The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-24
I'E2 |! lQ!.l!l[]

of the Atlantic, and THE Little Ala
bama Coon is not very far behind it in
many of the qualities which contribute
to a successful vogue. Down in Old
Tennessee has had as much, or nearly
as much, success in its way as Bred in
Old Kentucky and The Georgia
Camp Meeting" has found admirers
among many who have not had occas-
ion to applaud song of which the
Cracker state was the theme rince
Marching Through Georgia. first STIR
red the patriotic sensibilities of music
loving Americans. Down in Sunny
Virginia has recently come into some
celebrity, following, though a good dis
lance off, the always popular Mary
land, My Maryland" Everyone has
heard of THE Old Kentucky Home
of which the late Eugene Field once
said that it was made up of five acres
and a mortgage
Many of those who are familiar with
the subjects of these songs Incline, per-
haps, to the belief that the southern
states furnish for them the most desir-
able theme, and that other states have
| been or may be neglected by the song
writer's. That is a mistake. for geo.
graphical divisions are of very little ac-
count to song writers when public APP
plause is the object of their efforts. In
My Old New Hampshire Home" has re-
Gently attained some popularity, and
song having for its subject the Boston
back bay or she elms of New Haven.
or the pier at Narragansett cannot be
very far off. For a number of years a
very popular song in the vaudeville
houses has been In Kansas" which is
descriptive of the unusual size of fruits
and flowers, the unusual abundance of
cereal crops and the exalted standard
of social life and citizenship in the Sun
flower state. More recently some popu-
larity has been attained by a waltz
song, Little Miss Ida from Idaho" and
nearly everyone has heard sung, whist
led, played on hand organs or in phono
graphs "On the Banks of the Wabash"
in Indiana.
Up to date the Empire state of New
York has been a little behind some
other states in respect to songs with
geographical themes, but this deficiency
may be accounted for, perhaps, on the
ground that the superior Importance of
New York makes possible such minor
divisions as would be thought unneces-
sary or indefensible elsewhere. There
are two cities of the first class in New
York and each Of them has in the pop
! ular estimate its own appropriate, Top
ical song. MY Best Girl's a New York
err is sufficiently descriptive of what
one city or the first class in the Empire
| state can do in the line of puuiar song
making and the other city of the first
| class has a lyric favorite, Put Me Off
at Buffalo" BY the selection of a geo
graphical subject of a song the author,
| or authoress for many popular songs
nowadays are written by women, is as
| sured of the advantage of a clear I'M
| derEtanding of the locale, 50 to speak,
| of the narrative. Moreover. there is a
decided partiality for such songs which
| dates back, perhaps, to the first popular
acceptance of Way Down Upon the
| Suwanee River" Since then the geo.
| graphical titles have always been popu-
| lar. but they We're never before so pop
ular as they have been recently. The
number of such geographical Gongs fur
| Their includes Dat Gal from Balti-
! more ELSIE from Chelsea" ION the
| Banks of the Ohio" and I'm the Old
Palmetto State" In the popular view
| of intelligent and appreciative song pa
irons ''The Streets of Cairo" is not US
ually included among the geographical
songs of the day. The particular street
| of Cairo referred to was in the Midway
of the Chicago fair.-New York Sun.