Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-06-12
Echoes From the Past.

| Thomas Green Bethune, known as
"Blind Tom," the marvellous negro pian-
list, on Tuesday night played before the
largest house, so far as receipts are con-
cerned, that ever assembled at Tazewel to
hear any entertainer. Music loving peo-
pie from all sections of the county were
present and the door receipts amounted to
over $4,000.
In the case of "Blind Tom," the senti-
ment of the song, "God moves in a mys-
terous way, His wonders to perform, y
is strangely verified. 1t is passing strange
that such marvellous gifts should have
been bestowed on such a human creature.
A slave by birth, with black skin, con-
genitally blind and mental freak he has
been endowed by his Creator with a mu-
sical inspiration and a memory that have
made him an interesting subject for stu
dents in anthropology, phrenology and
) psychology.
Tom was born within few miles of the
city of Columbus, Ga, on the 25th day
May, lS49. He is of pure negro blood,
and from bis earliest chlldhoodmanifested
great love for harmonious sounds.
When child, if he heard bird singing,
he would rush frantically in the direction
of the feathered songster. Not only did
be seem to derive Joy from hearing har-
monious sounds and manifest peculiar
pleasure in initiating them, but even the
/ harshest and most grating sounds seemed
to have a similar effect upon him. He
was about four years old when a piano
was introduced into his masters house.
| The first note that was sounded upon the
instrument so moved him that he was per-
mitted to crafty his curiosity by running
his fingers over and smelling the keys
One night the parlor and piano we're left
open, and next morning before day the
young ladies were awakened by hearing
some one playing one of their pieces on
the piano. 1t was Tom, who had CROPPED
his way into the room and to the piano.
He was then given free access to the in
strument, and soon developed into the
wonderful performer which has made him
unique in the musical world.
In 1861, shortly after the first battle Of
Manassas, we heard Tom play in the old
First African church in Richmond. 1t
was then the largest audience room in
that city, and it was the scene for the
gathering Of large audiences to hear the
little blind negro musical wonder. He
then played his descriptive piece, "The
Battle of Manassas" and repeated the
speech of Stephen A. Douglas. Tom had
heard the Little Giant" in 1860 make a
speech from the balcony of the old "Nor-
veil House at Lynchburg, Va, and had
retained the most of it, not only the Ian
guage, but the tone of the then candidate
Of one wing of the Democracy for Presi-
dent. We heard Tom again just after the
Civil War, and again, about 10 years ago,
at Marion, Va.
His entertainment here gave great sat-
isfaction to the large audience; but be
played under very adverse conditions.
The piano was cheap one, with poor
tone and not in tune, which belongs to
the High School. 1t s a shame that those
persons who have charge of him should
place him before large and cultured audi
ences without providing a proper instru-
ment for bis use. If the Tazewell audi
ence could have heard him perform on
the Concert Grand piano with which he
was provided by Mr.. Bethu lie, his old
master, they would have been much more
astonished by the marvellous skill of this
wonderful freak or musical genius. Mr..
Bethune was proud Of the skill and genius
of his former slave and subsequent pro-
tege. Tom has evidently in these latter
days fallen into the hands Of Philistlnesi
who are more anxious to make money out
of HIM than to treat the public properly
and give the blind pianist the means fol
exhibiting his skill and genius to ther full
measure.