The National tribune., 1895-07-18
"0LDF0LKS At HOME "
Stephen c. Fosters Songs Have Mold
ed the Worlds Conception of the
Plantation Negro.

"Old Uncle Ned,n "Oid Kentucky Home"
"Nelie Was a Lady" and scores Of other
| popular negro and sentimental songs, says
the Chicago Herald
The author CT all these was Stephen Col
| lins Foster, of Pittsburg, Pa. Interest in
Fosters memory is just now going through
a revival in the efforts which his Pittsburg
admirers are making to erect monument
to his memory in Shenley Park, in that city.
Besides the interest which comes through
the prodnct of his genius, the inimitable
songs be has given to the world, Chicago
has an additional interest in Stephen Foster,
from the fact that his only child, daughter,
is n resident of this city. Mrs. Marion
Foster Welch is authority for the following
sketch OF the life of her distinguished father:
Stephen Collins Foster was born July 4,
| 1926, in the village of Lawrenceville, then
a suburb of Pittsburg, but now part Of
| the city proper. The old Foster homestead
/ stood near what is now the junction of Penn
and Butler streets.
1t is a family tradition that on the day of
| his birth Stephens father had invited
| number of army officers from the arsenal
and barracks at Pittsburg TO partake of
! sort of patriotic dinner at the Foster home
stead, and that Stephen first saw the light
! about noon, ust when the Nations birthday
| was being celebrated by the usual salvos of
artillery, drum-beating and other military
ceremonies commemorative of that event.
There is no record that the distinguished
| song-writer's early life was materially differ
ent from that of most boys. He played
| truant, perhaps little more than the av-
erage schoolboy, as ne early evinced taci-
| turn disposition, manifesting strong In
clination to be alone with Nature; and this
| he often accompli shed at the expense of his
| instruction by going to the woods instead of
| to school.
At 13 he wsnt on a visit to his older
brother, who lived at Towanda, and while
] there attended the college at Athens, which
| was an institution of learning with high
reputation ut that time. 1t was here that
| he made his debut composer, arranging
the "TIoga Waltz" a quartet for the flute,
which was performed at the commencement
exercises of the college with fine effect, and
| gained much credit and reputation for the
| young composer.
He returned home when he was about Is
| years old and entered Jefferson College, at
| CanDonsburg. About this time the Young
| mans decided musical bent began to mani
| fest itself much to the regret Of the other
| members of the family, who were prominent
| in the social and business world of the Pitts
| burg of that day. The young man, however,
continued to devote himself to the study of
music, 10 the neglect Of what his friends con-
\ sidered more important branches of educa-
| ti0n.
At this time he is described as being rather
| tall and slender, with preoccupied air
| which at times amounted almost to melan-
choly. He formed few close friendships,
seeming to prefer being alone with his own
| al.
neighboring woods and streams, where he
had opportunity to hold communion with
nature in its most attractive form TO mind
of poetic bent.
About this time he com posed several of his
famous negro melodies beginning with
Louisiana Belle" and followed by "Old
| Uncle Ned" "Oh, Susanna" sway Down
South" etc. II is worthy of notice here
that at this time young Foster had never
been south of Mason & Dixon's line, and his
ideas of negro character and dialect must
have been gathered either from fugitive
slaves or such free colored people as he
chanced to meet about Pittsburg. Indeed,
| there is a notable lack of keen insight into
the real character of the Southern negro man
| iiested in Fosters songs.
The genuine plantation darky was a very
different being from Fosters delineatiOn.
iZing tendencies Of slavery, without any
hereditary racial instincts or subsequent
educational training to develop that love of
home and its environments so dear to- the
Anglo-Saxon heart, the Southern negro of
Fosters time was q careless, happy, good
| natured soul who if ever he had a thought
of home and mother when away, gave little
evidence of regret or melancholy in his man
ner.
The remarkable thing about Fosters songs
is that, though failing to portray negro
character as it really existed, they not only
nodded the outside worlds conception of
that character, but gave decided bias to the
idea in which his white owners and associ-
ates regarded him. Moreover it is unques-
tiOnably true that the sentiment of Fosters
songs did much to mold the negros own
idea of himself Viewed from this stand
point, these simple, touching melodies have
performed double purpose. While pleas
ing with their exquisite sentiment and
pathos they have no doubt exerted an in
fuence on the people of which they are
sung.
The next important event in his life was
his marriage in 1850 to- Jane Mcdowell,
daughter of DR.. A. N. Mcdowell. leading
physician of Pittsburg of that day. With
his wife he moved almost Immediately to
New York City, taking lodgings in Greene
street. but subsequently moving to Hoboken,
where they set up housekeeping. Here he
composed the "Suwanee River" or, as he
named it, the "Old Folks at Home" which
is undoubtedly the most popular of his songs,
and which probably stands as close second
in universal popularity to John Howard
Payne's immortal production.
1t is said that The Old Folks at Home"
was written during fit of homesiekness
and dependency attending the poets first
few months in the metropolis. The name
of the Suwanee River was selected by
chance. With his brother, Morrison Foster,
Stephen was one day hunting through an
atlas for the name of some river in the
South which would suit the rhythm of the
song which was running i'll his mind.
Finally his brother pointed out the Suwanee,
remarking, THAT is the name you want"
1t was adopted and immortalized in the
popular song which generally goes now by
that title instead of the one selected by the
composer.
In 1s45, Foster, at the urgent solicitation
of friends, undertook to break away from
his song-writing procliyitles He went to
| Cincinnati and took place as ok-keeper
| in the office of his uncle, Dunning Foster.
ho, 10 tbon ainta nf