The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-19
OLD SONGS THAT LIVE.
SOME or THE MELODIES Thai
NAVE No RITAL.
y,,.r SONGS of the Day and Their writ"
er.-creat Success with Catching
DittIss.

"old songs are the best" has been SAID
so often that the expression has become
q trite one. Many songs that have been
written in the present century Will live
and will be sung down the ages almost
while time lasts.
"Yes." said j. F. Bowers. who is at
the head OF Lyon & Healy'y sheet-music
department. the old-time popular songs
are II anything, more popular to-day
than ever. Another thing, they have out
! lived scores Of the eyanescent compost
lions known as popular songs Of the
| present day. and will be as popular when
| countless others Of the same category
/ have had their vogue and are forgotten.
I Most Of the hits made by song-wrters
| are ephemeral and last but n few months,
| or a season or two at most. and then
! die out quite as suddenly as they sprang
! uD. But there Is a class OF songs tbat
! have a lasting quality. Such songs may
/ be superseded In popularity for time by
! compositions that are popular fads for
! the time being. but they are not forgot
! ten. Among these may be mentioned
! 'Oid Folks at Zone and, in fact. all OF
! Fosters songs; Home, Sweet Home
| "The Last Rose Of Summer Kathleen
/
! I'hro' the Rye
"Not only arc the songs themselves
| lasting In popularity. but countless piano
transcriI tons have been made by these
good old melodies and the demand for
them is very large. An evidence that the
people love these old songs may be noted
every time that Patti or any other great
| singer renders one of them. Home, Sweet
Home or The Last Rose OF Summer
I'LL Oh -. hit. ~ 4f-s -.
speak The immortal spark. that which
causes song to live is heart touch,
which appeals 10 the highest sentiments
Of tie human mind. Therefore, IT is not
the comic song ttat lives. but rather the
sentimental or the sacred. Surprising as
It may appear, no song that was ever
written achieved greater POPULARITY than
The Sweet by and By. IT has been trans
lated into nearly every language, sung
by nearly every civilized people. and It's
sales, while no adequate idea can be given
of the number. must have reached mil
lions of copies"
'ongs tiirt Sell n Present.
what are the popular songs that are
selling now?'
II can give you that in n nutshell. Here
is a list 1t includes 'Adieu Marie by
Stephen Adams: 'Adieu Said Marjorie
comic, by Denis Mackin; After the Ball
by c. X. Harris; After the Fair comic,
by Press Eldredge: 'Bowery' comic, by
=. Gaunt; cat Came Back, comic, by IL.
5. Miller: Daddy Wouldn't Buy Ne
Bow-wow,' by j. Tabrar; Daisy Bell
serio-comic, by II. Dacre; Hearts by c.
X. Harris; 4 Long to See the Girl I Left
Behind by J. T. Kelly; If You Love Ne,
Darling Tell Me With Your Eyes by II.
r. Smith: Kiss and Let's Make Up by
III.
Long. comic, by p. Gaunt; Mamie, My
Darling by Denis Mackin: Madrienne.'
by Il. NJ. Suits; My Mary Green by ".
Lamb; Molly and l and the Baby by
Harry Kennedy; Midway Plaisance,'
comic. by Denis Mackin; My Sweet
hearts the Man in the Moon, by j.
Thornton: Monte Carlo Boys by O.
| Powell; 'Oh, Promise Nc by X. de Koven;
Push Dem Clouds Away 10y +. Gaunt,
Sweet Nellie Bawn.' by w. r. Williams
Sweetest Story Ever Told by r. VI.
Suits: Say "Au Revoir.' but Not Good
bye" by II. Kennedy; sweetheart, say
| not Goodbye by f. L. Morey; Sand
mans coming by Henry Robson; They
| All Take After Me- by Randall; Then
Say Goodbye, by ID. Mackin; TWO Little
! Girls in Blue by G. Graham; Won't
/ YOU BE NiSo@5weetbeart? by II. G. Werner;
| Widow by p. Gaunt
"Of these thirty-two songs there are
not three which will live; nearly all are
of the evanescent character that VIII be
/ sung out in n short time
1t is not often that songwrter IS
also a singer, yet there are a few eXcep-
tons. among the more notable Of these
| being Frank Howard, Banks Winter and
Julius p. Witmark. Mr.. Howard-whcse
right name is Nlartndale-has probably
had more consecutive successes In SEMI
mental songs than any living author. He
made is first appearance I'm public as a
tenor with Thatcher Primrose and Vests
minstrels. The immense income accruing
from the royalties on his compositions
enabled him in short time to retire from
| active professional work, and be is en-
| joying the delights Of rusticity on a pretty
| farm in northern New York. Oddly
enough, both Winter and Witmark made
| their first great successes as vocalists
with Thatcher, Primrose and West.
A Chat wi. d Bunk. Win er
After Mr.. Winter had sung his latest
| success. "The Song of the Ferris Wheel"
he welcomed a representative Of The
| Chicago Herald in his den" and was
asked to tell some Of his experiences as
an author and vocalist
| - began as a professional singer in
| iSS1." he said. though prior 80 that /
had sung publicly as an amateur. doing
! Sweet Genevieve' and other pretentious
melodies. My first song as a professional
! was Harry Kennedys pretty ballad,
| Empty Is the Cradle, Babys Gone,
! which made a pronounced success and
| was sung all over the country before the
season ended Then came Frank Towards
only a Pansy Blossom which proved 10
be one OF the great hits Of its time and
| made for me tremendous success. After
that l sang The Letter That Never
! Came by Paul Dresser. which was al
most as popular. Then came three or
four OF Frank Towards most popular
songs in succession There was When
the Robins Nest Again I'll Await. My
| Love and Sweet Heather Bells All Of
these 1 sang myself, and was delighted at
being able to help my friend, Howard,
even little, toward fame.
| an the meantime, l was turning my at
tention somewhat TO sons-writng. and my
| first composition was that much-abused
ballad. White Wings Frank Howard and
/ were together I'm Thatcher, Primrose
and Vests company at the time. and
Howard suggested that I sing the sons
/ myself. as my own conception. he ar
rued. would be the best. 1 did IT, and The
song took very well in Boston for a week
! Then we went on the road and I SANG X
for about three months. Eir. Primrose
wasn't favorably impressed with Il and
told me 20 get another / demurred
pleading that as Il was my first ATTEMPT.
| l wanted a show. The song came near
losin" me my position. but Primrose con-
sented 10 let il go for a week or two
/ longer We returned to Boston and How
ard asked me what ! was going TO sing.