The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-14

and itsseemed as though every bicycle
rider in Chicago was there.
Prof. Hand was uneasy and could not
get his mind off the "Nigger Fricasse. "
The program opened with "Pride of the
Navy" which smacked somewhat, Com
missioner Dunton thought, of his enemy,
Wagner, but whichswas saved by its title.
Then a selection from Suppe's ''Martha'
was played.
Commissioners Dunton strolled away
and bought q cigar. After it was over
he came back and rested easy until
"Boccaccio" was played. :,
:! told Hand to pass up grand opera,
sald the commissioner, nervously. SoilI'
| guess I can stand one or two mum pers,
but wish he would get down TO Uhe
coon songs. ~
" Boccaccio" died away, and the husn
that fell over the great assem- pla as
reached from the boathouse DOWN 10 Une
Lincoln monument and over 10 oiark
treet.
There was the customary lull between
the numbers, Bandmaster Hand sat
with his headtin his hand, as though in
silent prayer. -,
Then he stood u p, and, firmly grasping
his3baton as a captain does sword and
with the energy of a desperate purpose
ouiyering in every muscle, stood for
moment as though he were about to order
his band to capture battery. Then his
baton swung5down and on .the delighted
atmosphere there swelled the strains Of
"Ah Don't Liks a No Cheap Man."
Commissioner Dunton softly patted his
hands together. "That's the stuff" said
he.
Then followed "Her Eyes Don't Shine
Like Diamonds and "Sweet Maggie
Mcguire" and other soul-stirring mel0-
dies of the vaudeville order. The ap-
plause that followed was loud and long.
Then came "Ihe Parsons Chicken
the evening and the vindica ton of the
''coon" song. When "Lou, Lou. How
Love Nah Lou swelled across the water
the applause drowned the music The
verse and chorus were played through and
the selection ended.
Then such cheering as rose from the
shores Of the Lincoln park lagoon as has
on the bridges bobbed up and down their
manifestation OF appreciation. The boats
rocked with the excess of excitement,
and the crowds on shore walked as near
the band stand as the water would per-
nit and cheered and cheered.
Finally the band responded with an
encore. AS the frstlnotes OF the verse
were being played again the CROWD took
I'D the words "DoWn in old Philadel-
phia, and sang it through. Every body
didn't know the words of the verses, but
everybody knew the chorus, and the re-
frain of "Lou. eLou, how l love NAH
LOU" was sung by q chorus over half
mile long. It was echoed from the top
of the bridges, waited back from the fur
Their lagoons, and sung on the tops Of the
hills. When III was all over Comm ission-
er Dunton arose.
n have been viniicated," he said. 81
am going home. Goodnight"
After he had gone the good work con.
tinued. There were Take Raok Your
Colo, /" tThrow Him Down, MoClusky, +"
1.-THE Sidewalks of New York, "
"a moblena Snow" and that inspiring
MOBILIZATION. Love 70 Tho 70 Hide
Am Black" Then came another. "The
Wedding of phe Chinee and the Coon. "
followed by the "Nigger Fricasse. F"
When the last 'ooon" melody was fin
ished there was more applause, and the
band came ashore in the swan boats amid
more cheering. Prof. Hand said: Yes,
in future win play some more Of what
you oell "coon' songs But fBoooacoio'
and Martha. +" aoh. they are not classical.
No. In Paris, ip Berlin, in Vienna they
are called popular. But this coon song,
1t Is SO bad. 1t goes La, la, La, Ia, 10. la,
la, la, SO, like that. 1t has no soul. It
comes in at one ear and goes out the
other. But I will play those songs, OF
course; but Wagner and Tannhaeuser.
ali, how can give them upf'