Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-06-25
BLIND TOMS DEBUT,
How the Negro Musical Prodigy
Was Discovered.
WONDERS OF HIS MEMORY.
Played a Mazurka Just as He Had
Heard 1t Played Twenty eight Years
Before - Sample of His Great
Strensth-RemarkabI Innitator.

BTO DdDS WdHueTeu from his UlOl0eT )
cabin and in the dark of the night
climbed upon the piano stool in the
parlor of the artstocratic old slave
holder General James n. Betlane of
Georgia. He ran his baby fingers over
the keys, and the household was arous-
ed by music so sweet and delicate that
it seemed like fairy music-and that
was his debut The little "nigger"
was the greatest colored musical prod
ICY the world has ever known. He
was Thomas Virgins, known as Blind
Tom" the famous negro pianist, who
recently died at Hoboken, n. ].
Tom was born n slave on General
Bethune's plantation and was looked
upon as an incumbrance which must
be fed and clothed simply because it
would have been inhuman to make
way with him. He was about four
years old when the daughters of Gen
eral Bethune We're given a new piano.
One of the daughters played a sweet,
plaintive little melody upon the new
instrument, and it was that melody the
blind baby reproduced and improved
upon that night. After that the little
negro was brought in as a curiosity to
play for and amuse the generals
guests. When he was six years old the
generals son. John c. Bethune, ar
ranged q tour for Tom and continued
as his manager for many years. After
his death his widow kept the negro be
fore the public.
After his musical gift Toms memory
was the most wonderful thing about
him. He could play more than 5000
compositions. Once he heard n piece
he would repeat it exactly. Mrs Be
thune used to tell of an incident which
shows how retentive his memory was.
A stock actor in Denver met Blind
Tom in 1894 and asked him if he ever
met his father, Theodore NJ. Browne.
Tom replied at once, Il met Theodore
NJ. Browne Che always repeated namcs)
in st. Louis in 1866" Mrs. Bethune
then asked him what Mr.. Browne
played for him. and the negro replied,
HE played a little mazurka of his
own" PLAY it," said Mrs. Bethune,
and the blind musician played it just
as he had heard it twenty eight years
before.
This way of remembering people he
met was unique. When first presented
to person he wished to remember, he
asked him or her to speak plainly. Then
he placed his finger on the back of his
or her neck and smelled IT. After this
he never forgot that individual, seeming
to associate tha sound of the voice with
the name and the smell He could
hear n sermon and repeat most of ii
after he returned from the church and,
furthermore, mimic the preacher
Blind Tom was practically an imbe-
cile. His amusements We're very odd.
He was particularly fond of dancing.
He would stand on one foot and with
the other leg put out at right angles
would spin around. and around with
marvellous rapidity. He spun round like
a dancing dervish. This he kept up
trick of his was to lean over the foot
of the bed and bump his head on the
springs.
Tom was very powerful, and as an
example of his strength Il story is told
of him at Williamsport, Pa. He was
staying at the City hotel. Some friends
Of Or. Eubank, who was with Tom
for many years asked some gentlemen
to drive with them. Before leaving
Tom, DIR. Eubank wanted to make
him comfortable and explained to him
how to regulate the register. He said:
Tom, if the room gets too hot, just
turn this knob to the right"
Yes, sir" said Tom.
And if it gets cold turn it to the
left"
Yes, sir
"Now, let Ine see you do it. II it
gets too hot. what would you do?"
Tom took hold of the knob with both
his hands. but instead of turning it to
the right he pulled the register ont of
the wall. Tom thought it was a good
joke and danced about the room. clap
ping his hands.
In early childhood he initiated the
cries of farm animals, the call of birds
and the sound of the wind and rain
for the amusement of General Be
thune's household. By night he would
steal into the house of his master to
initiate in undertones on the piano the
pieces he had heard others play
during the day. He had the power
Of being most marvclously initiative.
During his public appearances he fire.
quently played one melody with his
right hand and another with his left,
singing or whistling u third. as FIRE
quently the classic compositions of
Bach. Chopin and Mendelsshon as
Yankee Doodle" Sailors Hornpipe"
or other pieces of that class. On occa-
sions he played pieces with his back
turned to the piano. He could initiate
the sounds of other musical instru-
ments and deliver connected addresses
in foreign languages without under
standing n word he uttered
The eccentricities of Blind Tom on
the stage pleased audiences as much
as his playing. He always referred to
himself In the third person and would
announce his pieces by saying, TON
will now play n beautiful piece he
heard recently" He frequently jump
ed about wildly and started the ap-
plause himself when he finished a
number.
Tho Oldest Encyclopedia.
ThA naIf 10