The morning call., 1890-09-07
SONGS WE
USED TO SING.
Some Old Melodies Discussed by
Pair of Veritable BOhemians.
H1w and From Whom Came The Old Osk4n
Bucket" w odmsn, Spare That Tree" "AD
Life On the Ocean Wave" and Others.

Han small and old-fashoued but cosy
Ia chop-house, way down town, two verita-
10 bic BohemanS sat the other afternoon
and over their pipes and ale exchanged rec
objections. Their talk after while touched
upon old familiar songs, many OF which
possess peculiarly interesting local associa-
tionS.
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 WoodwOyth, gifted but erraJic
printer, was living there at the time. One
hot summers day he went into lis house
and.drank glass of water, remarking that
tastes good. but how / wish that l could
drink just at this minute from the old
oaken bucket on my fathers farm Wood
worth's wife remarked sympathetically.
What poem could be written on that
thought The printer pondered for min
ute, 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 a melody composed by HALLMARK for
'Araby's Daughter and were sung far and
wide"
'Woodman, Spare That Tree, is another
x, Il
said the second Bohemian. THE words
were written by George p. Morris, who
lived in New York almost all his lie and
died there in 1864. When he was boy his
home was on farm not far from Blooming
| dale. lie was won't to play there
UNDER AN OLD TREE
| Planted by his grandfather. Many years
| after lie had left the farm ana the property
| had passed out of the hands of his family he
happened in the neighborhood one day and
saw a man about to cut down the old fami-
liar tree. He begged the man to desiSG and
received the gruff response that the tree
would bring $40 for tireN God. He gave the
man the money and tlok a bond for The safe
protection Of the tree. Soon afterwaid be
wrote the noted song, which was sci 10
music by Henry Russell"
You have heard how a Lie on the
Ocean Wave came to be written, / sup
pose" queried tie first speaker, as ne
moistened his lips from his ale mug. Nor
Well. 1T was THIS way. Epes Sargent was
walking along the edge OF the Battery one
bright morning when the numerous craft
dancing on the g!istening water, brought 20
his mind suggestion made 10 hiIi sun
time before by his friend Henry hassti'
that he write marine song. ne Mao'e vnJ
words of "A Life on the Ocean wave, ana
showed them 10 George L. Morr s. who re-
marked that they made a nice niue poem,
but they would not do for song Soon al
tervard Russell met Sargent anu asked him
for the verses. Taking them to music
store on Broadway ana Park place. Rus
sell went into little back room, seated hm-
self at piano and in a few minutes COM
posed the air of the famous song. Sargent
never received cent for it. although the
sales of the song were large.
Ben Bolt, you remember, was a noted
song along about $780," continued the firsi
Bohemian. The original words of that
song were written in 1912 by DIR. Thomas
Dunn English of Philadelphia, while on a
visit TO New York, and sent as gratuitOus
contribution to magazine edited by his
friend, n. p. Willis. Some years afterw"rd
the verses were repeated from memory to
Nelson kIeass. New York bohemian, WHO
set them to music, adapting
AN OLD GERMAN SONG.
"The instantaneous success of Ben Belt
made it a source of great profit to its pub
'i5iers, but Kneass died in poverty, COM
planning that ne only received tribe Tor
his work. SO far as is known the writer OF
the original verses got nothing" e,,ar
But lew writers of popular 500 w
made any money out OF then, oiar r;
remarked the second Bohemian. pa,ua
the familiar case of John Howard PaSne, !,
New York boy, who wrote home, 9Mee'
tome, while starving IN an attic III !C al
he Gaid Of Milan sS PAYNE never sPer
thing for it, and later in his life.he wrote 10
friend in this city: H. a olteh nave L
been in the heart of Paris, Berlin, London
or some ether city. and have heard persons
singing or hand organs playing Home,
sweet Home without aaFiGg a shilling u
buy NY the next meal OF place to lay
rrus Payne's case was O d etc one
aSsenteC Bohemian No. !, mt ming the
baritone to again ill the mug but ghere
have beer instances where pHg- ritter, =.
made l.eat deal of money ana Old not
know no TO keep il. Take the experience
produced Old KENTUCKY Home old Dog
Tray sJld Folks az Home plj Uncie
Ned anO scores Of other popular 1DgS, Tor
which b. received large sum q money.
900 coDiOs OF Old Dog 1Iay' Eefe sold in
eighteen months. Foster was a reckless.
happy-go lucky fellow. some 0f his most
faseens songs were written on brown wrap
piEs pap "a tne oa9S part OF dnWptoNn
grocery d. lhIi city. he was taktn SICK here
and was conveyed 70 h0spita, where he
died penn iess January Is. 1864.
"An0ther man who received J sums of
Mo. n lbs songs as BenTy Work OF
thls e5'yi.o ouihor of Wake rodemus,'
MatculnE li.I0~s Ge0Is4s ~
'egANDFATHER's CLocK'
Tie sales # The last-meGione song were
enormous, and Work received s. royal
ties on that alone.
There sTs some song writers gnl Eot only
never ceyed any money for the'c work
but in subsequent years had 10 G.. for tba
credit Of authorship Such VS. tbe case
with the author oil Rock Ne 70 sleep.
Allen. VIII, oi Paul ASers, tue seq.po or, aud
afferward ..e aife Of 2 VI. Alien OF this
city. She -,-' Qte The song " hie IN ltai5 ~
sent it TO Philadelphia, where 't was J 3D.
iished. There was widely oScp-sel eis-
pute over the authorship OF thai scog.
well, L guess, there has never been fls
dispute about the origin Of 'Hal. CodD...,
said Bohemian No. 2. somewhat irreyereut-
w. The words of that stirring song were
written by Joseph Hopkinson of Philadel-
Mira in 1890, when war with France was
thought to be. imminent. The music TO
which the words were subsequently set was
originally written as General WaShingtoh's
March BY a German named Fayles, tue
leader of the orchestra in the old john
street Theater in this city. MI SuSts,
Washingtons stepson, is the authority .aF.
that statement :.
''Well. let US drink up and move along,
said Bohemian No. /, lifting MS foam
flecked mug for final drausht. by the
way, you remember that famous drinking
song, Sparkling and Bright which was
written by Charles Fenno Hoffman. Poor
fellow, although cripple from boyhood he
was always genial and convivlal. lie had
one of his legs crushed by a ferry-boat at
Cortlandt street when he was but IL years
old. In spite Of his deformity he graduated
from Columbia College with honors, and
practced law with fair degree of success.
He died in hospitaL"-N. Y. Times.
Experience has shown that an electric
street-car can be comfortably heated by the
expenditure of one horsepower OF electrical
energy. The electrical heaters do not re-
duce the seating capacity of the car. which
is kept clear of coal dust and clnders.