Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-07-19
THE DAY OF HE BANJO.
Dcbson. the Veteran Player and
Teacher. says I. - over.


In commentine upon fling a petition
Ia bankruptcy recently George c. Dob
son. the veteran banjo teacher. dcclar-
ed that the cay OF the banjo was done.
The bicycle. goIf ard the camera. he
said. had proved too strong a combina.
lion for tile Instrument whose plunk.
ely plunks have endured since the
pyramids and which has nourishad
wherever man has lived.
When i'm 1913 at the Bowery theater
Joe Sweeney. the minstrel, introduced
il TO the New York public. II aroused
N"t ianSuid interest. II was "a niger
rst,ament." ana the abolitionists were
hct In the majority at that time. IL
was at this concert that Sweeney add
ed the little or r string. an idea of his
own. The next serious attempt TO
bring IL before the public was in 1855
when the three Dobsons gave n series
OF concerts at Barnum's museum.
The next forward step was In 1850.
when Charles Il. Dobson, Sr., n men,
her of the orchestra in Wallack's thea
ter. during the entr'actes performed a
number of banjo solos. The fashion
abies were interested and amused. The
war added to its vogue with northern
sympathizers, and no soldiers festival
or hospital fair was complete without
banjo Accomplishments.
After the war it languished until
1873. when the addition of frets by the
elder Dobson gave to its musical capa-
5ilfties a much wider range. Violinists
ana pianists saw its capabilities and
its danger TO them professionally and.
as concession to il. interspersed their
own performances with limitations of
the banjo.
In 1855 the craze was at it's height.
Tournaments were held throughout the
country, and the people seemed banjo
mad. Charles +. Dobson issued n
challenge to any player In the world
to compete with him In picking for a
5000 gold medal" Steinway hall was
packed to its doors TO see him defeat
eight candidates, with the redoubtable
Horace Weston at their head. and the
next day the papers gave the perform
ance columns.
With the original Spanish Students
who appeared at Booths theater came
the mandolin. and it's tremulous tinkle
marked tie first jangle OF the banjo's
deathkncll. The Students made n
tour through the country, and the Grst
wedge to knock out the banjo had been
driven in. And. alas, where is the ban
jo now?
The career Of George Dobson as n
banjo player is full of pathos. for IL Is
the general history of the rise and fall
OF a very picturesque instrument. If NOT
delightful in itself delightful i'm its as
sociations " in its suggestion. Yet we
Should expect TO see golf and the cam
era and even the bicycle itself die out
utterly before the banjo.
You couldn't pack nrcadwood hal, mile.
hou mcsin'i lcavc nGdlc in the damp:
hou couidni tsit al organ up the Nile
And Iily u in equatorial swanp.,
travel With thc cooking pots and pals:
M siudwiched 'twcrn the coffee and tho pork
AnI when the dusty column checks and tails
hsu shs,ad hear ne spur the r4ssnent 10 a
with my willy-wlaky- winiy popni''
con- las any tune that cores into my hcaeDi
80 krep en- moving forward till they orop:
SO play EN- up 90 water and to bed
Thus IL speaks through Kipllng.-
New York sun.