The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-07

About the year 1S54-55 a colored
youth. Dick Milburn. who was
known as "Whistling Dick" on the
streets Of Philadelphia, was quite
favorite character among the peo-
pie. who enjoyed his peculiar man
ner in initiating the hooking bird.
He always strummed an improvised
accompaniment OF his guitar 10 the
various strains Of uncOnnected mel
ody. In the manner Of a recitation
he would sing such words as these:
Katie on the Sc, pond. the Zee pond. slip,
Fcr.y-'leven buuirogs hanging on Ler lip.
He would then say, Listen 20 the
hooking bird making all varieties
Of improvIsed strains with his pc
culiar whistling His second verse
would be these words,
I'm thinking now o. Sally;
She leFer vas bauished from Rome.
Then again he would cry out Lis
ten 10 the hooking bird and follow
on with more extemporaneous whist
ling before taking up a collection IN
his soft hat.
one OF his interested listeners on
various occasions was Septimus
Winner, who was then a professional
musician Of Philadelphia Mr. Win
ner made the acquaintance Of
"Whistllng Dick" and suggested to
him the advantage Of having some
definite music 10 his performance
and some words for a song. He as
scented and was willing 20 be taught
The compass Of HIS voice was OF lin
tied range. hence the few notes OF
the melody az the commencement or
the ballad. consisting Of only an
interval Of ffths. and I'm all about
one octave.
M Winner completed the words
and music or the song. which later
became famous as Listen to the
Mocking Bird" and taught Dick
20 sing t. He sang # day after day
on the streets. and night after night
IN the various saloons Of the city.
and II became popular az once.
Mr.. Winner had the song first
copyrighted and published In April
1855. The song was not issued under
the authors name. but like many
other Of his compositions. such as
What Is Home Without a Mother"
and Whispering Hope" he used the
nom dc plume OF Alice Hawthorne. 20
which was HIS mothers maiden
name
One incident IN regard 70 this
ballad shows how wise men some
times go astray I'm asserting their
convictions Mr.. Winner requested
an early teacher to revise the man
Uscript before publication. AID the
professor. smiling at the effort after
singing the first four measures. said:
"Do you call that melody 60
burn Il IN. Such trash viii ruin
your reputation for l!fe And don't
YOU see. you have commenced with
the chord Of the seventh Of the key?
This IS against the common rules OF
harmony
Mir. Winner sold the manuscript
Of the song for s. to Lee & wal
Eer. the music publishers. but that
his advisers judgment was wrong
is shown in the fact that about 20
10000 copies Of Listen 10 the
MOckInE Bird" have been sold N
America and Europe. and the pub
fishing firm made close TO 100000
out Of It's sale. A conservative esti-
mate OF its aggregate sales IN the
fifty years OF its life, as made by ex-
perts. is as follows: In America,
$4,000. 600 copies; in Great Britain.
$4,000; in Europe. 2.225.OOO. Total
20.0OO,00O
Mr.. Winner wrote the song when
he was twenty-siX years old. and
died in Philadelphia at the age OF
seventy-six. fifty years later. IN
which city all Of his life he was
connected with the music business.
for many years dealer in sheet
Copyright 1909. I