The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-12-30
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MAKING SONGS
FOR THE PUBLIC
Paul Dresser Tells of Some of the
Successes That He Has
Written.

''Tnc first song I ever wrote" said
Paul Dresser, was The Letter That
Never Came I did it III June, 1856 [
gave the song to man whom l no longer
love. He was to arrange the song and
return it to me in the form of orchestra
ton and piano score for purposes OF
publication. I went ON the road with a
Theatrical company, and after writing
MANY times for the return OF my manu-
script song and receiving no reply one
day picked up a copy of the New YORK
Clipper, and there, in staring type, was
the announcement of my song. The Let
ter That Never Came, but with the
other fellows name tackled on it. never
received a, penny for that song.
Il remember standing at the corner OF
Eighth Street and Broadway, New York,
one evening, conscious OF the lact l!as
my sole worldly possessions amounted
to sfxty-five cents and the clothes l wore.
Il was an absolute stranger IN New
York but everywhere l went / neard
some one singing The Letter That Never
Came Another man Was getting NE
money and l was getting the laugh. l
did not know whether to invest my Sixty
five cents in a. bed and nights lodging OF
save It for breakfast; l finally decided
TRAIT I would need the breakfast more
than the bed, SO L knocked around al
night.
Il shall never forget the circumstances
attending the appearance OF my second
song, L Believe 1t, For My Mother Told
Me So l published this song myself,
and, strangely enough, it made u hit
l can remember the first money that I re-
nronrietOr The
amount was about $3.50. and when ] re-
ceivcd all this money in a bunch l al
NEST had a hemorrhagc. | was SO i'm
menscly tic1led that l Immediately went
out and bought dinner for myself. or
dering more than l could eat That same
night l came near dying from the effects
Of an overloaded stomach.
II soon found that ] could not handle
songs to advantage by publishing them
myself. so | placed all that l could pro-
duce with a popular New York publisher.
Among the best-known songs of mine
that were then written are The Pardon
That Came Too Late L Can't Believe
Her Faithless '..ere Lies an Actor
The Lone Grave and The Curse I
studied music for six months; think they
call this period two terms At the eN-
piration of the second term had master
ed the Sack Waltz. That is about the
limit of my musical education. My music
teacher was a Miss Fannie Hartung. She
afterward took the veil and went into the
cloister. l have sometimes thought that
my bad playing or the anticipation Of
some of the music l have written drove
her into the retirement of a convent.
II went into business in 1894 and wrote
Just Tell Them That You Saw Me-
This began to be sung everywhere imme-
diately after its appearance; it made an
enormous hit
Then 1 wrote The Banks of Waba sh,'
and. later. the present-day success, The
Blue and the Gray My newest effort
is Give Us Just Another Lincoln and
people who know are saying nice things
about it and predicting d big success for
it.
Personally, I don't think that one can
write song in a sentimental strain
one that can catch the popular fancy
without some sort of inspiration. ] have
frequently been offered large and tempt
ing sums Of money for a song to be
written in a huTry-made to order. l
have needed the money in such cases.
but I couldn't write the songs in that
way. I realize that my songs are in
no way wonderful creations, viewed from
the standpoint of high-class music. But
they seem to please the masses and the
classes don't bother me much l sup
pose it's nice thing to write hiSh-class
music. but this idea of starving to death
and then having monument put over
your grave as q kind of offering to your
genius doesn't take my fancy A nice
broled steak. with plenty of bread and
butter and coffee. makes the most sub
stantial monument TO Il starving genius"