The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18
MONEY IN SONGS.
Popular Compositions Which Have
Proved VeritabIe Gold Mines.

Talk about gold mines, said leading
London music publisher; why, / can as
sure you there are scores of gold mines
floated on a capital running into six fig
ures that do not contain nearly as much
of the precious mineral single lucky
song which its composer may produce in
half an hours inspiration.
l could name off-hand dozen songs
that have yielded a profit of $4,000 each
and over, and the copyright of which is
today reckoned in thousands.
Take, for instance, Mascheronis exquls-
lite ballad, For All Eternity" I should
not like to say what weight of gold avoir-
dupois that song has yielded, but not
very long ago the copyright in it con-
sidered to be worth sl1.20o a sum for
which it was sold BY Messrs. Puttick &
Simpson, the auctioneers. And yet 1 be-
lieve that very song was originally offered
to a London publisher for $50 note and
refused by him. Think of refusing thou
sand -sovereigns for every one laid down!
But then. of course, one must remember
the risk we publishers run. 1t is fact
that. of every hundred songs offered me.
barely one is worth the cost of printing
and publishing; and song that will yield
few hundreds of profit is literally lone
in thousand
Among songs that have produced more
than $50, oc2. in profit should place first
Sullivan's world-famous Lost Chord"
This song was substantially composed
(under sad conditions, you will remem-
ber) in less than an hour; and for that
hours work the composer received in roy
alties quite $50, COMFORTABLY the largest
sum any man has ever earned in an hour
by his brain.
Compared with this such payments
writers like Mr.. Rudyard Kipling receive,
princely though they are, are too insig-
nificant to mention.
Then, again, that evergreen song, In
Old Madrid" must have brought it's pub
Usher a profit OF nearly $1oe, 900 by this
time. for its popularity was at the flood
for many years.
Among other gold mines / should place
THE Better Land" THE River of Years.
For Ever and For Ever" Goodbye"
The Devout Lover" Nancy Lee'-to
mention only half dozen. the aggregate
profits from which cannot have been a
penny less than 100000.
Among recent favorites. which. however.
are far from supplanting the older ones
such songs as THE River of Life The
Flight of Ages and ,''Beauty's Eyes"
ers to composers and publishers.
OF course. II a song has anything in 1t,
1t is a fatal thing to sell It outright to
publisher. as so many composers have
done. to their lasting regret
1t Is old history that Kathleen Mavour-
neen.' which never, seems to lose its
charm for the public. was sold for SIS.
/ scarcely dare, speculate how much the
unhappy composer must have lost by this
bargain. Some of Mr. Milton WelIings
best songs changed hands for absurd
prices, the composer scarcely receiving s.
for every s., 900 made by his publishers.
Fancy being the possessor of such
song as Some Day" for $50. and making
as many thousands by It! Alas, Such
chances never come my way.
Nancy Lee" was at one time on offer
for $50 and refused, although for some
years Mr.. Maybricks profits from this
one song averaged over 81 500 year. That
beautiful and ever popular song. ITO An
thea" was. l believe, sold for slO and
some of Mr.. Henry Russells' songs. which
at one time were in everybody's mouth,
only brought him s7.50.-London Tit-Bits.