The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-10-04


stars are gone,
Many a heart is aching, if you could
read them all,
Many the hopes that have vanished,
after the ball.
The story of the song, after the
Ball." is full of human interest.
The words and music were COM
posed by Charles K. Harris in
few hours, and the most remarka-
BILE thing of all, is that the COM
poser doesn't know one musical
note from another. Harris is of
Hebrew extraction, is % years of
age, is self-educated and is the
composer of at least twelve ballads
that are now riding the topmost
wave of popularity. He is of small
stature with red hair and blue eyes,
and had eked out the usual, every
day existence until a few months
ago as a teacher of the banjo. To-
day he is one Of the rich men of
Milwaukee and is enjoying an in
come Of $1,000 day from the sales
of CATER the Ball"
Harris has struggled with all the
phases of poverty, but one morn
ing about six months ago he awoke
to find himself famous.
The composer shows g. record of
forty amusement enterprises that
are using his song as feature of
their entertainments. 1t was first
brought to public notice by mem
Der of Hallen q Harris company
late in the spring. It's refrain has
travelled around the world and is
now being sung everywhere. Go
where you may you can't get out
of it's reach. 1t has been dubbed
the Columbian song of the worlds
fair, and one has heard nothing
else there. The bands have played
it, the soloists have sung it, and
even the Dahomeyans and Nubians
of the Midway who can't speak a
word of English and the dancing
girls of the Persian and Algerian
theaters have learned to hum the
tune. From the Bowery to Coney
island it has been the ballad of the
summer, and millions of Americans
are singing it. 1t is just now the
rage in London and Paris, and the
Swiss and Italian makers of music
boxers and hand organs have inn
mortalized it in these instruments
of torture, and its popularity is in
creasing day by day. Cold weather
may freeze it out, or cholera may
come and divide honors with it,
but leading dealers are ordering
the song in 5000 lots, and Harris
income has averaged for several
weeks $1,000 a day from the sale of
his songs.
The career of the young COM
poser and the story of how he
wrote "After the Balr' possesses
many elements of romantic in
terest. He was born in Pough-
keepsie, n. Y, in 1864. When a
year old his parents removed to
New York city, where his boyhood
was passed. When Is years of age
the boy went with his family to
Milwaukee, where he has lived
ever since. When comparatively
young he began composing music,
and thus far upward of
twenty of his compositions have
been published. He never had the
advantage of musical education,
but he takes to music and music
making as naturally as a duck
takes to water. His first songs
were sold to publishers. but shortly
after young Harris became his own
publisher. Several songs proved
fairly successful, and one entitled
"Kiss and Let's Make Up" netted
$4,000. It was not until he COM
posed After the Ball" that things
began coming his way in tallyhos
and coupes.
Last March the Milwaukee BIZ
cyclers were preparing to give an
amateur entertainment. Sam Doc
tor, local singer, called on Harris
one morning about q week before
the show and asked him to write
him song. Harris had attended
ball in Chicago the night before
and was lying on a sofa in his
office when Doctor called. 81 am
too tired, SAM" said Harris. to
try to do anything just now; I am
suffering from the fatigue of after
the ball" Doctor urged his claims,
and finally Harris consented to
compose something for his friend.
The rest of the story is told in
Harris own words:
"The words of my reply, After
the Ball. kept ringing in my ears,
and I quickly realized that [ had
a catchy title for song. thought
out the verses and little by little
the tune came to me, and I fitted
the words to it. Finally the whole
thing developed, and it came to me
like an inspiration. | hurried to a
music house and ascertained that
no music had been published bear
ing the same or a similar title 10
After the Ball. Then l sent for
Joseph Chandler, the orchestra lead
er, and picked out the piece on the