The Washington times., 1906-06-12
KENTUCKIANS HONOR
MEMORY Of FOSTER
Monument to Be Erected in
Honor Of Song Writer.
FROM CHILDREN'S PENNIES
Man Who Made Plaintive Melodies Fa-
nous, Forgotten in Life, Re-
membered in Death.

About the middle of January. 1864.
ehere was taken from the common ward
81 a New York hospital to the CITY
moTgue the body OF an unknown man.
clad in the wornout garments OF the
under world, thin, emaciated, evidently
poverty stricken. All that was known
OF him was that he had been taken to
the hospital from a poor room in the
American House. where. during the
night Of January 10, he had fallen upon
the broken edge Of a water pitcher and
severed an artery in his neck. How
long he had lain there no one knew. but
when he was found he had lost so much
blood that recovery was impossibIe
Three days later he died in the hospital
ward lie was alone, poor, friendless,
unknown.
Monument TO Foster.
On JUne u a statue of this man will
be unVaiIed in Louisville. Ky, during
the festivities Of homecoming week. IT
IS the gift Of the city's school children.
paid for with their pennies and erected
10 honor the memory of a man who did
more than any other to bring the State
Of Kentucky close to the hearts of the
American people.
The dead body was that of Stephen
Collins Foster, author and composer of
My Old Kentucky Home"
Pomp for Pauper Genius.
Some one, somehow. learned of Fos-
ter's death, and the body was claimed.
Then the wife. from whom he had been
separated. came hurrying TO him.
Ihey took him to his home in Pitts
burg. they gave him a great funeral.
Besides My Old Kentucky Home"
roster wrote "Old Folks at Home" Cor,
as il is called. ''Suwanee River'D. .Oid
Black Joe.' 'Massa's In De Cold. Cold
Groun',' odd Uncle Ned" "Oh. Susan
Ea,' "a, Nellie Bly," Willie. We Have
Nlssed You, Come Where My Love
Lies Dreaming" and a hundred others
almost as well known.
roster was born on July 4. 1926. in
what IS now part Of Pittsburg. but was
taen ..l,.l Iss:aWrenceville- The strains of the
Star-Spangled Banner" played by a
band on his fathers lawn, greeted him
on his entrance into the world.
Aoung roster, from his earliest child
mood, showed a predilection for music
Teaching himself 10 play the flute at the
age OF eight, he studied hard and as a
schoolboy Of the Athens (Pa.) Academy
had the Pleasure Of taking part in the
works. The Ifoga Waltz" for four
flutes.
Published in Baltimore.
III 4et-, N0cn OSIeT was only sixteen
years Of age, George Winig, Of BaIti-
more, published his song open Thy
Lattice, Love-" and later, "Old Uncle
Ned and ooh. Susanna" were published
by Peters. of Cincinnati. For the latter
the young composer received 800.
The song which causes Kentucky TO
honor him was written in memory of a
visit to his uncle. in Kentucky. Judge
John Rowan, who was also United
States Senator. How much money the
thousands Of copies that were sold
brought TO the composer is not known.
but il must have been considerable
amount Foster made a great deal of
money.
Shortly after his name became known.
Cnrlsty. the famous negro minstrel,
asked Tor song that he could sing be-
lore It's publication. Foster had Just
completed "Old Folks at Home" and
submitted it. Christy Immediately Of
Tered 800 in cash to have his name ap-
pear on the title page OF the first edition |
only, and the composer accepted. Later
x Co, of New York, and its |
success was instantaneous. Foster re-
ceived from them more than $1,000 in /
royalties, the greatest sum that. up to 1
that time, any musical composition had /
ever earned in America
rosters 5 last song was published only |
a week or two before he died. Ii was |
called Beautiful Dreamer" Whether |
or not il was one Of the pot boilers. !
that he had fallen into the hsbit of |
writing history does not say