The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-27
SONGS WE USED TO SING.
SOME OLD MELODIES AND THEIR
LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS.

oai<en Bucket" Life en- the Ocean
Wave" and other Familiar Verses.
Little Compensation for the Authors.
In small and cid fashioned but coy
chop house. way down town. two veri-
taole BohemisAs sat the ether afternoon,
and over their pipes exchanged recoIlec-
| tons. Their talk after while touched
upon old familiar songs, many of which
possess peculiarly interesting local asso-
| Citations.
New there's The Old Oaken Bucket
said one of the Bohemiaus; that song
had its birth up here in Duane street in
1917. Samuel Wectworth, a gifted but
cratic printer, was living there at the
time. One hot summers day he went
into his house aud drank a glass OF
water, remarkng. that tastes good. but
how wish that l could drink Just at
this minute frsm the old oaken bucket
on my fathers farm Woedworths
wife remarked sympathetically, What
q poem could De written en- that
thoughtF The printer pondered for u
minute, and sitting down at the nearest
table began 70 write. Soon the touching
verses beginning How dear to this heart
are the scenes Of nav childhood were
written. soon afterward the words
were coupled with a melody composed
by HALLMARK for 'Arsby's Daughter
and were sung far and wide"
'WoOdman. Spare That Tree Is an
other famous song, based on local in
cident." said the second Bohemian.
The words were written by George P.
Morris. who hved in New York almost
all his life and died here in 1854. When
he was boy his home was on farm
not far from BloymingdRle. He was
wont TO play there un1er 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 has ssEnily he happened in
that nsighbOrhoOd one day, and saw q
man about TO cut down the old familiar
tree. be begged the man 10 desist, and
received the gFaf response that the tree
would bring 80 for frewoOd. He gave
the man the money and took bond for
the safe protection Of the tree. Soon
atterward he wrote the noted song.
which was set 10 music by Henry Rus
sell"
You have heard how a Life on the
Ocean Wave came 10 be written. 4 sup
poser queried the first speaker. as no
moistened his lips. NO? Well. II was
this way. Epes Sargent was walking
along the edge Of the Battery one bright
morning when the numerous craft, dane
ing on the ghstening water. brought 20
his mind a suggestion made 10 him some
time before by his friend, Henry Russell.
that he write a marine song. He wrote
the words Of A Life on the Ocean Wave
and showed them 10 George Z. Morris.
who remarked that they made nice lit
tie poem, but they would net dc for .
song.
Soon afterwRrd Russell met Sargent
and asked him for the verses. Taking
them to music store at Broadway and
Park Place, Russell went into little
back room, seated himself at piano and
in a few minutes composed the air Of the
famous song. Sargent never received a
cent for IL, although the sales Of the song
were large.
Ben Bolt you remember. was q
noted song along about 1850" continued
the first Bohemian. The original words
of that song were written in 1912 By Or.
Thomas Dunn English. Of Philadelphia.
while On visit 20 New York. and sent
as a gratuitous contribution TO maya
zine edited by his friend n i. Villa
Some years afteward the verses were re-
peated from memory % Nelson Kncass.
New York Bohemian. who set them To
music, adapting an old German cong.
The instantaneous success Of Ben Bolt
made il source Of great profit 10 its
publishers, but Knesss died In poverty.
that he emily received a tTihs
for MS work. so far a. is known tho
writer OF the original verses got nothing
But few writers Of popular songs ever
made any money out Of theIA CIRCULAR
" remarked the seco1d bohemian.
There's the familiar case Of John How
ard Payne, New York BOY, who wrots
Home. Sweet Home while starving in
an attic In Paris. The song was % DO
sung In his opera. Clan. the Maid 81
Milan Payne never set anything for
&c, and later in his life he wrote % .
friend in this city. How often have
been in the heart Of PARIS, Berlin, Lon
don or some other city, and have heard
persons singing OF hand organs playing
Home. Sweet Home without having -
shilling 70 bay myself tEss nett meal ora
place TO lay my head
True. Psynes csc was q pathetic
one" accented Bohemian No. /. but
writers made great deal of money ana
did not know how 70 Keep II. Take tbs
experience of stephen CSilIns Foster. for
example he produced Old Kentucky
Home. Old Dog TTay.' 'oId Folks at
Home Old Uncle Ned' and scores u
other popular seuFs for which Be To-
ceived large sums q money II sauat-
ter 81 record TRAIT Eors than i<3.oDO
copies Of Oh Dog Tray were sold Ia
eighteen monthA Fo-tsr vas rscklssz.
happy go-lgcky fellow. some Of h.s
most famous songs were written Ca
brown wrapping pspeT N the back para
Of 4 downtown grocery IA tsis cliy. 10
wa taken mex here ard Wa conveyed
TO 3 hospital, whore be oisd psaallsss
Jan. Is. 1854
Another mar who rrceiTei lsrZs
suIas OF money for k.s sougs VA Henry
{. Work. q tbs city. tbs s1'f91 q
Wake EIcodsu4-s. 'H4-ohilZ Throf-yn l..
Georgia s-d 'OT.Edfst1srs Geek 10
ssIa.s u Il, lasr rzer-isnssi s1rz wyrs