Smyrna times., 1894-03-21
THIS BEATS THEM ALL.
BABY JOE rs ONLY 20 MONTHS OLD.
AND A WONDERFUL SINGER
Rocked in the cradle of the deep
l softly lie and sweetly sleep,
Secure : rest upon the wave,
For nhnII n nnl knn -

secure rest upon the wave,
For ThOu o Lord, has power to save.
The sweet notes hoated out of a win
dow which the balmy, tempting air OF
yesterday had caused to be left open
The words were all distinctly pro.
nounced, but there was something
about the voice which made it seen
out OF place employed upon the hymn
A reporter of the Dispatch was rak
ing around in the mud of lower AL
legheny for news-any kind of news
accidents, murders, strikes ,elopements.
church rows, anything. l had stopped
IN front of house No. 18 Orchard lane
IL Is near the upper Preble avenue and
from there good view can be had OF
the Ohio river and number of works
OF various kinds. The sight of the lat
Ter caused me to look around for signs
OF returning prosperity. l didn't see
any, but l heard music.
am not musical sharp. but knew
IhaC the hymn being sung inside the
mouse was somewhat difficult one and
so far as could be told merely from the
hearing it often the execution was per-
feet. But the voice was that of an in
Iant and the listener at once fell to re-
|
plety. The neighborhood is a verv
poor one and the reporter wondered at
the same time what had caused parents
who could not be Opulent to begin Civ
ing musical training to a child of pro-
oao'y not more than 5 or years.
THE MUSICIAN A MERE INFANT.
learned in a few minutes that it
was baby, indeed. A group of little
girls passed, and they were asked the
name of the singer. One of them re-
piled, "Oh, that's Joe."
And how old is he?"
II dunno; he's just baby. He can't
talk"
This answer broke the questioner
up. He stood silent from astOnishment
so long that the little girls supposed
that he had learned all he wanted to
know, and went on. But he had onlv
commenced to get interested. and
Knocked on the door of the house. de-
termined at least to find the music
teacher who could teach baby to sing
the difficult intervals and slur the pro-
Ionged notes Of Rocked in the Cradle
OF the Deep" before it could talk. He
also wondered with more skepticism
than credulity how it was, if the baby
couldn't talk, be managed to pronounce
the words so distinctly.
But he found the story of the little
girls absolutely true. The house was
occupied by William Hatton, a foundry
worker, with whom lived several rela.
tlves of his wife and also his mother.
The latter is evidently very religious
lady, as it was she who had taught the
baby the hymn he was singing.
Baby HattOn, the singer, is Just a lit
tie past 20 months old, having been
born on June 10, 1892 To say that
he is prodigy would fall away short
OF the mark. He is simply phe.
nomenOn There is no accounting for
his existence by any of the ordinary
explanations of human life. Baby Hat
ton will be exceedingly fortunate if he
IS not visited within the next few days
by a committee of Theosophists. who
Will read this account of his perform
ances and go down to see if he is not
tue spirit OF Orpheus re-incarnated.
THE PERFORMANCE BEGINS.
The reporter explained his curiosity
about the music teacher to Baby Hal
tons father. The latter said there was
no music teacher in the case, but in
viTed the inquirer in to hear the baby
sing.
The child was seated in one of those
rocking chairs gotten up to represent
horse and with the seat between the
two sides of the animal. He rocked
with a vim and sang with a will. He
sang the first verse of Rocked in the
Cradle of the Deep" over again and the
reporter found that his first impression
oil the singing was correct. The tune
was carried with perfect accuracy. and
with the exception of giving slight W
sound to the RS, all the words were
distinctly pronounced.
The baby then sang a verse of Jesus
Lover of My Soul" even better than
the previous number, and also a part
of Hiding in Thee" Then he became
ribald, and switched off to "After the
Ball" }" and demonstrated that his talent
dId not lie in sacred things. 1t was
necessary for bis parents to tell him the
name or few words of the song they
wanted him to sing, and he would keep
right along until he had finished verse
and chorus.
He gave proof of his ability to dis
pose of Daisy Bell" and "Wait Till
the Clouds Roll By" in artistic shane.
and then the reporter was ready to be-
lleve anything that might be said about
him. Baby can also sing a great manv
other songs, it was stated, and among
them are my Sweetheart, When a
Boy" "On the Banks of the River"
old Folks on the Farm" "Whiter
Than Snow" boom -de-ay"
and Il Love Jesus, Halleluiah."
Baby HattOn began to sing when he |
was 10 months old. At that time he |
could neither walk nor speak a word.
But Tar ra-ra-boom decay" had at.
tracted his early attention and he kent |
humming it over until he was IL |
months of age.
INCREASING HIS REPERTOIRE.
Then he learned "Annie Rooney"
and soon had il so that he could nut a
good many of the words in. From that |
on he seems to have been occupied |
in learning songs. He does |
not talk to any considerable extent but
will repeat any word that is pronounced |
lOl nun. LnO Aulhub > lOuQ parents as /
sured the reporter that he could say |
little speeches as well as sing, but when
he did say one it took very close at
tention to distinguish that it was any,
thing more than ajumble of baby words
and even then it was impossible to tell
whrt it was about. His wonderful
memory seems only to meet its proper
object in something connected with
music, but that memory and the ear
which enable him to grasp now even
the subtleties of harmony certainly
prove him to be one Of the most won
derful babies ever born.
None of the baby's relatives have
made names as musicians, but his father
has taste for it and the mother and
her brothers all play and sing. There
is piano in the house and on it Elisha
Dudley, one of the baby's uncles, often
adds it note to the accompaniment of
the "rocky-horse." Mr.. Dudley thinks
that he and some of his relatives have
the talent to become professionals if
they could have obtained the training