Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30

wont between us was soon made. He need
cd some musical help, which l could give
him and we needed just such songs as ne
could write. The connection was lex, eSsee eor
ingly profitable TO potn anu coi'iiio Ava
This was Henry Clay Work, author OF OF
marching Through Georgia. man OF
whom little is known. whom me!ancholy
marked" and ''merciless disaster followed.
He was the son of Alanson Work, an un-
successful scion of an old Sco!ch laIiiS'
whose name was derived from Auio w al NJ
a castle on the Tweed famed in border war
f.re Henry who was one of several chill
dren and who acquired an education ps
his own efforts. was born in MldoletoWn,
Conn, October 1. 1888. Wnen sthl uny
child he took some position In news
paper office, his little figure in tnreaooaie.
outprown garments being familiar TO tne
peopIe of the town. A party OF mlschieVous
boys, lying in wait for hlm' pet go mn Az
with snow as he trudged back and forth TO
his work. This he meekly bore, until SUD
denly his patience becoming exhausted, ne
seized the ringleader, giving MIN such
drubbing as scattered MS toihieii'ois' WIN
never reorganiZed.
When Henry was eleven years old his
father removed to Illinois, where, aided by
confederates, he assisted in the escape OF
fugitive slaves. For this onense ne was
tried and being convicted. was sentenced
to an Imprisonment of twelve years IN the
Missouri state prison. During ms trlal anu
imnrisonment his wife and children mace
frequent visits to him, experiences making
a painful and lasting impression upon .iie
sensitive mind of their gifted son ana deep
ening the natural melancholy OF MS mature
At the end of four years work was par
donad nv the governor on condition that ne
would 20 back to his native stale. ne
therefore returned to Connecticut, settilns
in Hartford. and in 1850 was resls s'. a ~
for a
n Chestnut street. In 1858 the same au.
thority chronicles him as bookseller OF
AZ Chestnut street. while his next-ooor
neighbor described him as mucn ehsase e Al
canvassing and often absent from nome.
Meanwhile Henry was apprenticed 10
nrinter. finding time while faithfully work
ing at the case for the study OF harmony
and for an occasional contribution to the
noet,s corner of Hartford paper: His
frst song, 1--WE Are Coming, Sister Mary,
was bought by the Christie Minstrels for
sos. His second, Lilly Dale. brought MN
81. 500, and was followed by Father, Dear
Father. Come Home With Me Now,
Temperance ballad. sung throughout the
country by the advocates of cold water
During his first connection with 100 Koot ms nus
Army; Brave Boys Are W." Babylon
is Fallen" Wake. Nicodemus. King the
Reil. Watchman." and last. but not least.
Marching Through Georgia"
Root described him as "a slow, pains
taking writer, spending from one to three
| weeks on a song. but his work when fin,
ished was like fine piece Of mosaic. espe-
cially in the fitting Of the words to the
mnsic" His plantation ballads won the
| only praise ever bestowed by a southern
critic upon a northern writer Of negro dia-
| ,ect. Brander Mathews saying Of them:
| ."rhey have q genuine flavor of the soil and
| seem like actual echoes Of the cotton field
In 1895 Work married. travelling abroad
| Tor nearly two years. Upon his return
| thera was a short residence in Philadelphia,
when. accompanied by his wife and child,
he moved to vineland, N. J. Here he pur-
chased two large tracts OF land on what
| was known as the Post road end the Wheat
road his brother Alanson. who Joined him,
| erectinR handsome residences on each
/ while in Vineland Works eldest child.
| waldo. died, and second. Nellie, was
| horn to him. At this time his wife exhibited
| symptoms OF arrangement condition In
creas sing to an extent necesstattng her re-
moyal to the Hartford Retreat for the In
| zane. when. overwhelmed by the calamity,
Work left home, wandering restlessly from
In 1875 he renewed his connection with
Root & Cady. settling In New York. when
his songs came in rapid succession and
| were extremely profitable NY Grand
fathers Clock" which was product OF thii
| period, was sung everywhere, the royalties
from 1t mounting up to N.OO0. he AK
became an inventor ana patented knitunf