The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-12-08
AUTHOR OF AMERICA"
he Tells How He Came to Write tn
Famous And Inspiring Hymn.

he Tolls How ne Came to write the
Famous And Inspiring Hymn.
From the Boston Reporter.
DR.. Samuel Francis Smith, the au-
thor of one of the most inspiring ma
tional hymns in the world, 'My Coun-
try, IT'S of Thee" told a newspaper
man who visited him recently on the
occasion of his eighty-fiftb birthday
how the famous hymn came to be
written.
In 1882 William G. Woodbridge, q
friend of DR.. Smiths, who had been
visiting Germany and the German
schools, brought home with him lot
of German music books. Mr.. Wood
bridge gave the books to Lowell Ma
son, then the conservator of all
church music in Boston, and Mr..
Mason being unable to read German
turned them over to DR.. Smith and
said he wonld like to have a poetical
translation of anything DIR. Smith
saw in the book and liked. Turning
over the leaves of the books one
gloomy day in February, 1882" said
DIR. Smith, Il came across the air
God Save the King I liked the
music. I glanced at the German
words at the foot of the page. Under
the inspiration of the moment 1 went
to work and in half an hour America
WAS the result. It was written on a
scrap of paper I picked up from the
table, and the hymn of to-day 10 SUBJ
stantially as it was written that day."
DR.. Smith still has the original
draft of the poem. He has been urg-
ed many times to give it up. They
would like to have it in Washington
for preservation, and it would, of
course, be priced and safely cared for
in Boston, but he has thus far declin-
ed to part with 1t. DIR. Smith made
a copy of it for D. Lothrop & Co.,
the Boston publishers, and this copy
was in their exhibit at the worlds
fair. The paper on which the poem
was originally written is yellow with
age, but the writing is perfectly
legible. The paper is about six inches
long by three inches wide, and has
only three erasures in the page. On
the back are some stray lines, the
remnants of some translation from
German work.
When it became 1.-The national
hymn" is not known. 1t was never
adopted as such formally and officially
by the government, but seems to have
been adopted by the people, and for
more than sixty years in school and
church, and in nearly every patriotic
gathering, the singing of my Coun-
try, IT'S of Thee" has aroused the
people in patriotism as no other hymn
has been able to do.
1t matters not whether the hymn
has been Officially" sanctioned by the
government, says the Boston Travel
Ter 1t has been taken to the hearts
of the. people-they love it for its
melody-and they will continue, as
long as time shall endure, to sing the
poetic prayer of their own patriotic
hymn:
Long may our land be bright.
With freedoms holy light.
Protect us by thy might,
Great! God our king.
DIR. Smith was born in Boston,
Octber q, 1908. He entered Harvard
at the age of seventeen and with his
companions formed what was after
wards known rs the famous class of
",29." 1t was lannon's because of the
fact that so many of its members be-
came prominent in the various walks
of public life. Among the boys'
who became famous men" may he
mentioned Oliver Wendell Homes;
the late Judges Benjamin R. Curtis,
of the United States supreme court,
and George T. Bigelow, chief justice
Of Massachusetts; William H. Cham
ing, nephew of the celebrated w. E.
Charming and father-in-law of Edwin
Arnold. the poet; Rev. James Free
man Clarke; Judge Ward, of Salem;
Chandler Robbins; Benjamin Pierce,
the astronomer; Samuel May. the re-
former; George w. Phillips. brother
Of Wendell Phillips; E. d. Sohier and
others Among his college friends
were Charles Sumner, 80; John
Lo!hrop Motley and Wendell Phil
lips, 81. Josiah Quincy was presi-
dent during the last year Mr.. Smith
spent at Harvard.
America" is not the OILY hymn
DIR. Smith has written. The hymn
books of all Christian denominations
contain many of his productions.
The Psalmist." a book used by the
Baptists for thirty year, contains
nearly thirty of his compositions.
His best missionary hymn, "The
Morning Light Is Breaking" has
been translated into many languages.
Saiting Lake vessels.