Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-01
THE WAYS OF SOME SINGERS.

nograph, it is said, have succeeded in
securing upon that instrument two songs
sung by Patti Saturday last in San Fran
cisco. She has refused CURLY at all points
recently to sing into the instrument, the
idea Of her precious notes being repro
duced at les :.iilan s. a hearing per capita
shocking her sensitive neryes-and then
Patti is so poor, she so frequently suffers
for the very necessaries of life because of
the poverty OF her purse, that, indeed, the
songstress is not to be blamed for keeping
her voice at top notch retail prices, away
up to thestandard ola close trust. However,
we have San Francisco paper as author
ity that Edison's agents, after infinite
trouble, managed to outwit the close
handed singer. It seems that they secured
admission to the theater as members Of
the orchestra, secreted themselves beneath
the stage, arranged receiver" among
the gas-pipes in front of the proYpter's
box, but beneath the stage, and yet so ex-
posed that singer at the footlights would
sing directly into the instrument. 1t is
said that they succeeded in catching two
of PATHS best songs, and that the phono-
graph reproduees them very accurately.
Let US hope that the story is true, and
that the enterprising fellows viii put those
songs on tap at a niekle fee. 1t is so graft
flying to learn that some one has "got
ahead" of Patti, and that the ridiculously
jealous and selfish woman has at last been
cheated out of a song without a royal fee
in advance, that the cunning phonograph
men have our hearty wishes that they may
make fortune out of their capture. The
immense difference between the churlish
selfshness and seclusion of this great
modern singer, and the big-hearted, loving,
unsel6sh and unequaled Jenny Lind, is
as broad as the distance between the poles.
When Jenny was in America, instead of
exclusiveness, her rule was to please just
as many as she possibly could. She made
it a point to sing for the poor, to visit the
squalid quarters of great cities and delight
the denizens of those sections with the
outpourings of her purse and the glories of
her voice. In fact her friends were COM
PEELED to watch her, such was her art
less daring in going unattended about the
city of New York to search out the suffer-
ing and minister to them.
1t is not known that she ever refused to
sing for anyone who within reason solic-
tied her to do 50 in behalf of charity
or deserving effort. She made great for
tune in America and literally coined the
marvellous notes of her wondrous voice, but
she dispensed nearly as much money in
the country as she took out of it, and
churches, hospitals, missions, schools and
asylums all over the land were the recip-
tents OF her bounty. Being demonstrated
with at one time for her iberahty and her
ready acquiesence to sing for the people
she replied, in effect Heaven has blessed
me with a voice that the world says is not
equaled; why should hide it? Why re-
fuse to gladden. any whom l can by its
use? Why refuse that which costs me so
little and that apparently gives others so
much pleasure" Jenny Lind would not
only have sung into the photograph, had
the wonderful invention been known in
her day, but she would have made it
condition that only her best efforts should
be recorded by it, and that the world
should hear the songs repeated by the
automatic wonder at the very lowest pos
sible charge. So, too would Kate Hayes,
Tietiens Parepa Rosa and many another
great singer wonderously gifted by nature
with sweet voices.
On Sunday Patti passed through this
city. Several hundred people assembled
at the depot to pay her their respects by
their presence. Il was not mere vulgar
curiosity, but pardonable one, to see the
greatest vocalist of the age. Among those
present we're great many who had VS.
tied San Francisco at considerable expense
to hear her sing and who came away dis
Amounted because the ticket scalpers of
her managers blocked the way with mort
cages upon the seats and demanded the
mound of flesh to release them. Patti
kept to her car and refused to bow her
thanks to the people for their respectful
call. 1t was like Patti, with her artif-
6cially pink hair and her close purse
strings, to refuse to face a congregation of