The San Francisco call., 1913-08-10
wv YERE you ever in switzer-
wv '-.,. :s.,.. asked ..;s matt e. s....: .s.s.

SlSLeu.
u was never anywhere near the
nlace." insisted the Celtic tenor and
YodIing star of thousand minstrel
shows.
And thus went to its lamented death
another cherished illusion of mine
For have never heard of Matt Keefe
hut that I have had visions Of gentle
men with alpenstocks shooting the Wild
and untrammeied chamois with William
Tell guns. while ropes broke, plunging
them awkwardly demonstrating. down
steep declivities TO the bottom OF the
mage. Yet here was the finest sample
extant of the yodler. and he never was
near the Alps.
AS everybody knows who rehds
learned books of travel like "A Tramp
Abroad" Switzerland is notable as the
heme-the natal land, in fact-of the
cuckoo clock and the yodler tsome-
times spelled jodler). As a student OF
such things I have learned, too. from
Rossini's William Tell Overture that
Switzerland is an uneven country,
where the people love liberty steadily,
still other learned folk will agree with
me that another of Switzerland's as
sets for tourist attention is its Alpine
scenery and gorges strewn with the
mountain climbers who slipped. But
of all the exports that keep the eye and
the ear of the traveller uniquely intent
upon the mountain cantons, the yodler
is the chief.
Having so misunderstood affairs, 1t
was but natural that I should walt the
arrival of Matt Keefe al the Sullivan
and Considine offices in the Empress
theater building a few days ago, with
a hope, which was no unreasonable
hope. 1 trust, that the greatest yodler
living. to wit, Matt Keefe, would pro-
vide me with information about Swiss
yodling. he having, 1 did not doubt
studied his art with some great Swiss
master in Lucerne or Zurich. perhaps.
l wanted 10 discuss, for instance.
Mark Twain's criticism OF yodling and
vodlers and ask whether Mr.. Keefe
thought Mark a good critic. For his
cruel aspersions on everything but the
industry and persistence of the native
yodler, might, even while the strains of
the singers We're echoing from the
slopes of the Rigi-Kulm, have been in
spired by pique, as most adverse
criticism, so I am informed by anony-
nous correspondents. usually is.
Alas. then that / am forced to repeat
the story of my failure Matt Keefe.
whose cuckoo singing has been the
delight for 20 years of those who love
yodling, learned his art far from the
shores of Interlaken. Moreover. Matt
quickly permitted me to see that he
had no more respect for the native
yodler than did the irrepressible hu-
morist who travelled with Harris and
paid large sums to yodlers to cease
from their yodlng. While Keefe had
heard much yodling by gentlemen
from Switzerland, and though he had
never heard it in its native habitat.
Matt assured me that his kind of
yodling was not the kind that Mark
Twain referred to at all. and that he
tMatt) had several tricks which he
defed any Swiss, Alpine amateur or
any other yodler. TO duplicate.
Thus it again appears that yodling.
like Hawaiian music, isn't Swiss. and
that. like Greek dancing and other
forms Of art, it loses its racial interest
the closer it is approached-in short.
that good yodlers are no more Swiss
than Berger. who wrote the immeasur-
ably sad Aloha is kanaka. or Isa-
dora Duncan an Athenian.
DUT Matt Keefe presumes to be an
Hauthority on babies. He has but
one of his own. and his name is
Jim.
why not Matt?9 I asked.
~Oh he's got granddaddv by the
name of Jim who has barrel Of
money" said Matt, but you won't put
them in, of course
"Of course not" I said. and neither
would / if 1 thought for a minute
that Matt or either of the Jims would
find out that l did.
But on the square" said Matt, not
TO be bluffed out of his proposed con-
sideration of a darling subject, hes
the brightest youngster you ever set two
eyes on
I said. NO doubt he is. but we
needn't waste time discussing that, be-
cause 1 can write it just as well with
out hints"
This is on the square. I tell you,"
repeated Matt. with some sinister and
Celtic warmth
Il know it is" said I. "and that's
why l will know what to say"
EvERTHELESS. and of course, we
N did talk-or at least Matt did
about the boy who is now of the
years of five, and who is destined. says
Matt, to be a performer and another
descendant of the fathers of the other
wise rapidly passing remnants of
Americas only original contribution to
the worlds stage minstrelsy.
~oh, yes." said Matt "he sings al
ready. and he looks TO me like young
ster that has the makings of a per-
former in him; but you never can tell
what kid will do he added most
truthfully.
IF he looks like his father" I
started 10 saw