Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-17

Tragic Life OF John Howard Payne.
Author and Actor.

nate has figured conspicuously waA
John Howard Payne, author OF Home,
Sweet Home" Several years ago the
House committee on claims stated
that balance of S2O5,92 was due TO
! the heirs of Payne, who was consul at
Tunin at the date OF his death, April
D, 1892, The committee said that APP
preparation should be made for pay
ment of this balance, "long standing
to the credit OF the faithful officer
whose fame was worldwide, and
whose memory Is dear TO every Ameri-
can home, where II is reyered and
loved by old and young alike"
John Howard Payne was born In
New York City, June 0, 1909, His
early life was spent on the shores of
Long Island, where his father was
principal of an academy, and while
Lyman lieecher was a preacher there,
The Payne family ultimately moved to
Boston, where the father won distinc-
ton MS teacher The son was char
nctcri2ed nt this time asa clever, poet
icNl, Bohemian lad, with military as
pirHtions, He was captain OF COM
pany which, on one occasion, was re-
viewed with the veterans OF the Reyo-
luton.
j At seventeen Payne made his debut
rs an actor ut the Park Thenter in
New York, playing subsequently in
Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston,
and appearing at Drury Lane, London,
In his twenty-hrst year, For while
he was editor Of one OF the first dra'
matte papers, the "0pera Glass" Then
he devoted himself TO the composition
Of dramas and wrote n tragedy, "Bru'
tus," for Edmund KeNn, n prominent
actor OF that time. Among his other
plays was one called "Clnri the Maid
Of Milan" which was brought out
with music by Bishop, May 8, 1923, at
Coyent Garden.
II was in this play that "Ilome,
Sweet Home" first appeared, The air
was commonly described as u Siclian
melody, but many attribute II to
Bishop, However, this may be, 1t is
cafe to say that Il would probably
never have been known beyond It's
native shores had IL not been linked to
the beautiful words composed by
Payne, The song brought the original
publishers $4,000 in two years, and
yet the author was forced to live in n
Paris attic ut the point Of storvationI
This was at the time the song was
first introduced, Payne used to say
that he often heard the song in Paris,
London and Berlin when he had not a
shilling and was himself homeless, In
1892 he returned 10 his native land
in 1s41 was appointed American Con.
sui at Tunis. When he died there in
1859 there was not enough money ia
ship his body home, and had not n
millionaire of Washington come to the
rescue his ashes might have rested
forever in that PARKWAY land. Was II
not fitting that as the ship which bore
his body neared the hNrbor there
should come from the shores the
strains of that immortal "Iome
Sweet Homes"
Catching Smells
Nearly one hundred men and boys
together have been engaged winters
fishing at Surry, Me-, and in thirty.
five years more than $4,000 worth OF
smells have been taken. The smelts
are all caught with hook and line.
Taking them otherwise, such as by
seine, would be regarded by the fish
crmen there as great wrong The
fishing is all done in tents, the tents
being about six feet long, five feet
wide, and high enough for man to
stand up in them, says the New York
Telegraph,
These tents are covered with cloth.
heated by stove and lighted, usually,
by "a lantern, The temperature of a
tent has been known TO vary, how
ever, 60 degrees within ten minutes
during cold day, A hole about six
feet long and eight inches wide is cut
in the ice. and the tent set lcngthwise
Of this. Six lines attached to pole
fastened to the plates of the tent
hang into the water nearly eight
inches apart, These lines, during fish
ing hours, are always kept. in motion.
The way the fishermen handle these
lines, how they can bait the hooks and
STAT ments, when, as they say, they
are talking bait" is certainly won
derful. One man has been known to
catch 100 pounds in less than one
hour, This means at least 1000 fish,
or about seventeen minute. One
smelter has been known to catch 500
pounds during one tides fishing.
Some have made $25 TO $50 day
and others 5000 in a few weeks. But
these big catches are only made by
those expert in fishing. The chances
are that green hand would stnrve
the first winter II dependent wholly
on what fish he caught, During the
fishing season politics religion, war
and all other subjects generally dis
cusScd in the stores are dead issues
Nothing but smcts is talked about;
nothing but fish discussed by the
fishermen. The usual salutation when
meeting another is; GLOW many2"
II is beautiful sight some still,
cold morning to watch the streams Of
,a,bttn ,.,,,,1yn ,,gn n,,t 90 4, I,,,Jv,I