The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-08-19
BIG RUNS OF POPULAR SONGS.
An Author ana PabiIsher Tells How
Some Cntasy Melodies uaxe sold.

~ @@H-t%1 %AAtsA A7uDtA>ntr ltlla Row
Some catssy Melodies Have Sold.
In the year 1858 ! was yachting in
Long Island sound with a young friend
OF mine named Smith. We were lying
of New Haven becaiined. and although
did not know it then, have since re-
allied that this period was a turning
point in my career The doctors had
told me tlIst If did not stop dancing
i would become a cripple was some
thing ut a loss what TO turn my atten-
ton to, as at that time knew of moth
ing except dancing. Smith at that
time was a clerk in the music publish
ing house of Oliver Ditson & Co.. in
Boston.
i said to Smith; Il believe can
write the SONS TO make a concern
ricll- Let nS form u company and start
publishing music We managed to
scTofe losftlr,r !, s,naD sum Of money
AMI startod IL business At the end OF
the iirst two years W were nearly Bank
raIt The canse OF this fkiiure l found
to be- that we had boen{ selling other
publications and not our own. All the
money could raise was realized ont of
the renIainder of my capital. which con
sisted of an old schooner. which sold
realizing 5000
The first hit we made was with the
old and well known melody. ''Shoo
Fly" | did not write this, but it was
an original composition. and we sold
90, 0O0 copies of the song and 125. 900 of
the galop. My first real strike as a
song writer was in;ele with Put Ne in
My Little Bed"
This was suggested to me by seeing
picture of the prophet Samuel in the
window of n Boston shop as l was go
ing home one evening. Samuel was
kneeling by a bedside with his hands
clasped in prayer turned to my son
and said. That will be popular
song"
wrote the melody and the first
verse in fifteen minutes. The popular
ity of this song was immense. The
second of my successes was Come.
Birdie" The idea of this song came to
me while l was lying in hammock
under II tree. A beautiful woodpecker
was tapping at the bark of the tree,
and lifting my hand playfulIy toward
the bird said Come, Birdie, Come. +"
This was Il success from the start, its
sales outnumbering that of Put Me in
My Little Bed" by many thousands.
The next of my successes was entitled
Moonlight on the Lake" This was a
quartet. Over 100000 copies of it
were sold. You probably know that
as soon as a song becomes popular
musical pirates begin to write some
thing similar to mislead the pub
lie. In order to counteract this wrote
two more songs. When "ris Moon
light and when 'Tis Starlight. {"
These were all waltz songs, and al
though the two latter songs did not sell
rs well as the other. still they helped
to defeat the ends of those who wished
to profit from the results of my hum
BILE efforts
1t would be impossible for me to
enumerate all the songs have written.
They run up in the thousands. have
written over 100 quartets In fact,
think | can, without egotisin, say that
| have been the only writer of popular
music in this country or any other
during the fifteen years. The success
of Marguerite" is well known, over
1000, 600 copies of it having been
printed.-C. A. White in Music Trades