Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-07-24
AliseelIaneuus Reaaing.
SOME STORIES OF BLIND TOM.
Negro Pianist Long a Great Money
Maker.

Maker.
Few public performers ever played
to more money than Blind Tom, who
died recently. He was prominently be-
fore the public for twenty years, and
after that when his trustees were
changed he still continued to play, but
not with as much success. His new
managers did not know how to han
die him properly, and handling Tom
took lots of tact. Until only few
years ago he played, and his last ap-
pearance was probably on the variety
stage. For forty years he had been an
attraction, and in the first half OF
that time he played in almost every
town of any size in this country and
Canada and made tours on the other
side of the Atlantic.
Even in small towns he did we'll, and
as running this show was not an eX-
pensive affair the profits were large.
A statement of accounts made by his
old manager showed that in one
month in 1884, which was spent in
Virginia, that receipts were more than
$4,000 and the expenses $4,000. He
usually kept on the road for nine
months out of the twelve, so that his
yearly profits may have averaged about
| $40, 900. On his trip on the other side
1t was said he realized about 100000
so that Tom while in good hands was
| of S+aaav
1t is singular that his old manager,
Thomas Warhurst, who for twenty
years took him all over this country
and through Canada, died six months
ago, and it was under his manage
ment that Tom was most successful.
He was then we'll cared for and we'll
coached in his work, and he earned
many thousands of dollars for the
Bethune family, on whose estate he
was born slave.
| About twenty years ago Blind Tom
got into the courts. He was born dur
ing slave times and later Gen. Bethune
acted as his trustee. 1t was said that
up to 1870 he had earned more than
a quarter of a million dollars. Gen.
Bethune then turned the trusteeship
over to his son, John G. Bethune.
John Bethune ran racing stable
which was said to be supported by
Blind Toms earnings. He died in
1888, and after his death his widow
brought suit against the Bethune fam
lily, alleging that as widow Of John
Bethune she was the rightful trustee
of Blind Tom. In this she was sup
ported by Charity Virgins, the moth
er Of Blind Tom. Mrs. Bethune won
her suit, and since 1886 Blind Tom has
been in her care, but she only sue
ceeded in making a success Of him
for few years.
Blind Tom was born a few miles
from Columbus in the county Of Mus
cogee, Ca, on May 25, 1S49. His par
ents were field hands of the pure ne
gro blood, with nothing to distinguish
them from the mass of their race, eX-
cept that his mother had small feet
and hands and was of an active, mer-
ry temperament. He was born on the
estate of Thomas Greene Bethune,
where his parents were slaves.
Tom was born blind, and as he was
unable to learn anything from sight it
was generally thought that he was
idiotic. When very young he showed
great fondness for sounds, and mu-
sical sounds exerted a controlling in
terest over him. He learned to talk
when young and spoke clearly, but his
words had no meaning and were SIM
ply limitations of what he heard.
Gen. Bethune, when he heard that
Toms mother had said Tom had not
sense enough to learn, declared this
| was a mistake. He went to Tom and
said: tom, sit down." Tom repeated
the words. The general then repeated
the order and at the same time sat
Tom on the floor tom, get up"
said the general. Tom sat still and
repeated. He then ordered Tom to
get up, and lifted him to his feet. Next
time Tom was told to sit down he did
so at once, and promptly rose to his
feet when ordered. From that time
Tom learned quickly. Every one tried
to teach him.
When Tom was about years old
piano was brought to the house and
as soon as he heard this Tom was en-
tranced One night his mother had
neglected to lock her door and Tom
disappeared. He found his way into
the Bethune house through an open
window and early in the morning the
piano was heard. Tom was seated
before the instrument playing one of
the pieces he had heard, and playing
it correctly with both hands and US
| ing the black as well as the white
keys. From that time he was allow
ed to use the piano and soon he could
repeat any piece he heard. Then he
began to compose himself. He would
sit at the piano for hours. When
asked what he was playing he would
say, THAT was what the trees said to
me-" or That is what the wind says"
One day a German music teacher Of
NOluHlDuS uSdlu lOll dlll uCSlell SN
that he knew more music than he
could teach or learn. Tom was later
coached by some pianists. They play
ed for him and he learned what they
played and afterward repeated it in
public. In this way Tom learned to
play thousands of pieces and in his
repertoire were sonatas of Beethoven,
Mendelssohn, Bach, Mozart, all the
best known marches, many Of the pi-
anoforte solos we'll known, plantation
songs, and number of original pieces
descriptive Of what he had heard.
| One of these was THE Rain Storm"
When very young Tom used to stand
in a passageway and listen to the rain
pattering on the roof, and from this
he made his Rain Storm" He was
not far distant from the battle of Ma
nassas, and this he made the subject
of another piece.
! Ton, u.oS borp blind hut whom 2 or