The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-14

I in contact with him. Now what is to be | done?
 l Dr. Raymond and his misfortunes have no call on the people of Birmingham. But | is that where the matter should rest? | Is it proper that a man of Dr. Ray monds culture and refinement, man of | his genius and training should be per mitted to face hunger. the chances even
 of no roof to cover his head. and herhaps | even premature death merely because he
 has dropped below the normal plane of society?
 Is there any obligation on the part of | the music lovers of Birmingham to at tempt to aid this old man, whose genius need only be witnessed to be proven? l In attempting to arrive at some basis
 on which he could be given intelligent as- sstance, the reporter discussed with him | the prospects of opening a studio. He l took to the idea with avidity. He said | that if he could once accumulate enough | money to open studio and take pupils
 in music he could soon place himself on a | self supporting basis 1 He says he hopes to do this, but he
 knows not how he is going to get his start. | He states he wants to organize in Bir-
 | mingham also a great philharmonic or- | ohestra. which would become the pride of | the south. All he wants he says is an | other chance
 l Is there any way for the people of Bir- mingham to give it to him? What is the possibility of getting up recital and per-
 hitting him to exhibit his art and thus perhaps raise enough funds to start again? What is the possibility of some one stalking him" to another chance merely as a business proposition? What
 is the possibility. of new made friends aid l ing him to guard against his weakness and regain foothold on life? Is man of his standing, his calibre, l, bis genius, his distinction to be allowed
 to sink deeper and deeper merely because | he is too proud to seek out friends and
 ask for aid or because he has already
 dropped to the plane of a homeless, wan dering hobo? 1 Shows Little Infirmity | In spite of his age, Dr. Raymond shows l little infirmity. His fingers seem to have the agility of youth in performing on the 1 plano, and seated in the city hall armory | yesterday at the piano the militia boys l had ordered left there for him. he ran the gamut of operas and classical compost 1 tions with the ease of the finished artist There was peculiar thrill to see this old man seated there in the great empty 1 armory before an upright piano and upon ! request rendering with exquisite appeal such compositions as The Poet and Peas ant, '1faume1l, Meu1tdJlOn, ana Sffn- liar ma sterpeces. Raymond, like others of his kind, loves to write poetry and has turned out some clever extemporaneous poems. One of them starts follows: To an Italian Street vender-On the cor her.
 roast-a-de- peanut. every day. Three time, and sometime more, 6jffarapca t-a To From morning-half past four get-a ma stock from de grocerie man Who keep-a da corner. close by He sel-a me cheap, and I tell-a you, now For the good-a-de reason-Why? Another, 'The only Way" in part fol- lows:
 You talk of Life and Living. well, It's only On the road to hell-where Those who on this mundane sphere Have lost all hope--the way is clear It awes a man and makes him think i've lived my life just on the brink Of dire misfortune. gloom-and sad There Is no future to be had" But trace the lines that mark the way To God the Infinite-and pray! Another is headed. Our Boarding House. and starts as follows: There is my boarding house, Not far away, Where they serve "onion hash Three times day. Oh, how the boarders yell, As there peals the dinner bell, Oh, how the onion smell. Three times day. Raymond spends much time composing | and renders some remarkable music merely improvising on the piano. He has 1 composed and deciated a march to Com pany c. Second infantry, Alabama Ma | t.onal Guard, which is a beautiful compo- sition.