The Bessemer indicator., 1894-07-07
HE HAS THREE VOICES.
THE QUEER FACULTY OF A
CHICAGO NEGRO.
Can Sing simultaneously In Three Dis
tInct Notes in Imitation of AS Many
Different Peopio-Only Recently Dis
covered by a Doctor.

William Yaucy. q pure blooded
negro and ex-slave from the South.
always had considerable OF strug-
gle for existence. before he became
aware OF the fact that he was some
thing OF physical monstrosity and
an object OF interest to the medical
profession because Of that very fact
He glories in the possession Of three
distinct voices ono pitched in
baryton key and two minor ones,
soprano and alto. The barytone is
his normal or natural voice, while
the consonant production of tho
other two depends on his
will and on his manipulation
OF his vocal chords When singing
certain songs particularly adapted to
those three voices OF his. they pro-
duce together n harmony of notes.
similar. in fact, to the Ginning in OF
u rather well-modulated barytone
voice and of a soprano and an alto OF
less volume and power. In other
songs, or passages of them, the three
voices which simultaneously emanate
from his throat, sound discordant.
He has. by dint of many years unas-
sisted training. reached that degree
of skill in 'handlins" his assortment
of voices that he can sing the solo
part OF song in his normal, clear
barytone, reserving the wierd effects
of the three voices in conjunction to
the chorus or refrain. Besides this
abnormal proficiency in emitting n
job lot of notes, tho Chicago Herald
says, Mr.. Yancy is likewise the
proud owner OF ventriloquistic pow
ers, and the latter he knows how to
use to even better effect than his
vocal talents.
As to how he came to discover his
peculiar gifts, above described that
was as follows; Being then boy of
~ and working one day in the corn
field on the plantation OF Mr.. Bow
man, he suddenly discovered while
singing some darky tunes, that he
could "strike two voices when he
sang very high" He tried it again
and again, and then ran to his mis-
tress. Miss Mary Bowman, who had
always been very kind to him, and
told her of his discovery. but how
can you do it. Williama" she said in
amazepent. Whereupon he started
off with that fine old negro hymn:
When the rocks and the mountains will all fee
away,
shall find new hiding place there.
He sang it, pitched in high key
of his youthful voice. and, sure
enough, the vibrations in the roof of
his mouth suddenly sounded double,
then treble. and Miss Mary stood
and wondered and said: "Oh, how
strange it isP" But that was all.
No further ado was made of the queer
facts in this case. His white skinned
employers then and since may have
looked upon these physical abnormi-
ties as new phase in negro nature
And William went on through the
even tenor of his ways, hoeing corn
and feeding cattle and attending to
other chores, reserviny his peculiar
gifts for his own private amusement
in the evening, and not thinking
much about it.
Thus it was until recently, when
DIR. Ira ID. lsham, whose speci atty
is the voice and chest, and who is
professor of physiological diagnosis
in the college of physicians and sur
geons noticed the elderly negro on
one occasion and was treated to an
exhibition OF his special talents,
both in singing and in ventriloqusm.
DIR. 1sham, in the presence Of the
writer, mado an examination of Will
lam fancy and found the epiglottis
in a normal state. the roof of the
mouth exceptionally short. but the
space Immediately back OF it alb
normally long and extensive, so that
there is more space for the reson-
ance of tho vocal chords than is
usually the case. He also found the
vocal chords themselves slightly
congested and inllamed-an abnor-
NAL condition which has become
permanent. and to which, no doubt,
the frequent hoarseness of the sub.
ject is duo. His professional opinion
may be summed up in these few
words: Abnormal conditions, but not
phenomenal ones; both Yancy's triple
voice and his ventriloquism owing to
the abnormal vibrations of the vocal
chord. Before undergoing this ex-
animation by DIR. Isham Mr..
amy pnNc hH entertaining eNHlDl-
tion of his gifts. He sang Hold the
Fort" "Roll, Jordan, Roll" Way
Down Upon the Suwance River"
"When the Rocks in the Mountains"
the tonal scale and some other selec-
tions and in them all the peculiar
conditions OF his voice, as mentioned
above, were apparent. Sometimes
the flowing together of the three
voices produced perfect harmony.
but more often it did not. A little
ventriloquistic scene. of Yancy's own
invention and very comical, demon
strated the mans perfect control
over the changeful timber of his
voice. He engaged in an apparent
quarrel with somebody outside tho
door who wished to come in and
whom he would not admit. Without
any apparent effort en- iancy's part
his voice changed off and on. from
its natural tones to those of man
and then OF small darkcy child out
side trying to break in the door.
The Oldest Timber in the World.
Probably tho oldest timber in the
world which has been subjected to
i