The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-09-06

| John Habberton of "Helen's Babies
reputation points out in the Literary
! Era that the songs most sung III our
| land. and almost the only American
songs sung in other civilized lands, are
those of Stephen G. Foster. who died
nearly fifty years ago. Foster LETT over
100 songs, of which the words, as Wen
as the melodies, We're his. Not all are
remembered. but tue number OF famll-
lar ones Is remarkable. His odd Folks
at Home" is the most popular song IN
existence. Mr.. Habberton tells Us it
has been translated into all the Ian
guages of Europe, and also into some
of Asia and the isles OF the sea. The
lines are poetic only In the sense OF
suggestion; they are SO simple ana
artless that 1t would seem any school
child could pen them and improve on
them. but they express the sentiment
of every homesick man or woman who
ever lived"
Almost as popular, says Mr.. Habber-
ton, for the reason that 1t appeals to
sometime incident in almost every life,
is Hard Times" which has been sung
! with feeling in New York brokers' Of
fees within few weeks.
"Oh, Susanna" took the world by
storm, and to its music scores of other
words have been set
"It is the misfortune of song writ
| ers," continues Mr.. Habberton, that
some of the strongest and most honora-
BILE human sentiments appear so I'M
romantic to the observer that the COM
| poser avoids them through absolute
| fear. One of these sentiments is that
of conjugal affection. upon which de-
| ponds much of coming humanity that
| Is to be above the level of the animal.
| Yet how many songs In praise of the
| married life can the happiest husband
recall? After searching his memory
! frantically, he generally responds with
Fosters Maggie by My Side The
song Is more ambitious than it's au-
thor's other works, but 1t leaves the
impression that life and fate may do
their worst while 'Maggie's by my
side.'
MANY of Fosters songs have sur
vived the peculiar institution that in
spired them. Among them Is old Black
Joe.' OF this it may be said in passing
that when Wilhelmj, the virtuoso VIC
linist, first reached the United States
he went at once, with a great enthu
siasm and a small English vocabulary,
IN n or nd 6od hn
score of something which he called
Black Jack The man at the counter
knew no musical piece with that name, |
and not even Wilhelmj's card stlmulat-
ed his memory.
Zach himmelr' exclaimed the vir-
tuposo. 'Gif me violin
1.-THE instrument was brought. Will |
helmj looked at 1t suspiciously and |
shifted sarcastically at each chord that |
responded to the tuning keys, but when
the instrument had been brought to Its
best the violinlst forgot 1t and him
self as he drew the bow and brought |
forth some recollections of the music of
which he was in search. They were
not entirely according to score. but
when he stopped and asked: Know
you not that divine ARP the answer
came chorelly from twenty throats
old Black Joe.'
Zach, sol That will l play to the
Americans. When they know It not,
they are beasts
"Wilhelmj's first night went slowly,
though he played morceaus of the
masters with faultless technique. Not
equivalent to a defeat Wilhelmj was
mortified and angry, but he would give
the American barbarians one more
chance He played old Black Joe,
and his fortune was made. Yet twas
not because of the virtuoso's playing:
hundreds in the audience knew the
words of the song-a vague wonder
as to why one should fear to die, when
many whom he loved had gone before
him and seemed to be calling him
away. The words were simple In the
extreme, but they expressed entirely
| the sentiment of longing for the COM
partnership of the loved and lost Can
as much be said of any great poets
words that have been set to music?'
Not until one looks over a list of
Fosters songs does one fully realize
that almost without exception the most
priced songs in his memory belong toI
| Foster. Really, ''the best-known and
| bestowed song writer of the. world
came not from any great musical cen
| in Fosters day was way out west in
the United States" This was Pitts
burg, which had the honor of being his
home and birthplace.