El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-03

The first song ever wrote was The
Letter That Never Came" I did it. in
June. 1886. I gave the song to the
man I no longer love. He was to ar
range the song and return IL to- me in
the form OF pedestrian and piano score
. for purpose of publication. I went on
the road with a theatrical. cor >any.
and after writing many times to the
return OF my manuscript song ar re-
ceiying no reply. I one day picked up
copy of the New York Clipper. and
Their in staring type. was the announce
nent of my song. THE Letter That
Never Came" but with the other fell
lows name tackled on IL. I never re-
ceived a penny for that song.
] remember standing at the corner
OF Eighth street and Broadway. New
York. ore evening. conscious OF the
fact that my sole worldly possessions
amounted to sixty-five cents and the
clothes ! wore I was an absolute
stranger in New York. bue everywhere
! went heard some one singing The
Letter That Never Came" Another
man was getting the money and / was
getting the laugh. I did not know
whether to- invest my sixty-1ve cents
in "a bed and nights lodging or save 1t
for breakfast: I finally decided that l
would need the breakfast worse than
the bed so knocked about al night
I shall never forget the circum-
stances attending the appearance OF
my second song. Il Believe 1t. For My
Mother Told Me So" I published this
song myself. and. strangely enough. ii
made a hit. | can remember the first
money that I received as author and
PROPRIETOR The amount was about
$3.50. and when I received all of this
money in a bunch / almost had g. hem
errhage ! was so immensely tickled
that | imediately went out and bought
dinner for myself. ordering more
than I could eat. The same night |
came near dying from the effects of an
overloaded STOMACH.
! soon found that | could not handle |
songs TO advantage by publishing them |
myself. so placed all that could pro- |
duce with a popular New York pub |
fisher. Among the best-known songs |
Of miEe that were then written are. |
The Pardon That Came Too Late" |
Il Can't Believe Her Faithless." Here |
Lies an Actor" "The Lone Grave" and |
THE Curse I studied music for six |
two terms" At the expiration of the |
second term I mastered the Sack |
Waltz" This is about the limit of my |
musical education. My music teacher |
was a Miss Fannie Hartung. She af-
terward took the veil and went into |
the cloister. I have sometimes thought |
that my bad playing or the anticipation
of some of the music I have written
drove her into the retirement of a con-
vent
went into business in 1894 and /
wrote Just Tell Them That You Saw
Me-" This began to be sung every
where Immediately after its appear
Iuce: IT. made an enormous hit
Then 7 wrote THE Banks of the Wa
bash" and later the the present day
success. The Blue And The Gray"
My newest effort is Give Us Just An
other Lincoln" and people who know
are saying nice things about IL and pre-
dieting a big success for IL.
Personally. I don't think that one
AN write a song in sentimental strain
one that can catch the popular fancy
without some sort of inspiration l
nave frequently been offered large and
empting sums of money for a song to
be written in a hurry-made to order.
have needed the money in such cases.
aut couldn't write the songs in that
way. 7 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.
md the classes don't bother me much.
suppose it's a nice thing to- write high
lass music. but this idea of starving
% death and then having a monument
put over your grave as kind Of offer
ing to- your genius don't take my fan
" A nice broiled steak with plenty
,f bread and butter and coffee makes
he most substantial monument to a
genius.