The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-02
!, permanent character as musical in

| stitution of the National Capital.
! I'VE have" he said. gotten together ii
an unusually short time. worked out
| number OF difficult works in manner tina
| would hardly be credible to the average
musician. and, | say without boasting, J
| the concert were to be this coming weei
instead of December 16. I believe the or
chestra would give an account OF 1tse'i ina
would make a deep impression. One thing
of course that operates to advantage, Is
the fact that number OF the members OIL
the orchestra feel personal pride in tneiI
work, in that they are striving Tor prestise
in their home city and are not merely nireo
men. as is the case in so many orchestras
in this country. These gentlemen are
scholars as well as musicians. and this
fact affords a great advantage to Prof. san
tiemann. the director OF the orchestra, IN
bis efforts to form a harmonious whole OUT
Of many parts. Certainly he has accom-
plished wonders. Another thing which
should encourage those interested in the
welfare of the orchestra is the patent fact
that Washingtonians will attend sunday
night concerts when they are assured that
they will be afforded an opportunity to
hear some really good music. The concert
Of the Strauss orchestra In this city al
the Columbia Theatre last Sunday night
certainly demonstrated this fact. How
ingtonians show in an orchestra. which,
while it, of course, cannot duplicate the
marvellous precision and finish that oo-
tain with the Strauss orchestra. which mas
been working together for years, yet mas
merit enough 10 warrant Ii In claiming
even more than local attention. that is
strictly home product and which is work
ing to give the Capital City standing as
a musical centre. I am sure that before
IL. hA 10 ff
ington will see the situation in this light
In speaking OF his success as writer
of popular songs. Paul Dresser. VINO has
more successful ones TO his credit than
any other native composer. says:
The first song l ever wrote was The
Letter That Never Came / did II in juno,
1886. / 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
orchcstratiou and piano score for purposes
of publication. 1 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 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 1t. | never re-
ceived penny for that Song.
Il remember standing at the corner OF
Eighth Street and Broadway. New York.
one evening. conscious of the fact that
my sole worldly possessions amounted to
Go cents and the clothes | wore. / was
an absolute stranger in New York. but
everywhere I went heard some one sing
ing The Letter That Never Came An
other man was getting the money and
. r. fn--
get the circumstances attending the APP
pearance OF my second song, 4 Believe 1t,
For My Mother Told Me So published
this song myself, and, strangely enough. it
made hit. l can remember the first
money that received as author and pro-
prietor. The amount was about $3.50. and
when received all this money in bunch
almost had a fainting SPELL I was SO
immensely tickled that I Immediately went
out and bought dinner for myself, order
ing more than 1 could eat. That night
l came near dying from the effects Of an
overloaded stomach.
Il soon found that could not handle
songs to advantage by publishing them
myself, SO / placed all that I could pro-
duce with popular New York publisher.
Among the best-known songs Of mine that
were then written are The Pardon That
Came Too Late I Can't Believe Her Faith
less Here Lies an Actor The Lone
Grave and The Curse l studied music
for six months; think they cali this period
two terms At the expiration Of the sec
Dnd term I had mastered the Sack Waltz
That is about the limit Of my musical e1u
cation.
II went into business in 1894 and wrote
Just Tell Them That You Saw Me-
This began to be sung everywhere imme- |
iiately after its appearance; it made an
enormous hit. Then I wrote The Banks |
Of the Wabash and later. the present-day |
success, The Blue and the Gray. My new
Est effor. is Give Us Just Another Lin |
,oln. and people who know are saying nice |
hings about 1t and predicting big success |
'or it."
Last winter Hrs. Fiske secured the |
American rights to a new German play |
that was notably successful in Berlin |
According to the terms of her contract !
with the author of this play, she must |
make a production of it this season. this |