The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-07-13
HONOR TO AUTHOR OF
home, SWEET HOME
gateway at Union College,
schenectady, N. Y, Is Me-
mortal to Writer OF Song.
From the Asheyille. N. O. citlzen

From the Ashevile, IN. c. Citizen.
Union college at Schenectady, n. Y.
nas finished a fitting memorial to hcl
pest known scholar, John Howard
Payne, author OF the immortal Home
sweet Home" 1t will be a gateway Il
the campus, ana in il will be a bust OF
the poet and bronze ts4blet on which
VIII be inscribed the words of the SONG
that has touched the hearts of all the
world.
Just why this work has not been done
before Is not known. The greatness OF
iayne has lived, but has not been gen
eIaly recorded on craven images
Snortiy AFTER Payne died at Tunis
AFRICA, memorial was erected TO him
thefe. Tor 20 years America sang and
hummcd Home. Sweet Home" but no
turther testimonial in the material was
wrought.
In 1872. the Faust club of Brooklyn,
no" defunct, erected small but hand
some monument to Payne in Prospect
park in Brooklyn, and in the early sos
smart was erected in Washington
shortly after Payne's remains were
brought from Tunis and inferred there.
since that time no testimonial of the
nations admiration OF the COMPOSER OF
Home, Sweet Home" has been forth-
coming.
The, Hall Of Fame has been created,
grants tomb has been built, q hundred
Nnd one heroes have been honored;
AGam, first man, has been remembered
here on earth with a stone down In
Maryland, but the nation has allowed
Payne, the man who wrote this famous
song, 20 lie virtually forgotten In his
grave.
John Howard Payne, the precoclous
cnlid or excellent parents, was born In
New York on June 8, 1891. His father
was worthy man of good ancestry
who made name for himself as prin-
cipal OF the Clinton academy in East
Hampton, n. Y, and later as principal
OF a school in Boston.
Mother Was a Jewess.
The mother was a daughter Of a Jew
ish resident OF East Hampton named
iSaacS who is COMMUNICATED in the
village graveyard as IAN Israelite, in
deed, in whom there was no guile"
4ayne seems to have derived the sweet
that breathes through his
more intimate writings and through
his undying song from his good mother.
mis- mothers home was the goal OF his
He has left a charming pic
lure OF his native village in his essay
on Our Neglected Poets"
AS early as the age of 13 Payne was
editing secretly in New York a weekly
paper known as the Thespian Mirror.
Ee attended Union college for a short
time, but was forced to leave before
graduating by the condition OF his ia
theirs finances. The stage presented
itself as means Of gaining q lvel-
hool for his family, who were in urgent
need, and he began a career behind the
His debut was made at the Park the
alter. New York, on February "A, 1909.
He appeared as young Norval in
Douglas" His first venture was a
success and Payne subsequently de-
lighted audiences In Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and Baltimore.
At Drury Lane.
In 1913 Payne was able to travel
abroad. He went to Drury Lane the
alter, where he played an engagement
as Master Payne the American Ros-
cius," in the original part of young
Norval. He made a hit and started
soon on the duties of actor, manager
and playwright. His business judg-
ment was not good, however, and he
found himself financially
In 1915 Payne published
1 number Of poems called "Lispings OF
he Muse" 4 also did something in
criticism, b, h literary and dramatic.
Home Sweet Hssne" first occurred
n Paynes opera, "fhe Maid of Milan"
presented at the CGs4nt Garden thcater
n 1928. On trip 90 Italy Payne had
heard n very pretrE old melody, and,
coming back, he hurAlned it to Henry +.
Bishop and the latter put the music to
t. The manuscript of the song was
placed in the hanFs OF publishers, and
hey are said to have cleared 1000
yuineas on it the Nfst year and much
more thereafter. Tayne got little out
II the song and probably never realized
hat it would find it's way into The
Millions of homes where it has gone.