The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-11-06
HE SANG ~"COMRADES.p
A Baritone Gets A~pplauded by an Au-
dience Ninety Miles Away.

n baFtiDHe Vets APPiduUtu ny ~
dience Ninety Miles Away.
John E. McWade, tie ~well-known
baritone, was at the Columbia with Hal
len and Harris New Later On" Mr..
McWade, it will be remembered, is the
singer who popularized Comrades, but
he is a nice fellow in spite of that. He
and his little family have a delightful
home at Mount Vernon, near New York
rity. During the summer Mr.. McWade
sang in light opera in Milwaukee, and in
/ every production, whether the scene was
laid in Venice or Japan, the audience
howled for Comrades" until John
stepped to the footlights, winked at the
leader of the orchestra and proceeded to
render that venerable ballad as he only
can render it.
When here he and his wife stopped at
the Windsor hotel. Early one morning
Chief Clerk Jasper received a message
saying that Baritone McWade was want
ed at the public telephone station, where
a party in Milwaukee desired to hold
converse with him. Mr.. Jasper carried
the message to the McWade parlors in
person.
The baritone was INDUCING in his
morning nap, or beauty sleep, when he
learned what was wanted. He hastily
arose, donned his clothes and rushed
over to the telephone station, where he
entered the long distance telephone box
and took up the receiver.
"Hello!' he shouted, sis that Mil
waukee:"
Eyes" came the answer, faint but
clear. sis that John McWade?'
''It is" replied the singer. "Who is
that?'
I'm Billy Crosby, from Chicago"
Hello, Billy. what are you doing up
there?:"
Had to run up here on business last
night. Say, John, l want you to do me
a favor, if you will"
with pleasure. What is it"
Just sing me the first verse and
chorus of Comrades will your
"Well, I'll be -,"said McWade half
to himself and the other half to Crosby
in Milwaukee.
"Go ahead, John. I've paid the tolls.
I'd give five dollars to hear Comrades
now. If you'll sing I'll open a small
bottle when | meet you tomorrow"
"All right; here goes" replied Nc
Wade with a laugh, and he started in
on Comrades" singing it as he new
sang it before. One of the messenger
boys tiptoed over and quietly opened the
door of the long distance box.
Then the whole force of the Office
knocked off work and drank in the
superb melody as it rolled from the bari
tones lungs to Milwaukee by wire. As
he wound up the song with a high note
he heard Crosby say, "Wait a minute,
John" Then he plainly heard the Mil
waukee receiver drop and Crosby clap
his hands vigorously in front of the
t~ransmitter. 1t was genuine applause
from ninety miles away, and it sounded
as sweetly to the singer as though it had
been the roar of a vast audience.
Thanks, John. That was great. The
bottle goes. Tell Clayton to put it on
ice now" came the faint voice. Good
by"
"Goodby," said John, and he chuckled
al tha WAY back to his hotel
His Audience.
A pretty story, which has, moreover,
the merit of being true, is told of a GER
tain professional singer. He had a beau
tiful tenor voice, of which he was apt to
take the best of care, so that when he
was crossing the Atlantic one summer
with a party of friends, they were not
surprised to find that he disappeared
from view every evening at just about
the same time.
Afraid of the night air" said one,
with a slight smile.
Afraid we'll ask him to sing, prob
ably" said another, but no one ques-
toned him, as he was known to be quite
immovable from his own way.
But when the last night on board
anne, a delegation descended to his
stateroom to beg for a song or two, and
discovered that he was not there. They
looked for him in vain, until at last the
captain, who had evidently kept the
secret as long as he could, said, pointing
in the direction of the engine room:
II think you'll find him down there;
that's where he's gone every evening""
Sure enough, when the delegation ar
rived at the engine room, they heard the
sound Of a guitar and a voice, and there,
lolling against the wall, was the r~ecreant
tenor, singing his best for the delight of
the stokers, whom he had entertained
| in this way for more than an hour every
evening during the voyage.-Youth's
Companion.