The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-08
Mr.. WINNERS FAMOUS SONGS.
"LISTEN TO THE INCOMING BIRD"
INSPIRED BY 4 NEGRO.
All the World Has SUNG II and Mr. winner
Got s25 for It-"Nhat " Home With.
out q Mother" written About n
Lonely Little Girl-A r,ii v ar Episode.


came to compose Listen To the Mocking
Bird" The account is furnished by the
composers son. j. Gibson Winner of Phila-
delphia.
1T was suggested by listening to a colored
man, Dick Milburn. known a. 'Whistlng
Di k" Mr.. Winner said -Dick was a
unique character He found infinite de-
light in wandering about the city whistling
in imitation Of hooking bird. al the
same time stunning an accompaniment
upon the guitar.
MY father met him one day, and, struck
by his remarkable performance as a war
bier. said to him, half in jest!
How would you like o have n song for
your hooking bird, DickT
The negro glared at father in abiect
ACCOMPLISHMENT and then, with laugh that
echoed through the block. replied
Dat would be mighty nice. massa, an
I would be much obleegei 20, rnassa,
ef yo done gwine to do so"
The compass Of Dicks voice was hardly
an octave, and in order to fit him properly
the melody was made very simple That
same evening my father composed the
words and music
The words which run higher were to
be spoken by the darkey, not sung, except
where they came within his range, followed
by the whstlers clever imitation Of the
bird. Dick was very good -natured fellow
but not endowed with much intellectual
capaci'y Night after night he came to Mr.,
Winners music store to learn the words of
the song Try as he would father could
not teach him the words.
Eventually. however, Dick mastered
one verse. Mlburn. nevertheless. had
ideas Of his own. He hal a fine sense Of
humor and improvi-ed lines 10 the music,
suggesting ridiculous fancies to attract
the laughing crowd. II was not long be-
fore his idea Of the mocking-bird song
became popular and added greatly to Dick :
local reputation.
THE song was published in ballad form
soon after and quickly took hold on the
public. 1t was sung all over the country
and Is just as popular to-day as 1t was
forty-seven years ago.
Father sold it to Lee 4 Walker, a Phila-
delphia firm for s. and during the twenty
eight years Of it's first copyright never re-
ceived anything beyond the price at which
1t was originally sold. The profits from
its sale have exceeded slOO.OOO. perhaps
the largest amount ever realized from
any musical composition OF lts class.
The song at once gave Mr.. Winner a
reputation which opened the market every
where to his efforts. Ii was followed
as II had beer preceded by others on differ
ent veins. humorous and pathetic.
lie considered What is Home Without
Mother his best effort, although il will
not live as long or rank with Listen TO the
Mocking Bird Father used to delight
in telling the story Of how he was inspired
to write the song.
Next door to where Dick Milburn used
to live and give his remarkable imitati ions
Of the hooking bird, there was woman who
| used TO come out on her doorstep Of an
evening with a baby girl in her arms and
listen while she called the baby names
and showered kisses on it's features as
mot hers do so long as the babies tolerate it.
MANY years passed and MIR. Winner.
coming home on a winters night, saw the
little oue-almost out of babyhood by this
time-sitting on the doorstep and shivering
with the cold. He was surprised at not
seeing the mother and made inquiries
ne found Out that the mother, Who
| used to care-s the little one, had died some
| days before aud that the father had hired
"A servant girl 10 care for the child. He
stopped and approaching the tiny bit Of
humanity said
w here is your papa. my sweet one?
| THE child looked at him for moment
| and then replied:
| He has gone out. sir
| And where is the servant, dear?
She's gone out, too, sir. was the an
swer
Mr.. Winner could not understand. and
| further questioned
| -'But. my dear. Why are YOU waiting out
| here in the cold? Why don't You go into
the house and warm yourself? Little girls
| ike you should not do this
| -InuOcently enough the little one re-
turned;
| IL am waiting for my mamma
| Father told US that before the child
could object he had taken h, r in his strong
| arms I'd carried h'r of to tho Winner house
| hold She was taken care Of all right
she WAS tucked away srugly and warm in
| bed. my father had composed words and
music If the song, What is Home Without
a Mother
"'Give Is Back Our Old Commander
had a dishcarteling existence. When Mr.
Winner composed it he did not think that
| IL would cause the adverse comment II did
| II was in the time of the Civil War, and, like
MAJ v another Philadelphian, father SYM
| pathizcd vi h Gen. George y. Mcclellan
when the displeasurc Of tho Administration
fell on him and deposed him from the Army
| Of the Potomac.
"Mr. Winner was in the city Of Wash.
| inyton when the men in blue swept along
| Pcnrsvlvenia avenue in groups, in COM
panies and in crowds. shouting hoarsely
| N'lNt US DHtk our l-llli' NtNt "i'I idiHel
returned to his home in Philadelphia will
the roar Of the soldiers voices still ringing
in his ears. he conceived the idea for the
song, Within twenty minutes he hao
| jotted down the first stanza:
| GIVE us back our old commander
| Little Mac. the peoples pridrl
| Let the army and the nation
| In their choice be satisfied
within one week $1,000 copies of tn,
ballad had been sold Fat her, who hao
not the rcmotest thought Of disloyalty
soon found the heavy hand Of powe
stretched toward him, for the song had beer
taken w bv the soldiers, had been suns
| in the theatres and had been widely dis
cussed in the newspapers. The War De
| rar,ment put the song under ban, Blu
| despite this the words had fixed Themselves
oifthe nations mind and could not be wipeC
| out
Father never regretted the mistake h,
made in dsposing Of Listen to the Mockin,
| Bird and his oth,s dittics for the price h,
| did. He often said that as long a. the publ,
liked them and found enjoyment in thei
| rendition he was satisfied"
DEAD IN FRONT or HER HOME