Evening star., 1926-04-18
Rambler Recalls More Musicians
Who Were Popular in Washington
of
to Musical World Are eviewed.

TN one Of the rambles about 'old
musicians this was written:
Memory brought three men from
Il some cupboard of the mind and
lead them across my desk. One
was a short, shubby little fellow with
bushy reddish hair. lie wore knee
breeches and worsted stockings and
was riding bicycle. He was named
George Walter. The other shade that
walked across my desk was a thin
man with black hair worn long and
careless. He said: Rambler, we knew
each other long ago Yes I said. I
remember you, Leo Wheat The
third shade to come upon my desk
was that of John W. Bischoff and I
decided to put him in these rambles
before writing OF DR.. Walter and Leo
Wheat"
AS you do not remember, the Ram
bier wrote of DR.. Bischoff. l will re-
call George Walter to you but l have
not taken time to gather a long list
Of facts about him and | believe it
would be hard to get enough facts
for a long story. My recollection is
that DIR. Walter was a friendly man
who liked merry conversation and
that he was voluble about music and
his fondness for IL, but was not com
municative about himself. He lived
in a frame house on the south side Of
New York avenue between Seven
teenth and Eighteenth streets and
lived alone He would sometimes drop
in at the piano wareroom on Market
space where John Erck, the piano
agent, Fred Richenbach. salesman,
and Billy Gibbs, tuner, were hosts.
Those that met there talked freely
and some of them played the piano
eloquently-notably Henry Xander.
Anton Gloetzner, Will Waldecker.
John Porter Lawrence. Amy Leavitt,
Eddie Hart and Harry kimball.
DR.. George Walter played the organ
famously and played the piano well.
He would lean his wheel against the
show window, and coming in. would
take a seat on piano stool or pack
ing box. The talk was usually of
musicians and it seemed agreed that
the artists of that time were not so
great as those of an earlier time. 1t
seems TO be the rule that what is. is
not SO good as what was. I recall
that we were hearing some talk of
young player with longer hair than
usual and a name of more than COM
mon difficulty-Paddy-r Pader
reffski. etc Some of the gang had
heard him and their comment was:
He's pretty good but his Chopin isn't
technique isn't as good as Raphael
Joseffy's. He doesn't make a g many
mistakes as Robenstein. but ! don't
think he gets as much singing tone
out of the box as Rube does and I
don't think he's quite up to the mark
of that other Pole. the Chevelier de
Kontski. But he's a good player all
right and when the women look at
his hair they go into fits.
H.. , fl,r
Hebrew Temple on Eighth street and
at All Souls Unitarian Church on
Fourteenth street. I used TO 60 10
the Synagogue when DR.. Louis Stern
was rabbi of the congregation and ]
thought that the prettiest girls in
town. surely, some or the beautiful
girls OF Washington. prayed there. y
few of those whose names come TO
me now We're Ray and TeSsie Solomon.
Lottie, Cora and May Kaufman; Grace
Baum. Florence Price: Edna, Irene
and Goldie Wallach; Edna and Bella
Hirsh. Edna Horowitz. the Lansburgh
girls. Grace King and little Miss
Cohen. whose name | think was Sallie
and who was the daughter of, the
shammish. George Walter was al the
organ. but the Rambler had no eyes
TOR him. Rabbi Stern had three lovely
daughters and the Rambler often went
TO the sweet old home on O street
near Ninth to look at a hool, explain
ing the significance o. Yom kippur,
Rosh Hashana and Yom Teruah. or
to get q copy of kol Nidre. OF Yoshir,
Addir Hu or III kolohenu. II was
wonderful how often | had TO go 10
Rabbi Stern's house for a book.
x = :: :;
TT vas understood that George
Walter in his youth was spic
and snappy dresser, but when | knew
him his talent did not take the direc-
ton OF smart clothes. He was no
sheih. You must remember that
bushy hair. those knee pants and
yarn stockings. But he was an organ
list among orga nists. and I think the
tunes he played reached the angels.
Perhaps angels whispered TO him as
he played. I cannot give you specific
information on that subject.
The full name was George William
Walter. He was a son of William
Henry and Elizabeth OHam) Walter
aud was born in New York City. De
cember l6. 1851. ! have heard that
his father. grandfather. great-grand-