Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-13
SONS co BACK To
OLD KAINTUCK"
UNvEIL STATUE OF SONG
WRITER FOSTER
Pennies Of the Children Reared Me-
mortal for the Man Who Conn
posed my Old kentucky
Home"
r, Associated Press

Ry Associated Press.
LOUISVILLE, KY, June 12.-Ken.
tuckians from all parts of the United
states are flocking back to their native
state for the Homecoming week.
which will be formally inaugurated to-
morrow.
Thousands of the natlve-born and
nearly as many more who cannot claim
Kentucky as a birthplace have already
arrived and within twenty-four hours
Louisville will hold the largest crowd
ever gathered for any event.
Ex-Vice President Adlai f.. Steven
son. who is to speak on Friday. arrived
from Indianapolis. as did Ex-Governor
d. II. Francis of st. Louis. with a
large delegation of Kentuckians from
Missouri. Ex-G Governor Preston II. Les
lie of Montana also arrived.
UnveiI Foster Statue
Kentucky will pay tribute to the
man who enshrined her in song. when,
i'm the presence of the thousands who
have returned to their native state for
homecoming week, there will he un-
veiled the statue of Stephen Collins
Foster. who wrote MY Old Kentucky
Home
Nor will Kentucky be alone in honor
ing this man whose melodies have
touched the heartstrings of millions,
for he is beyond question the most pop
ular song writer America has ever
known, and his music, composed half u
century ago, is as fresh today as when
it was first heard
The statue OF Foster comes from the
IT'LL H..
tributed their pennies to the fund
The two songs by which Foster
most endeared himself to Americans are
"Old Kentucky Home" and "Old Folks
at Home" the latter better known as
"Suwanee River"
Prolific Song Writer
While southern in scene and senti-
ment, their beauty and pathos are
beyond section and they have long since
become part of the countrys heritage
of song. But it is not by these two
songs alone that Foster Is remembered
for thare are many others not unknown
to the present generation and perfectly
familiar No those who can remember
twenty-five years back that were his
productions.
Especially is this so Of the negro
songs, which preserve the most beauti-
when the negro belonged to his master
For considerable time the "Old
Folks at Home" found little favor with
the public, but finally Thomas Me-
Naly placed it upon the minstrel stage,
paying Foster $500 for the privilege.
My Old Kentucky Home
In 1869 Foster wrote the song which
always opens the Kentucl<ian's heart,
Mt-n
The house IN which Foster derived
the thoughts embodied in MY Old Ken
tucky Home" still stands and is known
as Federal HILL" and for almost b
quarter of century has been owned bS
the Rowan family
Foster was married in 1850 to Miss
Jane Denny Mcdowell, daughter of
Andrew N Mcdowell, leading physician
of Pittsburg.
Yearned for Home
He removed to New York and went
to housekeeping, but after year the
old fondness for home and mother was
too strong for him to overcome. One
day he suddenly proposed to his wife
that they return to Pittsburg. He
brought dealer to the house, sold out
everything in the way of furniture and
within twenty-four hours was on the
road to Allegheny He never went
away from home again and stayed as
long as his mother and father lived.
| In January, 1864. while in New York,
he was seized with an ague and fever
and taken to the Bellevue hospital,
where he died January 13, 1864. He left
cne child, a daughter Marian, the wife
of Walter Welsh of Allegheny City, Pa
His body lies beside the mother and
father he loved so much and near the
spot where he was born.