New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-29
Souvenirs of the American Cow
boy in Singing Mood.

r>owBOY SONGS. Collected and hG Sns
M John a Fso7nax. Professor OF E-Ilt-
hsh IN ne IVeF Ts,,l,e q 7Teifon Com
pary.
This hook renders a service TO the
history ~ American life similar 10 that
,,erfofmed 10y owen wister in his
stories Of The West, ana by the late
Frederic Remington in has drawings
ana PAINTINGS. It preserves for us some
ri the traits q q type fast disappear
tac. and these. moreover, SAVIOR not
-uerely of the external picJuresqueness
~ the cowboy. 5ut OF his heart anc
mind Professor Isofnax may claim,
TOO. that his researches have uncovered
field which. II not rich in strictly
poetic material. nevertheless has cer-
-ain interest for the student % literary
4llenoneua- Ia d brief letter Of ap-
s,-oeiatio,i rrefxed 70 the volume MI
Roosevelt saws. There Is something very
s.rr-ious. ia The reproduction here OF THIS
-.ayv continent OF essentially the condl-
lions q ballad growth which obtained IL
medieval EDElznd. including by the
way. ey1npachy for the OUTLAW Jesse
IR1E,es taking Inc place CT Robin HOOD
za-aseEser Wendell. ID his Introduction,
eieo takes these pieces az examples OF
sr-1e folk song and apJly points out their
value as throwing ughy Oh the manner IN
which such song originate
obviously the Cogboy's sohs = 1ot
matter OF SLOW sccreuou. Professor 10
-rsr confes-es To s violation Of the ethics
~ ballad gathering N having selected
E46 rUr together rhc hest lines from dlf-
-e-en+ versions % sew 81 his specimens,
and hence re nav lnfer that mere than
-1e fh1ue has been developed as Il has
rsss-d from fip 10 mp, after the fashion
vt rhe older countries. But this eireum-
Erancr en- rae wise affects the central
character &C the cowboys song, In spite
of The fact that We are bidding hlm
farewell rs = last lingering survival O
au historic period. n dates, Of course
Comparatively speaking. tut from Ees
-erds~ EaS- talk sbeut his primitive
bits OF thought and feeling cannot DIS
r5tse ms fundamental modeTnity. He
US moi even ia his earliest end. there
e5-e most genuine stage kind 81 So
vss-npr1Iral and spontaneous creation OF
rhe vVes- rrt 2 being nouLoeo more OF
lass OF rzSts-n clay. having behind him,
,-orec5ousI- or uncorscl0usly. al The IN
z,7snoas OF thoroughly sophisticated
..ivilizsrion Il IS interesting - note
inst while these influences DC not very
rrAc4fcsT~ color his ballads, they seem
.7-e-r- erecruallv 10 have denied him
sbs4 charm of sheer naIvete which be
longs 10 2 Peoples verse IN ITS infancy
The point S. suggestively exposed by
znalvsis Of the diction common 20 all
-l,esa uar1eless baIladisrs. II IS the dc
-iar7 Of the ordinary folk Of our own
rine. nut at the service IF fairly spirited
narrative. only the technical terms OF
she cattle range placing a novel acceIlt
71pon otherwise quite prosaic language
II is oddly disappointing 20 IND ~ thls
hook so few of the phrases that denote
,v4-r{c,llsrfv characteristic play of hunoT
,,. fancy. The opening line Of 'Lackey
Rul~ Tor example. Come. al you goo0
old boys ana listen 10 my rhymes, is
7lsaa with hut t-ifing variations over
.,n7 over again 10 start these songs, and
rrt extent 10 which the composers seek
e. fresh turn Of expression is measured