The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1915-12-23

The father of rag time-tho man who
made II possible for such people as
irving Berlin TO be popular in the
cabarets and national banks-has con-
fessed! Barney Fagin. composer OF
my Gal Is a High Born Lady" ac-
knowledgod rs the first of the coon
songs, and inventor OF the forms OF
dance and march figures that are used
wherever a chorus girl has strength to
carry a spear. mum or other elobor-
ate costume, mas uvIHeN to washington,
and admits It all!
Barney Fagin, with nifty years. Of
theatrical effort setting 80 lightly onlhis
shoulders that his feet are as nimble
as when he and Richard Golden were
the heifer in the original production OF
''Evangeline;" who is not only the
father OF the present day ragtime cab
aret shout, but Is known as well az
the composer Of the original words and
music Of when the Robins Nest
Again." which the grandmothers of
modern tango queens sang to their In
fants--this same Barney Fagin Is in
Washington again dancing and singing
as he has done since little lad in
Boston.
Half Century on Stage.
It was fifty years or more ago-Fagin
speaks OF It that way-that flve-year-
old boy was led into the stage at the
famous old Howard Atheneam, in Bos-
to, to sing anil dance as the little cabin
boy in a lurid melodrama known as
1.-The Lascar Crew." He has been sing
ing and dancing ever since. in all sec
lions of the world-and usually his own
songs. He always has been a dancer
and always q composer OF popular songs
and ballads. HIS was particularly we'll
known In the old days OF the big min
strel companies as one of the big black
face singers and dancers, and was as
popular in London and the British
provinces as he was in this country. He
invented most of the dance and march
figures still used in musical comedy.
This week he is playing with the Dave
Marion show at the Gayety Theater,
and Is putting into the show some of
the finished dancing OF a past genera
ton Of entertainers,
Does Not Look His Part.
with the look of a successful busi-
mes man and the accent Of q college
bred Bnglishman, except for just bit
of the Bostonese-Irish brogue that lends
what might be called a twinkle to his
words, and @seems to soften any criti-
present, Mr.. Fagln would never be set
down as an actor, and certainly not as
one of the best known of the minstrels,
the former partner OF Willis Sweatnam,
Billy Rice, George Thatcher. Billy West,
Billy Emerson, George Primrose, and
the rest of the old galaxy OF singing and
dancing black face stars. Nor would
It ever be thought that he and Richard
Golden created the part of the comedy
calf in Edward E. Rice's "Evangeline,"
which afterward made Richard Golden's
former partner, Henry r. Dixey, and
Fagin's former partner, Parks, famous
in its New York production.
1t Is as the author of MY Gal Is a
Hish-born Lady thai Fagin is par
ticularly interesting at this time to
music lovers. however. because this
song, written in 1887, though not gem
orally known until four or five years
later. was the forerunntr CT ali the
popular ragtime songs the: nave fol-
lowed, just as when the Robins Nest
Again" which Fagin wrote In 1879 for
Frank Howard. was the forerumer of
host OF similar ballads.
How He Came to Write II.
1T is very curious how I came to
write the ''High-born Lady, and still
more curious how 1t became so over
poweringly popular" declared Mr.. Fa-
gin when asked about the song and its
history. THE fact is, the song was
written for no other purpose than the
necessity OF soaring up money to buy
my wife birthday present. l had been
writing songs for years, and / probably
got into the habit OF depending on nv
ability to turn out something that would
sell to supply me with funds. whenever
| needed them. II l might confess II.
l had been paying too much attention
to remarkably slow set of horses Just
about that time. l didn't know they
were slow when they gained my affec-
tons. But by the investment OF large
sums of money from our savings I
gained the Information. You can get
lots OF information about horses that
way. my boy. / know all about them
now: and don't need to invest any more.
However, I awoke one morning fat
broke and four weeks out of work. NV
wire greeted me with the information