The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-12-03
SOME POPULAR SONGS
THAT HAVE BROUGHT SUBSTANTIAL
RICHES TO THEIR AUTHORS.
There Are Songs That Have Yielded a
Profit of 100000 Not to Speak of
the Market Value OF the Copyright
Keekoned in the Thousands.

An American was talking with a
music publisher in London recently of
the immense sums few of our song
writer's have received for their wares,
believing that they were exceptional
cases. The Englishman speedily un-
deceived him. why" said he 4 could
name offhand a dozen songs that have
yielded profit of 10000 ($500O0)
each and over and the value of the
copyright of which is to-day reckoned
In the thousands. Take, for instance,
Mascheroni's exquisite ballad, For All
Eternity | should not like . to say
what weight of gold that song has
yielded, but not very long ago the
copyright in 1t was considered to be
worth 92,240, sum for which it was
sold by Messrs. Puttick & Simpson, the
auctioneers. And yet l believe that
very song was offered to London pub
Usher for 810 note and refused by
him. Think of refusing a thousand
sovereigns for every one laid down!
but then, of course, one must remem-
Der the risk we publishers run. 1t is a
fact that, of every hundred songs
offered to me. barely one is worth the
cost of printing and publishing; and
song that will yield few hundreds
of profits is literally one in a thousand.
Among songs that have produced more
than 10000 in profit l should place
first Sullivan's world famous Lost
Chord This song was substantially
composed in less than an hour, and for
that hours work the composer received
in royalties quite 10O00-probably
the largest sum any man has ever
earned in an hour by his brain. Then,
again, that ever green song, In Old
Madrid must have brought it's pub
Usher profit of nearly 100000 by this
time, for it's popularity was at the flood
for many years. Among other gold
mines 1 should place The Better Land
The River of Years. Forever and For
ever 'Goodby,' The Devout Lover,
Nancy Lee'-to mention only half a
dozen, the aggregate profits from which
100000. Among more recent favorites,
which, however, are far from supplant-
ing the older ones, such songs as The
River of Life The Flight of Ages and
'Beauty's Eyes promise to be quite as
rich harvest bringers to composers and
publishers. OF course, if a song has
anything in it, 1t is fatal thing to sell
it outright to publisher, as so many
composers have done, to their lasting
regret. 1t is old history that Kathleen
Mavourneen,' which never seems to
lose its charm for the public, was sold
for 95. scarcely dare speculate how
much the unhappy composer must have
lost by this bargain. Some of Mr.. Mil
ton Wellings best songs changed
hands for absurd prices, the composer
scarcely receiving a pound for every
thousand made by his publishers
Fancy being the possessor of such a
song as Some Day for $40 note, and
making as many thousands by it!
Alas! Such chances never come my
way. Nancy Lee was at one time on
offer for $40, and refused; although
for some years Mr.. Maybrick's profits
from this one song averaged over ST.
500 year. That beautiful and ever
popular song, To Anthea,' was, be-
lieve, sold for a couple of guineas; and
some of Mr.. Henry Russell's songs,
which at one time were in everybody's
mouth, only brought him a pound or
thirty shillings apiece. New York
Press.