The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-26


ton, and these Tom would reproduce
as faithfully as the rest of the coIupo-
sit!on. This used 10 furnish much
amusement.
"Tom was harmless fellow. and,
nearly giant In STATURE never knew
of his being violent but once while was
with him, although be was always hard
to manage and inclined to be sullen,
ike a spoiled child. The instance
speak of occurred 10 Cleveland, I think,
where we had an immense audience.
During the first selection Tom pressed
too hard on the soft pedal, and 1t snapped
off. The piano was a magnificent grand,
furnished by local dealer, and put on
the stage at considerable expense. Tom
jumped up instantly when the accident
occurred and left the stage. MIR. Belts,
che other assistant, and ran to him at
once.
" tom wants another piano. said
the prodigy. He always spoke CT him
self In the third person. never heard
him say tI,' me-, my or mime,
in all of the time was with him. tom
wants new plano; this one broke. Tom
won't play on it again.
'Of course it was unfortunate, but
we knew that with his marvellous touch
that blind darky had little more use for
soft pedal than he had for eyes, so far
as his music was concerned, and we
reasoned with him and tried to get him
to go back. But he would not be
reasoned with. tom won't play on
ene.'
"It was bad few minutes for us.
There must have been 1900 people in the
house and to get a new piano soon
enough would have been impossible.
Belts got hot and took hold Of Tom to
push him out on the stage. Tom did
not seem to get mad, but he just hauled
off calmly ana deliberately struck Belts
blow in the face that knocked him into
the corner of the stage among lot OF set
rocks and practical trees. did not want
the same experience. SO told Tom 1t
was all right, he needn't 60 on if he did
not want to.
former owner, who has always had
charge of the colored boy and was ap-
pointed his legal guardian after slavery
was abolished, was at the door looking
after the finances, for which she had a
sharp eye. knew that no one else
could do anything with Tom when he
took one Of his moods. so sent for her..and
she came at once. She did not storm at
all at him, just appeared grieved. Why,
Tom.' she said, aren't you going to
to play for the people9'
No. Tom won't play. Piano broke.
well, that's too bad, Tom; but all
right, we'll pack up and go back home
and not travel any moro ever. It'n be
prstty lonesome home, but nobody VIII
want to hear you play anywhere again
now that you have disappointed them,
and nobody'll care for Tom any more
In five minutes Tom was fairly begging
to go back, and he never played better
in his life than he did the rest of the
programmes.
"Tom was great mimic, and room
learned by heart the speeches used intro
duoiug him, and, for the novelty of the
thing. we used to let him announce him.
self, which he always did in an exact
imitation Of the regular lecturer, some
thing like this:
Tom will now play for you. in bis
inimitable manner, selection which he
heard during his tour of Scotland some
years ago. The circumstances were as
follows etc.
GAS soon as he had finished selec-
tion he would always start the applause
himself, as those who have heard him
will remember. He always had orav-
ing to hear praise of his work, and I
used to so into his room every morning
and read the newspaper notices to him.
They were usually very 1atsering, and
Tom was always immensely pleased.
When the notice was an ordinary one
would intsrpolate a few words as read
1T. just to see him plume himself. One
day, when there had not been much
applause the evening before, Tom was in
a wretched humor. he did not know
it. but the house had been pretty slim.
and the newspaper notices were very
commonplace. felt sorry for the darky,
and made up my mind to read him a
good notice anyway, SO only read part
of the printed report and then launched
out making one up as I went along. 1t
went something like this:
Blind Tom stood before the i'm
mense and cultured audience in all of
his magnihosnce, very Hercules in
stature. The enormous building was
packed to the doors, and outside was a
seething, struggling. perspiring mob of
people besieging the entrances and beg
ging for even standing room, but several
Thousand disappointed people were
turned away unable even to get within
earshot of this prince Of pianists. Among
the distinguished people present were
Can Gra nt tho Hon Roao0a Coukyipp