The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-21

written after Jimmie had witnessed a scene
on SIKH avenue. a woman who seemed
20 De quite young. but dissipated looking.
was sitting In front OF a saloon She was
intoxicated, and a noisy crowd had gath
ered ana .Jeered her and made life miser-
aoie Ior her Before a policeman. arrived
d "eH-urtSSeu old man stepped into the
crowd and. turning TO a tough looking fell
Tow VINO mad been her principal tormenter'
Why don't you leave the woman alone?
II she : unfortunate I'll bet she may have
seen better days
1T did not take Thornton long to realize
afterward he sold the song for a tidy sum
HOW GRAY MADE A HIT.
Billy Gray got his material for his fam
Gus song of the Volunteer Organist' while
attending church one Sunday morning.
1t seems on that particular day the regular
organist was i'll and the congregation was
not informed Of this fact until late in the
service.
The preacher was in a q%uandary, and
was about 10 give up in despair when a
MISUNDERSTANDING fellow. much the worse
Tor rum, entered the church. He took a
seat near the aisle and began to pray.
Then he staggered toward the organ and
said TO the preacher:
VIII YOU let me play on the organ for a
lew minutes? l want you to hear a few
songs
The. parson was dumfounded, yet
pleased. He turned 10 the stranger. and
after critically sizing up his appearance.
said; Yes, my son, you can play. Our
regular organist is III to-day, and | will
thank you very much if you will volun-
Well. the stranger knew his business,
ana ulscourSed some of the sweetest melO-
dies Gray ever heard. GRAY. inside Of two
days, wrote a song around the incident, and
puplShed IL himself. 1t had a big sale. and
ne made thousands OF dollars out of it.
II originator of cake-walk music is
fred Mills, who writes under the name of
Kerry Mills. One night about six years
ago NILS attended a cake walk in Detroit.
Inc leader or the band, a negro, had con-
siderable dlfflculty in keeping the walkers
In step. Mills, who was just budding out
as a composer. approached the leader and
d" notice that the walkers here to-nighc
can't Keep in step. 1 composed a march
which think will do. Try it. It's called
"Rastus on Parade."'~
The leader played it. and the effect was
maglcal. The contestants were able to
cake walk without much trouble TO the
time or the music. Although the leader
tried TO ring in some other music the
darkies insisted on 'Rastus on Parade
and II at once became popular. Mills then
Gofnposed Georgia Camp Meeting Happy
DAYS In Dixie and 'Whistling Rufus from
which he made a fortune.
Jonn Kelly, who wrote and composed
The Girl Left Behind. got his idea while
NN0 t1A "
MS snow got into a row with another mem
Der OF the troupe and gave notice to Kelly
mat she would leave. Kelly was much
worried because he could not get another
woman at that time to fill her place. Kelly
pleaded with her to remain. but she re-
FUSED and left the next night. About two
lays later she repented and came back.
Kelly gave her her old job, but planned at
the same time to get even. So at the next
stand he paid her what was coming to her
ana discharged her. Then gathering his
entire company together he said, See.
that's the girl I left behind
Il could continue all night and tell YOU
about the history of hundreds of other
popular songs which would be equally IN
teresting. Dave Marion. who 10 jsed
Only One Girl in the World for Me. says
that he got the theme of this song from
reading the Bible. He says that Adam
said to Eve. There's only one girl in the
world for me- | guess Dave meant to be
1unny, but he swears it is a solemn fact.
AT any rate the song was the real thing
whether the Bible inspired it or not"