Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-26
0rgin of the Popular Tunes Our
 Fathers WhistIed.
HOW MANY WERE COMPOSED
Ben Bolt" "0ld Kentucky Home," "Kath- leeR Mayourneen" and Their
 Authors.

Tne 1aVOflIe songs OI IllG cOunlIys IhC story of the origin of our well-known songs may give to them a new and deep CT interest, and bring us into closer sym pathy with their authors, and below are extracts from the article:
 '1she Star Spangled Banner was writ ten by Francis Scott Key at the time of the attack on Fort McHenry, made by Admiral Cockburn on September 13, 1914.
 Yankee Doodle" is claimed by many nations. It was known in England as ''Nankee Doodle" in the time of Charles I. The Hollanders had an old song to this air called Tanker Dudel."
 Marching Through Georgia" the fa- vorite of military bands, and sometimes called "The American Marseillaise," was written in Chicago, in 1S65 by Henry c. Work, a remarkable song writer.
 "The Girl I Left Behind Me- is un- doubtedly of Irish origin, and is supposed to have been written about 175S.
 John Browns Body" the marching song of the nation, has peculiar history. was hanged at Charlestown, Va, the boys of Boston paraded the street, sing ing a monotonous lament, of which the burden was Tell John Andrew John Browns dead" A year or so later Thame Miller heard the melody of John Browns Body" in a colored church in Charleston s. C., and introduced it at Young Mems Christian association con- vention at Albany, N. Y. James E. Greenwich, an organist of Charlestown, Mass, fitted this air to the first stanza of the present song, and it became such a favorite that additional verses were written for it by Charles S. Hall.
 "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground" of which hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold, was written by Walter Kittridge, in 1862, when he was drafted.
 Maryland, My Maryland" the famous campfire song of the south, was written in April, 1861, at Poydras College, La, by James R. Randall a young Baltimo- rean and professor in the college.
 "Mollie Darling" by Will s. Hays, had a sale of nearly 250,000 copies in the ten years subsequent to It's publication. The song was one of the many successful works of a writer whose music has had sale of over e,000,000 copies. MT Hays made money by his musical genius His melodies are ussd extensively in the Swiss music boxes. His Drummer Boy of Shiloh," Write Me a Lettetr From Home" and "Shamus O'Brien' were among his most successful songs.
 Then You'll Remember Me-" by Michael W. Balfe, was written as solo in the Bohemian Girl" first presented in 1S44.
 Annie Laurie" the love poem ad- dressed by William Dougles to the eldest daughter of Sir William Laurie, of Max wellton, unfortunately failed to touch Annie's heart, for she later became Mrs Ferguson. The air to which it is now sung is the composition of Lady John Scott.
 "Auld Lang Syne" was not written en- tirely by Robert Burns; only the second and third stanzas are his, though he re- touched them all. There are three earlier versions than this one.t The air to which it is sung was selected by George Thom- son from an old Lowland melody.
 "The Last Rose of Summer" favor ite song of Adelina Patti, was one of the Thomas Moore for his collection of Irish Melodies" The air, which is very old one, formerly known as 'The Groves of Blarney," is found in collec- itions of the music of Ireland over two centuries old.
 "Comin Thro the Rye' is an old Scotch song, retouched by Robert Burns It refers to the fording of the little river Rye, where 1t was the custom of the lads to demand kisses as toll from the lasses they met on the stepping-stones in cross ing the stream.
 Home Sweet Home," was written by John Howard Payne, an American, and a homeless wanderer and exile. He was an actor for a time, and then turned play wright, being the author of more than sixty dramas In 1923 Charles Kemble, manager of the Covent Garden theater London, bought from Payne number of
 
 ''Clari the Maid of Milon." In extreme poverty, in an attic in Paris, Payne re- ceived an order to alter the play into an opera. He did so, and wrote this song It was an instant success. The prima donna won rich man for a husband the publisher of the song made $1OO00 in two years, the author received fame-but mo money for the song.
 Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep' was written in 1882 by Mrs Emma Will lard, an American teacher and author while on the steamer returning home from Europe. The Duke of Choiseul, a fellow passenger, composed music for it. The melody to which it is now sung was written by Joseph F. Knight, an English man.
 Listen to the Mocking Bird" was writ ten by Septimus Winner. in 1855, under , ored man, who wandered about Phila- delphia, whistling like a mocking bird. It at once caught the public ear and paid its publisher over $100,O0O.
 Ben Bolt,' revived by "Trilby," the mlate George du Maurier's heroine. was written by Dr. Thomas Dunn English, in 1S42, for the New York Mirror, at the request of N. P. Willis, who wanted sea song. Dr. English could think of only one sea line, Ben Bolt of the salt sea gale" the last line of his poem: he made it the foundati and constructed the verses on this base. In "The Bat tile of Buena Vista,' performed in Pitts burg in 1848 the song was introduced to an air adapted by Nelson Kneass from German melody.
 Kathleen Mavourneen," usually spoken of as having been written by Prof. F. Nichols Crouch, was, in reality, the work of Mrs. Louise M Crawford. an English poet. She was the colaborator of Prof. Crouch, the well-known com poser, in the issue of several books of songs she writing the words for his mu- sic. F IT I '.The. Old Oaken Bucket was written in the summer of 1877, by Samuel Wood- worth, the tramp printer Coming in, tired and thirsty to his house, in Duane street. New York, he poured out glass of water and drank it eagerly. He then said to his wife: That is refreshing, but how much more refreshing 1t would be to take a long, good draught from the old oaken bucket in my fathers well at home.s His wife suggested that the sub -iect would make good poem. Under