The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-05

now, and good one. Listen to this. = and
ne sat down at The piano, but could not
mink Of note Of Il He felt worse than
num1iiated; he felt that he had lost fame
ana fortune, and 30. IN sense, he had. He
struggled and guggled," but nothing
would put the tune into his head. Finally
e gaye It up % lost and sat down with his
Trend - drink bottle Of beer which had
peen brought in by servant The subject
@ conversation was changed and Mr..
smith had well nigh forgotten his loss
when suddenly he slammed his glass down.
jumped up Ike tennis ball, rushed 70 the
piano and played the tune. For almost
An hour he played Il over and over and
Over. until his friend, who was ct first
Delighted with the air, told him that Il
ne played II again he would turn
~ the police alarm. The music was pub
nsned precisely - it was played the first
Time Az soon o. II became popular Z
number Of persons came forward to claim
the authorship Of the words, but Mr..
smith detected the falsity Of their claims.
ior none OF them referred to the fact that
the words had been slightly changed to
suit the music and the catchline "Listen
20 NY Tale Of Woe" wholly added by Mr..
smith. Eugene Field. however, in re-
sponse to request from Marie Jansen.
gave her handsomely engrossed copy Of
the original verses with humorous dedi-
cation BY ''the author," and Mr.. Smith IN
the next edition placed Mr.. Fields name
BY permission on the title page.
After his success In song-writine. Mr..
Smith ventured upon an opera, Mr.. AL.
bert Riddle wrote the libretto and the
h. - ssTp -
was presented ct Ford's theater Harris
Bijou) in this city. Msstain made an offer
Tor the opera, but some financial misunder-
standing caused . split all round and Rid
Ole Withdrew the dbretto, while Smith
took the music. The score has since been
sold 70 Ellis q Co.. and Mr.. Bayly, the
managing partner Of that firm. says Il has
IN It moro catchy music than any light
opera he has ever heard. He 10, / under
stand. having new libret.o written for il.
asked Mr.. Smith what he regards Is
his best production.
Francis Wilson," he answered, "says
'Hush-a-Bye' ID the best from Q musical
standpoint, but my own favorite is . plain
tive little ballad entitled: MY Mothers
Songs 1t 10 also the favorite Of the musi-
cal members OF the Columbia Club. This
song has never been published or sung on
the professional stage"
In his underwriting Mr. Smith IL as er.
ratio - genius usually Is. Sometimes
month, or even two months, will
efapse without any attempt on his part
TO write note. He says that ct such
times his mind shuts up and there is no
music in him. He does not 60 near piano,
and never thinks Of music. Then all at
once the fever lays hold on him. and he
goes ct composition - II there were only q
few moments left between them and
nowhere. During these spells" he rattles
OF manuscript ct Tremendous rate. In
one day not long ago he composed ten
pieces, wrote them out and sent them TO
the publisher. One Of them was "Swine-
ing In the Grapevine Swing" which has
become popular.
i cannot force myself to compose. /" he
says: II have tried It time and time again.
and the results have always been very I'M
satisfactory. have . little rose lar on the
mantsl ct home. and when chance across
bit Of poetry which think will 20 well to
music. I clip it out and put It in tho lar.
Then whom the fever comes on read NV
collection over and get to work. Sometimes
when ct loss for words / write them nv
cell, although / never dare dignity them
with the name of poetry. Some of these.
however, have been surprisingly successful.
and ! am quite willing to plead guilty. to
the authorship Of them-for example: .The
Song That Breaks May Heart" and "Hush-
a-Bye."
Mr.. Smith has also written two oper-
etta4 ''The Lottery Ticket" and "A New
Years Reception" several burlesques. not
especially noteworthy, melodrama and I
farce-comedy. The latter. entitled Para
disc Flats. was successfully presented in
Warrington few weeks ago under the
auspices Of the Columbia Club. This farce
comedy, which the author regards a. his
best dramatic production, is based upen
the somewhat novel experiences of Mr..
Smiths manner Of living, especially on 4
dinner given at Paradise Flats, as his bach.
elor home II called, in honor of Miss Bate
the charming daughter of Senator Bate. Of
Tennessee. Senator Bate and his
amiable wife figure in the play AZ
Uncle Larry and Aunt Jane Re.
spectively, Miss Bate as Susie and
Miss Marshal and Miss Clare, of this city.
as Fannie and Clara. respectively, while
the authors two chums. Charles M.
Stanley and Robert w. Jennings, are the
originals of Charlie and Rob. The charac.
ter Of China is the housekeeper of the bach.
elor quarters. and though in the play she
10 very comic person. she is not over-pic-
tured. China-for so she is called in re-.
alty-is well known to everybody who has
enjoyed the delightful dinners end enter.
tainments given by the bevy of bachelors
who call Paradise Flats their home. She
il o. black IS Erebus and as interesting as
mans immediate ancestor. She is also the
undisputed boss of the fats.
Paradise Flats had IN established reputa.
ton for jolly hospitality long before il be-
came the pretentious abode that il now ia.
"When We started in our bachelor house.
keeping" said Mr.. Smith, .Staley and I
agreed that the first one married was to
become the sole possessor Of the establish.
ment, We being equal owners. We had a
tiny box on Pennsylvania avenue (No.
2,l29) the building being but twelve feet
wide and thirty feet in depth, two stories
and basement. six rooms in all, with the
jolliest little bath imaginable. Such .
time a. We had in getting the necessary
articles for furnishing the place The
parlor and two bedrooms were easy
enough, although forgot the pillows for
one bed and the mattress for the other,
but the kitchen stumped US. tried to
shift the responsibility by ordering com
plete kitchen OUTFIT but unfortunately
struck clerk who knew but little more
about il than / did. In Two hours there
was q wagon lead of kitchen utensils stand.
ing before our little home About one
third of them have never been used.