The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
ON A MUSICAL TRAMP.
TIE TytLENTS OF LITTLE WOOD
STOCK AMONG u NILS.

voices That It was worth II SInsicinn's While
60 Hear aud n Pleasant welcome for the
Musical nrer-Troub About the
Ono Available Orgnn-Other Hccoilcctlons.
without doubt Woodstock bellies tho ira.
ditionnl reputation of r~epcllant Yankee charao-
~tcristics more than any other Yankee town I
over was In. I had to pay only 10 cents for
coach hire from the station to my lodgings. and
a big trunk, n valise. and two heavy boxes Of
music books were carried free. Then l had to
pay only 80 cents for the trucking and unpnck-
ing of my piano. I was dumfoundcd by such Q
ridiculously low tariff. after having oftcn boon
Obliged to give So and Sc for the same service.
Excellent board and n room IL By 10 fcet. with
high ceiling, were only ST n week and nothing
additional for the extra high ceiling.
This wonderful place contains about 5000 reo-
Pile. and is situated fourteen miles westward
from White River Junction, which last is on the
Connecticut River. Tho most prominent man
in Woodstock was Frederic Billings. who 40
that time was credited with being worth SO. O00.-
900. This gcntleman's hobby was agriculture,
and he had n magnificent farm In Woodstock,
with many horses and tho finest drove OF SUI
pcrior Alderncy mich cows In the State.
Woodstock lies In the valley of tho Otta-
queechc River. n little mite Of n stream. and its
position somewhat resembles the bottom Of Q
teacup. Ono seldom secs such hills as Wood.
stock hills outside OF Switzerland. and roads
start from the Centre Green las the park 10
called. extend in all directions, over hills and
through deep deGlcs, between rocks and under
cliffs of tho most fantastic shapes, and with tho
most exquisite diversity OF landscape to DO
imagined. must say n word about that green,
or village park, for it is n little gem. 1t is about
a quarter OF n mile long, and oval, with very
pointed ends. 1t is nicely erased, is neatly kept,
and certainly took my fancy amazingly. It was
just the spot to which to escape after the excite
ment and hustle Of tho concert room and In
which to cool Off and try to gather myself to-
gcthcr again, promcnading till midnight In
poetic reverie and thus preparing for bed.
Although so small and secluded flor here one
can enjoy real country" and no mistakel. 7
found some delightful people in Woodstock and
a degree OF musical taste much beyond that in
some more pretentious villages and towns. And
let me here rcmark that Off the great lines of
railroad travel l have often noticed that the
musical taste is commonly less vitiatcd than in
many towns frcquented by travelling shows that
only drag music in, by neck and heels, as part Of
their attractivencss. Where music is used only
thus 1t certainly seems to be degraded by asso.
citation with grossness, and thus the young of
our race are prevented from investing the art
with that sacredness to which it Is traditionally
entitled, IL we are to believe Theophile GautieP
and others.
The editor of the Woodstock Standard. L. O.
Green. is a very musical gentleman with an eI-
ccllent baritone voice. Mrs. Julia w. Baker, a
young soprano, quite surprised me with her
talent, and favored mo by singing many of
Schubert's and Schuman's songs with true en-
thusiasm. DIR. Chandler and his wife and her
sister Miss Durham, ought also to be mentioned
among the musical people of Woodstock. The
doctor is q baritone. Mrs. Chandler has a clear
soprano, while her sister possesses an excellent
contralto. But the special pride of the town
seems to be the wonderfully fine and nat
urally flexible c~ontralto Of Mrs. F.. S. Mckenzie.
She has certainly a phenomenal voice. I
venture to assert that her voice would arrest
attention and IN encomiums Of artists
anywhere. Another musical leader in Wood
stock is the wife of the Rev. Frank w. Smith,
an Episcopal clergyman. This Mrs. Smith has
quite n library of the best music. and she herself
sings whole programmes of standard songs.
This was my third ~soiourn in Woodstock. and
on olns the On organ gam at IT my my c pTesn9ss ! T applied f for t Rusy nse
ofthe same instrument in the Cniversalist church
for the Town Hall with piano and singers. But
to my no small CONSERVATION; although tho
able to my application. they turned squarely
about and were collectively opposed to it when
phoru s" and iodine. quioscennt s Separately ieii PUT but
consecutive and ehullient in juxtaposition.
Of t the chnrrh niin nform SaIi me- th Mh9 3h Ms' de e sesi1 pS
open the church for such II purpose again. for 1t
had been used SO much for concerts already that
the carpet was imposed upon. and it was about
time for some other church 10 show equal
liberality.', 1t. was vain for me to argue with
him on tho basis that none of the other churches
had a good organ and they all had carpets. He
only repeated his prohibitory tariff.
Universalist organ was slightly out Of repair.
and they wanted to have it doctorcd; which
came from Boston to do il. i examined the in
strument and saw MT once that ] could soon fI
1t, and offered to do so for half the sum II would
cost II the other course was adopted. but even
that was OF no avail. They were showing al.
looming their church even when they got paid
for it; so there was nothing but 10 submit:
stock, one a piano lecture concert and the othef
n miscellaneous concert with the "Orpheon"
A ioSsr, Sns I Sh0Tp ssS ST 1Sa n i hs t9s !PsiSoS ss o.,
more deeply affected than | was on those ocee
si,ons, by the Spontaneous enthusiasm Of the poo
pie of that little hamlet. For several days be-
fore the last concert floral offerings were sent 10
my lodgings continually. one day no fewer
accompanied by q beautiful vase. For the hrsS
time in my experience, and in fact the first time
ano was festooncd with flowers at the last con.
cert. as IL TO associate sweet sounds and sweet
perfumes in loving utilization.
Then the applause ut the concerts and the
glowing words OF compliment afterward and the
again were so hearty. honest. and unaffected
that | was indeed strangely moved. Two OF the
strangers. and n beautiful basket of flowers
'front.' know who, but won't tcll-was admired
most or all. An AFFECTING episode occurred al
the concert. Mrs. NJ. whose remarkable con-
tralto ! have before mentioned. was unable to
sing on account of an attack of bronchitis, so
that little Mrs. b.. who had taken great pains TO
learn n new song composed expressly for her.
hsd q fi rsi snG two oo days woa before be the hr,vs iSst
cd from singing on account of a hoarse
nses contracted at one OF the rehearssls.
to compare their voices. They were as devoted
as sistors.l Mrs. NJ. tried to sing. and finding
that she could not raise n decent note. burst into
toars. Mrs. Is did her best TO console her. and
then she tried With an almost equally vain re-
suit. Then she began 10 weep. and they were In
truth IA sad couple. Mrs. b. was uncertain up
to the afternoon of the concert as to whether OF
not she could sing. but by careful prudence she
avoided further cold and she did sing charming
ly. whilo her friend Mrs. NJ. sat in the audience
listening TO her with the greatest solicitude and
with moist eyes.