The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-20
WABASH FAME in SONG
WHOLE COUNTRY WRESTLING AND
SINGING OF THIS MUDDY STREAM.
Paul Dressler, Who Wrote the Pop
uIar Song, Native of the
ssBanks Far Away

Indianapolis people who take to popular
music of the sentimental kind are fond of a
new song which has taken more serious
hold on the country than Annie Rooney
ever had. 1t is tuneful air, this new bal
lad--one that suggests the pleasantness of
pastoral scenes. It's title is ION the Banks
of the Wabash Far Away" 1t is distinctly
an Indiana song, and it is written by an au-
thor of whose nativity there is not the
shadow of a doubt.
Mr.. Paul Dresser, now of New York city,
but formerly of Indiana, was raised in the
valley of the Wabash. Mr.. Dresser moved
from Sullivan, Ind, to Terre Haute in boy
hood, and there he received the impressions
that finally resulted in his writing this new
song. Paul Dresser's efforts in musical
way have made him a famous man. There
are few people who do not recall THE Let
ter that Never Came" and "Just Tell Them
that You Saw Me-" But Mr.. Dresser did
not really reach the hearts of his Indiana
patrons until he wrote his Wabash song.
In Indianapolis they are singing it in the
theaters, Whistling it in the street and
drumming it on the piano at home. In the
boarding house the tune has become alarm
ingly popular. The very young girl with
the side combs is fond of picking out the
chords on the piano after supper and often
alas! too often-they all join in and the
block fairly rings with the meihuous
melody. Here is the first verse of the song:
Round my Indiana homestead wave the
corEfields,
In the distances loom the woodlands clear
and cool;
Outlines my thoughts revert to scenes of
childhood,
Where l first received my lessons-na-
lures school.
But one thing there is missing in the pic
Without her face it seems so incomplete;
I long to see my mother in the doorway
AS she stood there years ago her boy to
greet"
Over at Telre Haute they say there is
some real poetry in the chorus of this song
words that do not suggest the malarial
microbe which is so frequently associated
with the banks of the Wabash. The chorus
is chuck full of sentiment and the air is
decidedly catchy. The chorus runs:
'Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along
the Wabash,
From the fields there comes the breath of
Through the sycamores the candle lights
are cleaning
On the banks of the Wabash far away"
Men who write satirical articles for the
New York papers and the comedy artists of
the travelling vaudeville shows have begun
10 pay some dtL6nIlOn TO CnlS song, ana
many fiippant things have been said about
the writer of the ballad and the Wabash
river. For instance, Bert Leslie and Miss
Carrie Fulton who recently appeared at
one of the local theaters, gave a ridiculous
parody on the song that appeared to ca5sh
their audiences. One verse ran something
like this:
1.-The only bank 1 ever saw along the Wa
bash
Was farmer banking up his house one
day;
And the snow-banks that bank up in the
winter.
And the sand-banks that are banking up
But there's faro banks galore along the
Wabash,
And other banks in which you put your
There's another kind of bank you put your
There's a loud report and then the bank
will bust"
A commercial traveller came to town the
other day to sell goods. He said it was his
got the famous Wabash in this State he
remarked to one man he met II heard of
the Wabash when 1 left New York, and
when / reached Pittsburg it was in every
bodys mouth I heard it whistled and sung
and played. The walters in the hotels
hummed it. The porter on the Pullman
could hear it in the clicking of the car
wheels over the rails. When / reached the
northern border, of Indiana was pretty
familiar with the air. Near the town of
Peru we crossed river-an irregular look
ing stream.
What is this% I asked the conductor, as
the train struck the bridge.
This remarked the official proudly,
why this is the Wabash.
Il got off at Peru and really neglected my
business to investigate the banks of the
Wabash
Thomas Miaco, proprietor of a vaudeville
show which appeared in indianapolis last
week, claims the distinction of having the
only variety show on the road that does
not have ION the Banks of the Wabash
Snowman does not take TO the song. and one
day recently when one of his musical artists
suggested that she do the song while the
show was IL Indiana he remarked: mo.
we don't need that song with this show.
II you want to sing it go down on the
banks OF the Wabash and do 1t. You don't
MARBLE a line of it while you're with me-"
-<-e->-
Proof Positive.
New York Evening Journal.
WAS he very drunk