The times., 1898-09-18
4 FAMOUS BLACK FREAK
Blind Tom, the Musical Prod
ICY, as He Now Is.
THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD
The Phenomenal Pianist, Supposed
TO Have Been Lost in the Johns
town Flood, Is still Aiiye-An In
tersiew which Shows He Is Not
the ImbeciIe He Has Been Called.

tributor 10 the Ladies Home journal,
a colored man who was one of its vic
Tins was identified as Thomas Virgins
and was buried as such. That the writer
spent the day with Thomas Virgins a
few weeks ago is proof that the inscrip-
tion on the Pennsylvania tombstone is
singuIarly incorrect.
The name Thomas Virgins means
nothing to the majority Of readers. But
Thomas Virgins is Blind Tom" a name
familiar TO hundreds of thousands in this
country and abroad, who have heard the
piano Played by this wonderful negro
The impression that he is dead is
pretty general one. AS a matter of fact
Blind Tom has never been i'll a day in
his life, and is now enjoying an existence
more fun of comforts and happiness than
fall to the lot of most mortals.
On the banks of the Shrewsbury River,
in a domain of over two hundred acres
of woodland, stands a picturesque two
and-a-half-story wooden house with
broad veranda- Here Blind Tom is at
home.
The day the writer called the negro
pianist was expecting tuner who could
correct faulty A in his concert grand.
the annunciator button the door was
flung open by Blind Tom himself.
For a moment he stood there, a big,
burly fellow of nearly fifty, his black
broadcloth trousers braced up high on
his capacious girth, over a white outing
shirt with a narrow pink stripe. His
head raised, his large dark eyes uplifted,
he waited till / announced myself as
visitor who had an appointment with Mr..
A. J. Lerche his guardian. My voice
told him that / was ont the tuner. With
a childlike droOp of disappointment he
shut the door in my face. He will al
ways be q child and his actions are some
times saved from rudeness only by his
simplicity.
Mr. Lerche soon appeared. He suggested
that il might have a pacifying influence
If I would hear Toms explanation of the
pianos shortcomings. and promise TO let
the tuner know about them, so that ne
would come promptly to remedy them.
This I accordingly did.
THE A is wrong" said Tom, pressing
his finger on the note; "and then this
high \ is q little out, too." sounding an
other, two or three octayes above the
first. He put his finger on each note
without any hesitation. He spoke in a
rich, full voice and with much simple
dignity. There was a respectfulness in
his air and pose, however, which recall
ed the fact that he had been a slave for
nearly twenty years.
Then at Mr.. Lerche's request he seated
himself, and for the first time I heard
Blind Tom play. 1t was indeed won
derful exhibition. His hands are not at
all piano hands" In place of the slen-
der, long-fngered hands, which one 50
often sees in great pianists, Toms hands
bpr "a
and tapering fingers quite short. They
seemed too small to do octaves effective
ly. Later fl was proven that they were
not so by any means. His technique Is
good. He executes runs with perfect
ease and fiuency. Whether the compost
ton is difficult or simple he sees no dif-
ference in it He plays everything with
the same absence of effort.
Toms head and face are not wholly
unattractive. He has often been de-
seribed as a repulsive imbecile except
during his moments at the piano. This
is not so. His head is small but well
shaped. His features are of strong
African type. with low forehead, large
eyes, nose and mouth, and a general
heaYiness rather than weakness His
skin Is not perfectly black. In his ap-
pearance and In his manner Of speaking
when addressed-and during the whole
day he made no remark to any one act
ually present except when addressed-he
shows intelligence and dignity, with
quite a pride of his own at times.
While playing he moves his body very
little: his head is at an angle of forty
five degrees, the eyes upturned, the heavy
lower lip pendulous and there is sense
Of utter absorption in the music. He ha:
an odd way of bringing this lower lip III
and letting it fall at short intervals, a:
a fish works his mouth while breathing
He uses only one foot in pedalling-ni
right-and nearly always 1t was the iou'
pedal that he pressed. When the passag
called for no pedal he struck the from
OF his foot under the pedal. This was in
variable. After finishing his piece h
stood I'D and his right hand habituallI
went up TO his face.
Tom played one Of his own composition
next, something that the birds and win
told him" 1t was a simple. fresh, melo
dious thing, with a good dash OF IN
sprightliness which colored people are 5
fond of in music.
when did you compose that?' aske
Mr.. Lerche.
THAT sir, composed when I was sevei
years Of age" replied Tom with the sam
impressive gravity.
"Do you play anything Of Rubin
-
'I play Rubinsteln's melody in F. h
replied, and then, as usual, began at one
10 play It. His technique, expression an
correctness were perfect, but in nothin
that he played was there evidence of an
Interpretation Of his own in the piece. Blu
II was marvellous enough without that
One need not exaggerate the wonders o
this simple negro's mastery of the piano
They are miraculous enough in q weak
minded man who knows theoredcall
nothing of his art.
Tom never drinks. swears. nor show
any vicious inclinations. He is scrupu
iously neat, and most regular and me
thpdicsl In his habits. He rises at T. ha
breakfast at 9, dinner at 1:30, and suppe
al 6. He goes TO bed at a little after
he has an attendant who looks after hir
ct meal time as he has to have his mea
cut for him. He finds his napkin an
tucks that IN around his neck himself II
has q good appetite. although by n
means is he a heavy eater. He is fond O
fruit-wRtermelons preferred-like al
kinds Of pie except mince and is yer
fond of sugar. He never drinks coffee. H
is sensitive 20 cold. Sometimes when n
feels a strong breeze blowing on him h
VIII say: Toms in a dTaught He ma
catch cold and die Wouldn't that be tel
rible7" He has this artless fear of deatf
yet he has composed funeral march 70
himself, In which there is one movemen
Rauana nf 0iutmaufc fap Toto,,,,l