The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-09

of getting themes for his compositions. He Is a very thrifty fellow and a business
 man, too. He Is a member of local pub fishing firm. and, of course, has no trouble in finding a market for his manu- script. consider Dresser very original He wrote The Pardon that Came Too Late Just Tell Them That You Saw Me Here Lies an Actor On the Banks of the Wabash Far Away Don't Ten Her That You Love Her. Take Me Back to New York Town and The Blue and the Cray Just Tell Them That You Saw Me was very popular. One day Dresser met son of an old friend in front of the Morton House, in Union Square. He had known the young man in village in the West. and was sur prised to see the young fellow. The young man was in bad health and hard up.
 We'll said Dresser to the son of his old friend. I'm going home to - to- morrow, and If you have any message to give to the old folks will he very glad to deliver 1t. What shall say?
 Oh replied the young fellow. with q touch of pathos in his voice. just tell them that you saw me, and that was looking well.'
 This was far from the truth because the young man was pale and looking i'll. Dresser after giving the fellow some money. bade him goodbye and the two parted. Dresser then wrote the song us- Ing the same expression. just tell them that you saw me. He changed the story around bit and made tke real character woman who had fallen. Paul told me that the young man never lived to return home. for he died few months after the song was published. Dresser wrote Here Lies an Actor. after the burial of the late John Mccullough. the tragedian.
 Suggestions from sn Alley.
 The Sunshine of Paradise Alley was inspired mostly by accident. Walter Ford and John Bratton were walking west on Market Street, Philadelphia. one gloomy day. trying to think of some appropriate title or text for song. Midway between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Bratton sud- denly paused and looked up ct ah vid half-obliterated street sign ori& the side of the building.
 " There's an odd name for such dim gy court-Paradise alley'-said Ford.
 Let's go up there; We might find some material
 Accordingly the two sauntered up the half-block, and for squalor and poverty 1t seemed that the limit had been reached. As they turned to go back to Market Street little girl, about 12 years old, SoAaAu Out VI d tuhUiS-uOWH novel, 0 shawl over he> yellow curls and a bat. tered dinner pail in her hand. It needed but one-glance to show them that she was the little mother of some struggling family. She started back at seeing stran- gers and soon disappeared
 Come on. Jack said Ford, there's a song at last and they wrote the Sun which was also written and composed by the same pair, was suggested by an in cident which happened at Sheepshead Bay. Ford was visiting a family at that posed some music in the parlor. Two iit- tie girls, one T and the other {. were playing in an adjoining room. In the midst of song one of the children over turned chair with considerable chatter. The mother called reprovingly:
 Was that you, sweetheartT meaning the younger child.
 The answer. came back plaintiveiy: No, mamma, 1t was only me- Tn a moment the unconscious favorit- ism was apparent: The ungrammatical acknowledgement of the mishap, so hope iessIy given, seemed to lay bare a child s heart that was yearning for some of the mothers pet phrases. The song followed, | and Mrs. L- has never forgiven Ford and Bratton.
 Jimmy Thornton wrote his song When You Were Sweet Sixteen one night af- ter spat with his wife, Bonnie Thorn ton. Mrs. Thornton had reproached her husband for something he had done, and accused him of growing cold toward her. Why, Bonnie. he said, much sur | prised. how can you say that? love you the same as when you were sweet six teen.'
 "My sweetheart's the Man in the Moon"
 The title of the song. My sweetheart's the Man in the Moon. was suggested to Thornton one night while riding on a surface car. The sky was clear, and one of the passengers, woman, looked out of the window ana peered at the moon. Then. nudging her escort. she sarcasti-
 |" I don't care for you any more. My sweethearts the man in the moon.' She May Have Seen Better Days an- other of ThSrnton's compositions. was written after Jimmy had witnessed a scene on Sixth Avenue. A woman who seemed to be quite young. but dissipated- looking, was sitting in front of a sa- loon. She was intoxicated and a noisy crowd had gathered and jeered her and made life miserable for her. Before a policeman arrived we'll dressed old man stepped into the crowd, and turning to a tough-looking fellow who had been her principal tormentor. said: Why don't you leave the woman alone? If she's unfortunate, I'll bet she may have seen better days Tt did not take Thornton long to real ize that he had a good title. and a few days afterwards he sold the song for a tidy sum.
 Billy Gray got his material for his fa- nous song, the Volunteer Organist,' while attending church one Sunday morn- ing. It seems on that particular day the regular organist was i'll and the congre- gation was not informed of this fact un- til late in the service. The preacher was in quandary. and was about to give up in despair, when dilapidated- looking fellow. much the worse for rum. entered the church. He took a seat near the aisle and began to pray. Then he stag gered toward the organ and said to the
 "Wlll you let me play on the organ for few minutes? I want you to hear a few songs.' The person was dumbfounded, yet pleased. He turned to the stranger. and. after critically sizing up his appearance, said: Yes, my son, you can play. Our regular organist is i'll today, and will thank you very much if you will volun- teer.
 Well, the stranger knew his business | and discovered some of the sweetest mel | odies Gray ever heard Gray. inside of | two days. wrote a song around the in- | cident and published it himself. It had big sale and he made thousands of dol | lars out of it.
 Cake Walk Music '"The originator of cake-walk music is Fred Mills. who writes under the name of Kerry Mills. One night about six years ago Mills attended d cake-walk in Detroit. The leader of the band, negro, had con- siderable difficulty in keeping the walkers in step. Mills who was lust budding out