850" continued the first
bohemian. 1.-THE original words of that
song were written in 1912 by DIR. Thomas
Dunn E lglish of Philadelphia while on a
visit TO New York, and sent as gratuitous
contribution to a magazine edited by his
friend n. p. Willis. Some years afterward
the verses were repeated from memory TO
Nelson Kneass a New York Bohemian,
who set them TO music, adapting an old
German song. The instantaneous success
Of Ben Bolt made it a source of great
profit TO its publishers, but knea died in
poverty, complaining that he only recei we'd
a trlfie for his work. SO far as is known
the writer of the original verses got moth
ing"
"But few writers of popular songs ever
made any money out OF them" oracularly
remarked the second Bohemian. There's
the familiar case of John Howard Payne, a
New York boy, who wrote Home Sweet
Home while starving in an attic in Paris
The song was to be sung in his opera, 'Clari,
the Maid of Milan. Payne never got any.
thing for it, and later in his life he wrote to
a friend in this city: How often have |
been in the heart of Paris, Berlin, London,
or some other city, and have heard persons
singing or hand organs playing Home,
Sweet Home without having shilling to
buy myself the next meal, or place to lay
my head
True, Payne's case was a pathetic one, "
assented Bohemian No. l, motioning the
bartender to again I'LL the mugs, but there
have been instances where song-writers
have made great deal of money and did
not know how to keep 1t. Take the expe-
rience of Stephen Collins Foster for exam
pie He produced ola Kentucky Ho me,
old Dog Tray odd Folks at Home,
old Uncle Ned, and scores of otner popu-
lar songs, for which he received large sums
of money. 1t is matter Of record that
more than $4,000 copies of old Dog
Tray were sold i'll eighteen months. Eos
ter was reckless, happy -go-lucky fellow.
Some of his most famous songs were written
on brown wrapping paper in the back part
of q downtown grocery store in this city.
He was taken sick mere and was conveyed
to hospital, where he died penniless Jan.
IS, 1864.
another man who received large sums
of money for his songs was Henry G. Work
! of this city, the author Of Wake Nicode-
mus Marching Through Georgia., and
'Grandfather's Clock The sales of the last
mentioned song we're enormous, aud w or
received 5000 in royalties on that alone.
There are some song writers who not
only never received any money for their
work, but in subsequent years had to fight
for the credit of authorship. Such was the
case with the author Of Rock Me to Sleep,
! Mother, who was Mrs. Elizabeth Akers
Allen, wife of Paul Akers, the sculptor, and
afterward the wife of f. NJ Allen Of this
city. She wrote the song while in Italy
and sent it TO Philadelphia, where it was
l published. There was widely -discussei
! dispute over the authorship of that song"
, 'Well, guess there has never been any
} dispute about the origin Of Hail Column
t bia, said Bohemian 10. 2, somewhat IT
reverently. THE words Of that stirring
song were written by Joseph Hopkinson OF
, Philadelphia in 1913, when war with
e France was thought 10 be imminent. The
Q music to which the words were subse-
i uuently set was originally written as Gen
Washington's March, by German named
Y Fayles, the leader of the orchestra IN the
! old John Street thsater in this city. Mr.,
4 Custis, Washington's stepson, is the author
ity for that statement
, well, let us drink up and move along, >
{ said Bohemian No. l, lifting his foam
t decked mug for final draugat. "By the
way, you remember that famous drinking
, | song, sparkling and Bright which was