The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-06-05
MIR. STEPHENS REPLIES:
His Compliments to Zone of 'Em"-How He
Views the Matter.

Views the Matter.
To the Editor of THE HERALD:
AS you have been kind enough to give
space to 0One of EN-" wherein he person
ally attacks me in your valuable paper this
morning, trust you will be equally liberal
in giving me space to reply. l am repre-
sented as sometime since unknown ad-
venturer in search of support" 'popu-
larity," ETC., who was, out of kindness,
picked up by the parents and children OF
Salt Lake city, and raised, at their ex-
pense, to glorious height Of fame and
glory as musical conductor! And, now,
to crown 1t all, l am ungrateful enough to
fiud fault with these self-sacriticing people
for not coming to hear their children sing.
l beg to reply, that eight years ago, when
first set foot in Salt Lake city, l had every
cause to feel as proud as | do to-day. My
successes. unsteady, had been just as salts
factory to me as they have been since. came
here asking no favors from either parents
or children. At the request of those inter
ested in Sunday schools l cheerfuily took
up the work of training the children.
Never in all the time l have been teaching
them have | asked them to sing at single
concert for my own benefit, either to &C
quire money or fame (unless the occasion
of my free concert previous to my going
east to study can be so construed, as then
gave general invitation to any and all my
old students to take part. When they
have sung under my direction it has invarl
ably been of their own choice and for their
own benefit or in the interest of some char
liable institution.
For the patronage have had as music
teacher, feel grateful to my patrons just
as any man in business does to those wlo
patroniZe him because it is to their mutual
interest to do SO. l owe the Salt Lake
public nothing. They owe me nothing in
return. Our accounts are square.
They have treated me well; l have
done the same in return by them.
If parents send their children
to me for training in music it is because
they want them trained. If that training
brings me credit and ''laurel wreaths' as
lone of 'Em' loudly dreams, l cannot
help it unless 1 train them badly and thus
escape the eternal debt of gratitude their
success piles upon me.
/ repeat what said to Dramatic and
| Lyric: that it is poor policy to treat chill
dren as they were treated at the recent
matinee-to go to the trouble to have them
trained to sing, then when they do SO
publicly to remain at home and let them be
confronted with lot of empty benches.
The slight is not one to mel did not feel
indignant for myself, but for them, Had
| their training been bad or Indifferent and
the public had taken this means of censur-
ing me for the same, l should have taken it
to myself, but it was the wild delight of the
few present of their excellence that made
me feel there was just cause to complain
that that excellence was only rewarded by
whom the little folks must look
up to for word of praise as reward fol
their diligence. l am no longer child
but have not forgotten the deep pleasure
a father and mothers iourneying a hun
dred miles to be at my concerts has giver
me. The memory alone is worth hun
dred thousand times all the popularity, ,
laurel wreaths," ETC., which the writer
insultingly and falsely insinuates the Sal
Lake parents and children have heape(
upon the proud conductor
Whether ever become parent or not,
fully realize not only the trouble and ex
Ipense of preparing little folks for concerts
(or any other gathering, Sunday schools
meetings or like places needing just a.
much preparing as a concert chorus)
but also realize the fact that all sucf
dress preparations are made to be seen
and that people sing to be heard, and tina
they are neither seen nor heard by peopl
who stay away. So why trouble about
ing that any and all who fancy that eithe
they or their children sing at
concert simply to "help bring success
to musical conductor will always re
member that such services never have bee
and never will be either wanted or az
preciated by me. 1 deeply appreciate til
many words of kindness, appreciation
/ friendship and good will shown me by tn
people of Salt Lake, as well as the pleas
ure of being surrounded by people win
sing because they love to sing, and stud
the musical works l select for them.
spare no effort to find that which give
them pleasure and benefit. They in re
turn spare no effort in trying to sing ther
as they should be sung, and in simpl
meeting their agreements with me-
| this way the debt we owe each other i
, fully cancelled Cor rather become
mutuaD. If the privilege to work is sue
a great one, l owe Salt Lake far less tina
: half the chance to do what | would, an
: could do in the interest of music thus fal
: To talk of pride" popularity ''raisin
/ to proud place as CONDUCTOR in m
| case is too silly for anything but to b
laughed at He has taken himself only q
? a model by which to measure me. Coul
he take little broader view of things
should have been spared the insults he hs
, offered, but which cannot take
/ EVAN STEPHENS.