The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-08-19
COWARDIN'. FAMOUS oUATRAIN.
The Fool Song' That Fascinated Every
One.
Norfolk Landmark.


Some of our contemporaries, IN
the course of contest in the discovery
of poetic gems, have put forward the
claims of the following startling
stanzas, sacred to the memory of the
late Col. Charles OBJ. Cowardin, of
the Richmond Dispatch.
"She's the only girl love-
Got face like horse and buggy
I met her leaning on the lake
Oh, fireman, save me che-ildn'
This is striking enough in itself,
but the chief strength of those
strenuous lines lies in their history
and application. Turning back to
the editorial columns of The Land
mark for Dec. 21 1894, we read, under
the head of "a Remarkable Perform
ance," the following discussion of the
classic just reproduced:
"We find among the many interest,"
ing things which abound in the
Atlanta Constitution an editorial
which makes immortal distingu-
ished Virginia journalist. Referring
to the extraordinary qualities and
abilities of Col. Cowardin, Of the
Richmond Dispatch, Editor Clark
Howell makes the following revelation
in detail of a performance which Is
unique in the history of poetical and
lyrical composition:
"'* ~ 1t is not only in prose that
the richmond journalist displays his
UNIQUE and sometimes bizarre origl-
nality. A few weeks ago, when he
was attending the Southern Press
convention, he astonished his COM
panions by occasionally reciting the
following touching lines to music
and to such music as only Cowardln
can sing:
| (Here follows the famous quat-
rain.)
"'Now, there is nothing tame
about that song, and it is altogether
different from the ordinary run OF
jingling rhymes. 1t would be impos-
sible to condense more sentiment and
facts in four short lines. Critics of the
cold and cynical Boston school Will
| doubtless says that girl with a face
like q horse and buggy would be q
dime museum freak, and it is quite
likely that they suggest the lmpos-
sibility of leaning on lake, but they
will be struck dumb by the tender ap-
peal to the fireman to save the child
which 80 happily concludes the
fsong.
Editor Cowardin believes that
the merit of either prose or verse
should be measured by results, and
tested by this standard his experiment
was certainly remarkable success.
Before he had repeated it many times
every member of che editorial coven
tion was humming it. The song had
a peculiar fascination for them, aud
when they adjourned they went their
several separate ways singing about
the mysterious young lady, with the
picturesque face, who was leaning on
Lake Michigan, or some other inland
body of water, entirely regardless OF
the fireman and the baby.
"Editor Cowardin is pioneer in
! the new art of brevity.'
"It is related that Major j. G.
Hemphill of the Charleston, S. g.,
News and Courier, when he awoke
one morning last month in Birming-
ham at the Southern Associated Press
meeting, approached group OF
| friends and, rubbing his eyes, with
face pale and haggard, said: Did
you fellows hear that fool song of
Cowsrdin's?' YES they all answered;
'and it was fool song 'Well,' said
Hemphill, who is solemn man that
believes in the 'old south and takes
no stock in Senator Walsh's new
south, don't you know that crazy
thing has been running in my head