The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-30
ORIGIN OF THE BANJO.
Where the Negroes Favorite Music
First Came From
A Ruaely Constructed AMIR Which Has
Developed Into . Populae
and Pleasing In.
strumOn$.


OF Banjoemas, on the island Of Java. .
negro native Of the place-with that
love of music which his race universally
possesses-desiringa an instrument to ac-
company the voice, conceived the fol.
lowing plan:
Taking cheese box and crossing IL
with goat or sheep skin, he ran handle
through it, then, using violin strings.
which were tuned to the first, third,
fifth and eighth notes of an octave, he
gave it the name of banjo" from the
first two syllables In the name of his
native town. No banjo Of this time L.
known to be in existence, but from de-
scriptions handed down they must have
been very rude instruments, says Anna
L. Williams in Kate Fields Washing
ton.
AS the years passed improvements
were made, but only in slight degree.
Throughout our southern states banjos
became as plentiful as pickaninnies and
negroes might be found on any planta-
ton who could make the banjo talk"
Many a scene Of merriment was enact
ed in the quarters" after the days
work was done. young and old jogging
around to the lively notes of the instru-
ment as if bewitched, till the dancers,
one by one, fell down exhausted.
But this country was not to have .
monopoly of such merry music, for moro
than forty years ago the banjo crossed
the briny deep and made its debut on
the London boards. 1t was at the
Princess theater, then under the man
agement of Mr.. Maddox, and the per.
former was very skillfal and artistic
player named Sweeney. Public taste.
however, had not been trained as vet to
banjo music, so Mr.. Sweeney's stay on
English soil was brief. The judges of
classical music looked upon the banjo
as cross between the guitar and tam
BOURNE, and would not encourage it,
use.
But less than five years after Mr..
Sweeney and his banjo were avenged.
The original Ethiopian Serenaders"
from America took London by storm.
They came, they were seen-and they
conquered When the curtain went up
on the ST. James stage the audience
beheld row upon row Of chairs on which
sat men with faces blackened by burnt
cork, wigs of curly wool, and lips of
vivid red. When the strains of Poor
Lucy Neal' were heard there were few
dry eyes in the house.
Night after night London crowded
the hall, and the most renowned states
men-among them Sir Robert Peel
could be seen with stately head, gravely
keeping time to songs which set the
people wild. Mr. Greville has said that
the airs became familiar in fashionable
circles, and around many piano were
gathered sons and daughters of wealth,
all joining in the strains of 81 bet my
money on the bob-tailed nag" The |
songs, however, were nothing compared |
to the banjoists. Mr.. Pell, the original
''bones," was admired, but the banjo
players were idolized. Men forgot tho
cares of business or state while listen |
ing to the tum-tum of the banjo.
AS the instrument is now made It is
pretty enough to have a satin ribbon on |
it and be suspended from the neck IL |
guitar. In a clever performers hands
the banjo seems capable of doing every
chime, waters ripple, winds
blow, birds sing, and many other pleas
ant ideas are evoked; but it will never
do for romance, its very name is against
it; whether from association or not, we
cannot connect romance and the banjo.
The neck is now made with frets, SINH
lar to the guitar, and the circular, head
is covered with a fine calfslin which is
tightly held by large number Of
clamps with screws attached. These
tighten the skin and assist in giving q
more sonorous tone. Thus science has
the rough toy instrument of
more than half q century ago until it is
hardly inferior in style or tone to its
near relative, the guitar.