The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-09-13
SONGS WE USED TO SING.
SOME OLD MELODIES AND THEIR
LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS.

OaSen Bucket" "Llfe on the Ocean
Wave" and other Familiar Verses.
Little Compensation for the Authors.
In a small and old fashioned but cozy
chop house, way down town, two veri- !
table Bohemians sat the other afternoon,
and over their pipes exchanged recollec-
bons. Their talk after while touched
upon old familiar songs, many of which
possess peculiarly interesting local asso.
Citations
"Now there's THE Old Oal1cn Bucket
said one of the Bohemians; "that song
had its birth up here in Duane street in
1917 Samuel Woodworth, gifted but
erratic printer, was living there at the
time One hot summers day he went
into his house and drank glass of
wafer, remarking, that tastes good, but
how | wish that / could drink just at
this minute from the old oaken bucket
on my fathers farm Woodworth's
wife remarked sympathetically, What
poem could be written on that
thoughtr 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
were coupled with a melody composed
by Hallmark for "Araby'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 lived in New York almost
all his life and died here in 1864 When
he was boy his home was ON farm
not far from Bloomingdale. He 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 in
that neighborhood one day, and saw
man about to cut down the old familiar
tree He begged the man to desist, and
received the gruff response that the tree
would bring $40 for 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, sup
poser queried the first speaker, as he
moistened his lips. "No? Well, it was
this way. Epes Sargent was walking
along the edge of the Battery one bright
morning when the numerous craft, dane
ing on the glistening water, brought to
his mind a 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 P. Morris,
who remarked that .tieY made nice lit
tie poem, but they would not do for a
song.
Soon afterward 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 few minutes composed the air of the
famous song. Sargent never received a
cent for it, 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 1s42 by DR.
Thomas Dunn English, of Philadelphia
while on Il visit to New York, and sent
as gratuitous contribution to maga
zine edited by his friend n, p. Willis
Some years afteward the verses were re
peated from memory to Nelson Kneass
New York Bohemian, who set them Il
music, adapting an old German song
The instantaneous success of Ben Bolt
made it source of great profit to it
I publishers, but Kneass died in poverty
Z complaining that he only received trif
+ for his work. So far as is known tn
j writer of the original verses got nothing.
I But few writers of popular songs eve
made amy money ont of them, oraculaI
y w remarked the second Bohemian
There's the familiar case of John How
d ard Payne, New York boy, who wrot
Home, Sweet Home while starving i
j an attic in Paris. The song was to b
sung in his opera, 'Clari, the Maid G
C Milan. Payne never got anything fo
7 it, and later in his life he wrote to
friend in this city; How often have
been in the heart Of Paris, Berlin, LoI
d don OF some other city and have hear
y persons singing or hand organs playin
Home, Sweet Home without having
l. shilling to buy myself the next meal or
place to lay my head "
le "Truc, Payne's case was patheti
Sc one" assented Bohemian No 1, "br
there have been instances where son
I'd writers made great deal of money an
IS did not know how to keep it. Take I'll
s. experience Of Stephen Collins Foster, fC
81 example. He produced old Kentuck
Home, Old Dog Tray old Folks {
g. Home, old Uncle Ned and scores {
'k other popular songs fOr which he r
oeived large sums of money. II isama
ter of record that more than l25,OI
or copies of 'Old Dog Tray were sold
la eighteen months Foster was reckles
IN happy-go-lucky fellow. Some Of h
most famous songs were written c
10 brown wrapping paper in the back pa
-la 3f a downtown grocery in this city. I
ny was taken sick here and was conyeye
OF to a hospital, where he died pcnnile
Jan Is, 1864.
ne Another man who received larl
do sums of money for his songs was Hem
so {. Work, Of this city, the author
Wake Nicodemus, Marching Throul
m Georgin aud 'Grandfather's Clock ~
sales of the last mentioned song we
iI enormous, and Work received $1,000
" royalties ON that alone. New Yo
Times.
'.t No Induoement.
Die Freddie Let us break this cup.
ne Little Johnic-No; it doesn't belol
to "A eat - EDorh