Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-08-06
A SWEET SINGER.
THE MOST POPULAR SONG
WRITER IN AMERICA.
Career of Stephen O. Foster, Author
of "My Old Kentucky Home,"
"Suwanee River'' and Other
Well-known Melodies.
OrUW4NEE, III RIBBERa II and

NeutlOu, SHOWS tue eXtenU OF tne reCenG
revival in popularity of these famous
old Southern melodies, says the New
Orleans Picayune. Hand in hand
with this announcement comes the
news that National fund for the
erection of q monument over the neg
lected grave of their talented COM
poser, at Pittsbu,g, Penn, is to be
made. 1t already extends throughout
Pennsylvania.
Forty years ago no name among
American song writer's was SO we'll
known as that of Stephen Collins Fos-
ter. AS the writer OF comic songs he
had no superior, and the songs that
he wrote at the dawn OF the Civil War,
in the dialect of the colored man, who
was then working among the cotton
and the cane in the far South in alav-
cry, caught the popular fancy and
made Foster name that will live for
time immemorial. Nillson, Patti and
ell the greatest singers of tho day have
won their laurels through rendering
some of his compositions, and his
name stands pre-eminent among those
of Payne, author of "Home, Sweet
Home" and other leading composers.
This is the fame and the reputation
of man whose grave to-day occupies
an unfrequented spot in the old Ale
gheDy Cemetery at Pittsburg, which
the sexton could scarcely point out to
me. Although his friends and ac-
quaintances live all about him, yet
they might visit the cemetery every
day with never thought that in part
of 1t lay the remains of him who was
once go famous. For what man or
woman or man or child in the country
to-day but can "carry the tune" of
sold Folks at Home" which, however,
may be better known as "Way Down
Upon the Suwanee Ribber," or has
heard the plaintive notes of "Old
Black Joe," or laughed at the humor
in 30, Susanna, Don't You Cry for
Me" which are onlya few of the many
things which came from the facile pen
of this man.
The songs which were written by
Foster always found prominent place
in the campaign issues of the day, and
some of'his songs, which were rewrit-
ten and used in the political battles of
half a century ago, will be used in the
campaign, and will continue to be
used SO long as the United States re-
mains free country.
During his career as song writer,
Foster wrote SO many compositions
that no complete record of them has
been kept. 1t is estimated, however,
that 150 of them became famous,
which list includes such popular dit
ties as "My Old Kentu cky Home"
''Come Where My Love Lies Dream
ing," "Good Night" "Old Uncle
Ned" 80, Susanna, Don't You Cry
for Me-" "Way Down South "Old
Folks at Home" "Willie, We Have
Missed You," "Open Thy Lattice,
Love, ""Old Black Joe" ""O, Lemuel,
"Old Dog Tray" "Hard Times Come
Again No More" "Maggie at My
Side," "Jennie With the Light Brown
Hair, ""1 See Her Still in My Drer
and "Massa's in the Gold, Cold
Ground"
Foster was born In that portion of
Pittaburg known as Iawrenceville, on
July a, 1926. This patriotic birthday
was in keeping with the services rem
dered the country by his illustrious
grandfather, William Barclay Foster,
founder and for long time the owner
of Lawrenceville. His vast estates in
cluded the present site of the United
States arsenal, for which the Govern
ment paid him snug sum. The house
in which the future song writer was
born is still standing, and is situated
between Thirty fifth and Thirty-sixth
streets, on Penn avenue.
At the age of thirteen Foster was
sent to Towanda, Penn, to school, and
two years afterward to Athens, Ohio.
At both places he gained the reputa-
tion of being the quietest and most
modest boy in the school. These
traits clung to him through life, and
his friends in Pittsburg remember him
as being as ''gontle as a woman" He
completed bis education at Jefferson
College, Canonsburg, where he gradu-
ated with credit. Foster then dis
played an aptitude for mercantile life,
and was sent to Cincinnati, where he
secured position as clerk. Here he
remained for some months, but after
the SUCCESS of his first song, he re-
turned to Pittsburg and remained un-
til his departure for New York, in
1860. He was q resident of the latter
city until his death, on July IS, 1864.
Foster manifested his musical bent
early in life. When hardly able to
walk he displayed keen enjoyment
of all kinds OF music, and as he grew
older was quick and correct in catch
ing tunes. While OF Towanda he
wrote his first musical composition,
'Tioga Waltz" which was published
before the youthful author had
reached his fourteenth birthday. For
this he received the munificent reward
OF twenty-five copies of the piece for
distribution among his friends. While
clerking in Cincinnati ho wrote his
first song, "Open Thy Lattice. Love, -
which was published for him by Bal
timore house in i842. A few monthe
ofIo,mor1 tsOlJ Ro1le ~ uo,,,o - b;e