The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-24
NELSON.
AUTHOR OF "BEN BOLT"

The writer then goes on to describe the
appearance in that city many years ago Of
a strolling minstrel troupe, Of which Nell
son was a member, his death and burial,
and refers touchingly to the neglected grave
of one who charmed the world years ago,
which every schoolboy and girl learned by
heart in his and her school reader, and
millions of mothers sang TO their babies in
the twilight hour.
Who Nelson - was, and the particulars
of his connection with "Ben Bolts are not
given but the writer will supply them.
In 1842, N. P. Willis and George P. Nor
ris, author of "Woodman, spare that tree, }"
purchased the old Mirror of New York
City, and issued it under the name Of the
Nel0 Mirror.
N. P. Willis wrote to DR.. Thomas Dunn
English. young literary man OF Philadel-
phia, asking him to contribute something
to the new paper "for charity sake" DIR.
English, then but 81 years Of age, sent them
the song OF ''Ben Bolt" appending his mi
tials This was duly published and went
the rounds of the newspapers of the day.
All this time there lived in Philadelphia
a prominent family named Kneass. Horn
r. Kneass was United States district attor
ney and a lawyer of considerable promi~
nence, while his brother, Nelson Kneass
was a cultivated gentleman of fine educa-
ton, who was passionately devoted to music
and poetry, but of little stability, though
| considerable talent. Several years after
| the first appearance of ''Ben Bolt" in the
| New Mirror theatrical company was Civ
ing lurid drama in Western Pennsylvania
called 1.-THE Battle of Buena Vista"
| Nelson Kneass was travelling with
| this company as a singer of songs be-
| tween the acts. While at PittsbuFg
| Kueass resurrected an old German air and
adapted 1t to DR.. English's poem of 'Ben
- ! L~E. Iol
| Its effect was wonderful 1t took like Wild
fire and in few days everybody in Pitts
| burg was hummiBg and whistling it. A
music publisher In Cincinnati named Peters,
whose son now has q music store next door
| to the corner Of Fourth and Olive, this city,
| began to pu blish 10 in music form. Oliver
| Ditsen of Philadelphia likewise began its
publication. Each claimed the copyright
| and a lawsuit resulted. Ditson won aud
Issued 80, 600 copies of the song, more than
were sold Of any two songs ever published
| in America.
Meanwhile Nelson Kneass continued to
sing the song before crowded houses
| throughout the west, and became noted
through it as Emmett, Billy Emerson and
| Scanlon have with their favorites in recent
years.
The aristocratic Kneass family were not
| proud of their minstrel relative, aud never
referred to him. bis whereabouts was lost
to them, aud, though years passed, they
never learned his fate nor made inquiries
| regarding it.
Many of his old friends wondered what
had become of him, but soon forgot him
though the song for many years was on
every tongue and was as well known in
Europ as Ia the United States.
Kneass, being improVideat aud shiftless,
though gentleman OF culture, education
and talent, drifted from one troupe of
Ministries to another, and finally landed in
Chillicothe, Mo-, with a strolling troupe
under the name of Nelson. Here he died,
and his associates buried him in the little
cemetery. with the simple stone, devoid OF
surname or particulars, for they knew little
/ of him.
| DIR. Thomas Dunn English is still alive
and lives at Newark, N. J. He will be 70
years of age this month, though he looks
little over 80. Last fall he was elected to
congress and is a very active man.
Neither Kneass nor DIR. English ever re-
oeived a penny for the song, though the
| publisher reaped a harvest
| Arthur English, the young real estate
dealer of this city, is DR.. English's eldest
son, and he and DR.. Peters occasionally dis
cuss the above story, though this is the first
time it has ever been published