The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1895-10-31
AUTHOR OF NELLIE GRAY"
How Bon Handy Wrote . song That Once
Was Widely POPulars
Ero,,, tho Colum hns Disnatchl

How Ben Handy Wrote song InSt Ohco
Was Widely Popular.
From the Columbus Dispatch.I
Ben Handy, the author of 'Nellie
Gray,"i is buried in Ottefbein Cemetery,
Westerville, and much sentimental in
terest naturally attaches to the town
from this fact. The story of Haaby's
tender, passionate little song has been
told, although seldom, perhaps, truth
fully. Like many brilliant and famous
co1npOsitors of words and music, 1T was
the creation of an hour, and its sudden
and astonishing success was altogether
unexpected by the author. The in
spiration came to young Handy while
he was passenger on a railroad tram
between Cincinnati and Hamilton. He
was listlessly reading newspaper,
when he found an account OF the man
ner in which beautiful quadroon girl
had been torn from the arms OF her
lover and taken to the Southern slave
market to be sold on the auction block.
The quadroon's name was given as Mel
lie Gray. The story filled Handy with
horror. for he was naturally gentle and
kind, and, being of Northern birth, the
iniouities of such features of slave
holding were appalling. SOimpressed
was he that with pencil and paper,
used as best he could upon the jOlting
and swaying car seat, he jOtted down
the words of song in which the Incl
dents of the story were utilized. This
was done simply for the relief OF his
own mind and his Overburdened heart,
and at that time there was not the re-
hottest design of ever bringing the
verse to the light of day.
| By the time Handy had reached his
destination he had practically com
pleted the few verses of the song. II
was thrown carelessly with his bag.
gage. and soon after his return to his
home in Westerville it was tossed
among other papers in his desk and
there forgotten for six months or more
One day be came across the manuscript
and sent it to WellknOWn firm O
music publishers in Chicago, with
; note saying that if they saw anything
in the song they nigh; publish it. Tn
song sprang at once into popularity
and Handy, like Byron, awoke on
: morning to fiji d himself famous. Blu
this awakening did not come for man,
8 months after the pathetic melody
3 his song had poured from thousands
tuneful threats throughout the lane
! His publishers never even acknOWi
edged the receipt of the manuscript
They made fortune from its sale, bu
of all the thousand of dollars tina
poured into their bank account Hand
never received a cent. When he wrot
to them they sent him six printe
COPIES of the song. without the fol
l. mality of thanks for the manuscript.
:. While his song was gaining its popl
Il larity, and daily growing dearer
q hundreds of thousands of tender heart
s Handy was living undisturbed his cal
a and peaceful rural life. He was yet
:. learn his fame. Several months aft
- the music OF his song had become
familiar as household words Hanl
"a visited a young lady of his city, Al
Is requested her to sing for him. She b
n gan, and greatly to his surprise Ham
le recognized the words and music OF
th "Neliie Gray" Itwas the first intim
H. ton he had that the song had be-
ne published.
= Handy came of q musical as we'll
highly decended and cultured fami
n His father was bishop in the Unit
a. Brethren Church, and was the Co
piler of a hymn book, which is still
o. use. Young Handy composed nu
'c. Der Of songs, several Of which W.