The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-03-11
A Youthful Orgapist,

Robert Walter Wilkes, organist of st.
Paul's Roman Catholic church in Harlem.
is probably the Youngest member of his
profession in the country. Though only
IA years old, he presides over the great
church organ like an experienced master.
playing all the difficult masses and impro-
vising with astonishing taste and skill.
When the regular church organist re-
signed three months ago the Rev. Dr.
John McQuirk, the pastor, offered the
place to his young parishioner. and now
at every service the slender, delicate form
OF the child musician may be seen bend
ing over the double keyboard Of the in
strunrnt he loves so we'll
Before he became OrganiSt last fall
Master Wilkes fairly astoundcd the fifty
singers who tried for Il position III the
church gHartrtte by playing for all Of
them. Each applicant selected her own
music, but the youth played all at sight.
He first showed the wonderful talent that
nature has given to him back in his home
i'll Worcester. England, when he was less
than five years old. In those days he
used to stand before the piano and with
his little hands bring harmony and melo-
dy from the instrument. His aunt, Miss
Fannie Wilkes, the blind organist of st.
little fellows talent and began to give
him lessons. with surprising results.
But if the rhid'S mind was strong and
perceptive, his body was weak. and when
& years old his health was so delicate tina t
his life was almost dcSpared of. In
those trying days Miss Wilkes, the blind
musician, would play soft harmouies for
the sick boy as he lay on his bed These
soothed and quietcd him as no medicine
could
1t was ut this time that the boys fa
Their, Walter Wilkes, came to this cnun-
try with his little family. consisting Of
his wife. son and little daughter Wini-
fred. The father opened Il small gro
Gerry store at No. 1863 East One Hundred
and Tenth street, where he lives now.
He was man of most moderate means.
but he and his wife gladly denied them
selves to continue their boys musical cdu-
cation.
Under the instruction of competent
teacher Master Wilkes progressed rapidly.
and before he was 10 years old he WAS
playing the piano music of Haydn and
Mozart, his fayOrite composers
The mysteries of the pipe organ wcrc
unknown to the boy until about four years
ago, when the wonderful possibilities of
the instrument began to unfold them
selves to him. 1t took only il few les
sons for Master Wilkes to fnF an outlet
for all the music in him on the organ. and
called upon him to play Il requiem mass
The regular organist did not come to the
church. and the boy of 10 was the only
alternative. He was equal to the cmer-
gency and played the service without any
breaks. This so pleased Father No
Quirk that he gave the organ key to the
boy and said: 900 into the church. my
child. and play on the organ when You
wish. And SO When other boys were
playing i'll the street Master wilkes would
be found over the organ, filing the
church with improvised harmony.
Master Wilkes is Il slender. pale-facc,l
boy. with pleasant expression: has
brown hair and eyes and wears kIicker-
bockers. He is in the subfreshman class
at Manhattan college, and stands well
there.
Master Wilkes has already composed
several works. including kyric and
gloria in b flat for four voices. with an
accompaniment for the organ. He is now
working Oh Il mass. which he hopes to
complete and render in the church by EaS>
ter. st. rauls. in East One Hundred
and Sixth street. where he plays. is the
oldest Roman Catholic church in Harlem
and seats 20GO persons.
Poor Doggy! Your Lost, Aren't You:
The other night. when the streets were
crowded. dog running along the side
walk. stopped out on a crossing and.
''pointing' his muzzle in the air, began
to howl. It was worth while noticing the
way i'll which different people who heard
the animal We're affected. One woman
stopped and began to wiring her hands.
Il know that my brother is dead: I'm
Just as sure of it as if had seen him.
never knew a dog to howl that you lid
not hear of DEATH"
claimed a man looking for Il convelien.
.ock TO throw ut the offender.
The policeman on the heat had started
cor the dog, when Il young lady who waS
.rosSing the street stopped and patted the
animal on the head. Poor doggy" she.
said. in Il SymDathetic voice. "ynu'rr lost.
aren't you? Poor fellow" and the dog
stopped bowling and t1Dtted along after
his new fricnd.-New Orleans Picayune.
Faithful Dogs.
George Hilbert and Joseph Myers went
out on the lake recently to fish They
were late i'll starting and they stopped
near the Sand Catch pier and cut holes
in the ice. They had tiShed about two
hours when they saw two things coming;
rapidly down the ice. AS the figures
drew near the men SAW that two dogs
were approaching. The animals cant
upon the fishermen with Il bound and put
their fOrepaWS on them. One of the dogs
was Il large Newfoundland and the other,
apparently, was 4 type of shepherd dog.
They were attached to each other by a
strap.
There was nothing uncommon about the
incident, and Myers and Hilbert continued
to fish. The dogs remained near them
and jumped and frisked. Hilbert cstimat-
Ell that they were unframed animals
which had run away from their owner.
Myers thought the same. Soon the dogs
started on Il bee line up the lake. They
went about a mile and came back leapins
wildly. 1t WAS evident that the dumb
things were trying to convey some mes
sage to the men. and the two fishermen
humored them. The dogs frisked around.
darted ahead and returned. and tried to
force Myers ahead with them.
"Something's wrong. said Myers to
Hilbert: ''thcse dogs are not ignorant
oneS.''
The men drew in their lines. packed
their catches in their baskets and started
up the lake after the dogs. The animals
seemed pleased that they had attracted
some attention and they bounced more
joyfully than ever. They took Il straight
course and frequently gallored ahead u
half mile. They always returned. howev>
er. and nagged at the coats of Myers and
Hilbert. The journey bid fair to he a
long one, and the two fishermen had no
sled. 1t was about IL O'clock when they
started and ut O'Clock the animals We're
still leading them on. About 3 O'Clock the
dogs strayed ahead a mile or more and
they came back with great leaps. 1t WAS
apparent that the journey was almost TO an
end. The beasts grabbed the mems trou,
scrs and tried to hurry them.
At last the dogs forged ahead and
stopped. Hilbert and Myers came slowly
upon them. The beasts were sprawled
in front of Il hole in the ice and their
eyes We're aimed at the water The hole
was about six feet long and had Jagged
edges, showing that it had been caused
by the breaking through of some person
Part of it was covered over with Il thin
coating of ice but Il small section of it
was open. The dogs. it was said. had
broken the ice there, as fast as it had
formed.
A few rods from the hole was sled
in which was a basket. This told the
story. The owner of the sled and of the
dogs had fallen through the ice ana been