Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-14

in these record-breakiug days, as song
writer. Everybo ly nowadays is sing.
ing that irresistible ballad, AFTER the
Ball" The chorus
After the ball is over, after the break OF
After the dancers leaving, after the stars are
gone.
Many heart is aching if you could read
them all.
Many the hopes that have vanished, after The
| ball
is heard everywhere, and it is probably
the most successful song of the century,
over 100000 copies having been sold.
1t is said that no other song ever sold
to so large an extent, and it is certainly
fact that no other song ever netted
its composer fortune in few months
time
The story of this song, CATER the
Ball." is full Of human interest. The
words and music were composed by
Chas. X. Harris in few hours, and the
most remarkable thing of all, outside of
its popularity, is that the composer
doesn't know one musical note from an
other Harris is of Hebrew eXtrac-
ton, is 2S years Of age, is self-educated
and is the composer of at least II bal
lads that are now riding the topmost
waves of popularity. He is of small
stature, with red hair and blue eyes,
and had eked out the usual everyday
existence until few months ago as q
teacher Of the banio.
To-day he is one Of the rich men Of
Milwaukee and is enjoying an income
of over $1,000 day from the sales of
After the Ball
Harris has s,rlggled with all Of the
phases of poverty, but one morning
about six months ago he awoke to find
himself famous.
That almost million copies have
been printed ard sold is no surmise or
matter Of 9uesswork. / called on Mr..
Harris. the composer, yesterday, and
he verified this remarkable statement
by showing me his order books and
cash receipts. Leading dealers are or
dering the song in 5000 lots and Mr..
Harris's income has averaged for seY-
eral weeks 5000 day from the sale of
his song.
The career of the young composer
and the story Of how he wrote after
the Ball possesses many elements ofro-
mantle interest. lie was born in Pough-
keepsie, y. y, in 1864. When a year
old his parents removed to New York
city, where his boyhood was passed.
When l3 years ofage the boy went with
his family to Milwaukee, where he has
lived ever since. When comparatively
young he began composing music, and
thus far upwards OF twenty of his COM
positions have been published. He
never had the advantage Of u musica!
education, but he takes to music and
music making as naturally as duck
takes TO water.
His frst songs were sold to publish
ers, but shortly after young Harris be-
came his own publisher. Several songs
proved fairly successful, and one enti-
tied kiss and Let's Make Up" netted
him 5000. But it was not until he
composed After the Ball. that things
began coming his way in tallyhoes and
coupes. Harris told me, and now give
for the first time how the simple story OF
how the song was written.
Last March the Milwaukee bicyclels
were preparing to give an amateur en-
tertainment. Sam Doctor, a local sing
er, called on Harris one morning about
q week before the show and asked him
TO write him song. Harris had at
tended ball in Chicago the night be-
fore and was lying on sofa in his Of
fee when Doctor called. II am too
tired, Sam said Harris, "to try to DO
anything just now. / am suffering from
the fatigue of after The ball" Doctor
urged his claims, and finally Harris
consented to compose something for his
friend. will tell the rest of the story
in his own language;
The words of my reply, After the
ball. kept ringing in my ears, and L
quickly recognized that had catchy
title for song. I thought out the
verses, and little by little the tune
came to me, and fitted the words to it.
Finally the whole thing developed. and
it came to me like an inspiration. l
hurried to a music house and ascertain
ed that no music had been published
bearing the same or similar title to
After the Ball. Then I sent for Jos.
Clander, the orchestra leader, and pick
ed out the piece on the piano for him
| can't read or write music, but can
play ANYTHING by ear-and asked him
if he could write it down for me. Clan
der can grasp and write music as quick
" as a stenographer can take a dicta-
ton. and in an hour or so | had the
words and music Of After the Ball on
paper.
Doctor, and after rehearsins it he sang
il for the first time at the amateur min
strel show. I sat way back in the
house. very nervous over the outcome.
Doctor sang two verses finely and got
tremendous applause. This staggered
him and he forgot the third. [ left the
house chagrined and mortified, /
threw the manuscript in drawer with a
/ lot of rubbish, fully determined never
to publish or look at it again. But the
people who had heard it remembered
the tune and it grew on them. l heard
boys whistling it a few days later.
Some Chicago visitors carried it to that
citv and | had two or three inquiries
for il. Two weeks later, Ditson, OF
Boston. ordered ten copies. l don't
know how it got that far out. This or
der induced me to publish the song, and
the result is known. To-day had q
teleeraphic order from this same Bos,