The Minneapolis journal., 1904-02-10

Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 1 0.-Three
years hence the musical world will
probably experience a. genuine sensa-
ton when Miss May Cord, the daugh-s
ter OF a Washerwoman and poor baker
of Des MONIES. Iowa, is launched as a
HoWard, a musical Instructor, discov-,
cred her, $5 lSI4s35s5 II s5a
About three years ago Mr.. Howard's
reputation in Colorado attracted the
attention of the faculty of Drake uni
versity in Des Moines. They desired
become dean of the musical depart
ment of the institution and: Mr.. How
| ard was picked from a score Of musi-
clans who were thought eligible.
About a year and a half ago, While
taking an afternoon constitutional in
the outlying portions of Des MOines.
his ear was struck with the sound of a
girlish voice in which he recognized
| timbre of the richest duality. He
paused and heard the sweet lullaby
| thru. He could not go on and deter
mined to see who in the poverty
stricken district in which he wan
dered possessed voice that would
make critics rave. So,
Discovered the Singer.
The door of the modest little cabin
from which the dulcet strains eman-
ebISNA NeAo oPS11 anu uI1SCl C1A1O1l1ouo-
ly walked In and found a little girl not
Emore than Is years old rocking a
cradle and swinging her head back
and forth in cadence with the time
Of her song. She occasionally leaned
over to smile upon the chubby little
face happy in the repose of slumb ber
and did not notice Mr.. Howard until
he came quite close. She screamed,
but he assured her-that there was no
cause to be alarmed. Her mother
came in in the meantime and on the
spot the music instructor asked per-
mission Of the mother to educate her
daughter in music. r y
For more than a year and a half
this slight and striking brunette went
regularly to the studio of Mr.. Howard,
but no one discovered her identity. He
gave her strict orders not to sing in
public and he watched her talents
progress with the pride a man feels at
having discovered a prodigy. The in
structor finally concluded that he had
/ taught his girl pupil all he knew. She
Twas ready for other instruction far
beyond him and he determined on her
debut. \ .'t@E1
This was few months ago and
gave Mr.. Howard several problems to
| solve. In the first place Miss Cord s
parents had never been tble to secure
F.! her anything better$.than calico for a
/ gown, and Mr.. Howard thought it
debut in that material. To bridge the
| difficulty he was obliged to impart his
| secret to several Well-known society
women of Des Moines, to whom he
confided his interest in the young girl
and to whom he told the story of her
wonderful voice. stThey were asked
to take care of all arrangements for
the debut, and on the night she was
i formally u launched, she had a gown
that was worth several hundred dol
liars. "*&E* % 80 D. ~ ~ ssA
Makes Her Ifebut.
Tt, was considerahle5of an, effort to
get her on the stage and she held to
/ the door for some time before She fin
| ally mustered up courage enough to
,tgo before the select audience gathered
to hear her. She was awkward in her
pose, but her auditors forgot this
/ when they, heard her voice.
,, Miss Cord was the sensation of So
ciety the next day, and Mr.. Howard
was besieged with Inquiries about his
young pupil. He told them that he
could do nothing more for her and
then someone supert1uously asked why
! she@did not go abroad. Some of the
I citizens of Des Moines are public-spir-
tied even when it comes to the ques-
ton of encouraging art and in the
course of few days fund was
raised among a number of the busi-
ness men to enable Miss Cord to spend
three years under the best masters in
| Europe.
1 She left Des Moines a short time age
for Europe, and Mr.. Howard expects
that when she finishes her musical ed
uca ton she will prove another Jenny
| Lind.