The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-03-20
Singing FIREMAN
IS HERE ON FINISH
OF 17,OO0-MlLE TRIP

Melaney Drops In From Billings,
| Who're Schumann Hsink
Started His Real Career
Howard Melaney, the singing fire.
man" Of the Northern Pacific. snent
Tuesday in the city and broadcast
over KFYR between 6:l5 and Gas.
before going out for Fargo, where his
next broadcasting takes place. He
came IN from Billings, where he had
sung over the radio Of the Northwest
ern Supply company Monday night.
arriving here Tuesday morning. Dur.
ing his stay he was the guest Of Tom
Allen at the Kiwanis luncheon. MIt
the strain Of a long broadcastinp tour
did not allow him to sing at the
luncheon.
The visit to Billings, here and to
Fargo was part Of q tour of 17000
miles which Melaney is completing
with Fargo. Duluth and the Twin
Cities. He set out almost six weeks
ago by broadcasting his SONGS from
CkGW, Toronto, and the subsequent
broadcastings took him from his first
visit to Canada to New York, Daven-
port, st. Louis, Dallas. New Orleans.
Kansas City, Des Moines, Denver.
Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Holly
wood, San Francisco, Portland. Sc.
attic. Missoula, Butte, Billings, then
here.
Billings Recalls His Benefactress
The Billings visit was filled with
pleasant recollections for the singer.
Tor 1t was there while singing at the
1926 state convention Of the American
legion that he attracted the attention
OF Madame -Heink, and his
whole subsequent career is based on
that episode.
Melaney was visiting at the home
OF his friend Tom Tobin on a Sunday
and was playing the player piano,
Tor he has weakness for mechanical
music, odd to say, when q woman
friend OF the TobinS who had heard
him at the services in st. Patrick's
church burst excitedly in on the To-
bins with something startling on her
mind. She could hardly gasp it out
for the thrill that had excited her.
What she had to tell was that
Madame Schumann- Heink, who was
In Billings to sing for her boys
the legion-had sat in the pew in
front Of her at the morning mass and
when Melaney sang the great, kindly,
gifted artist turned her head around
to see who it was that was singing
and then rapturously CALCULATED, soto
v0ce, to her accompanies: "Oh, what
q glorious voice! I wonder II that is
the gentleman who Is to sing with me
this evening"
Melaney appeared in the doorway
as this was being told. and was intro
duced. The lady who had brought the
news just gasped as she was intro
duced. She was too clustered to ac-
knowledge the introduction, and she
fled to spread the news Of the i'm
preston the Tobins' guest had made
on the diva.
Schulnann- Heink Starts Things
That evening the singers met. Me-
loney sang his favorite, I'm My Heart
q Little Flower Crew." and the mad
anne decided he must be more than q
coalheaver on the N. p.
The upshot was that she went to
the heads Of the road at st. Paul and
told them they must see to Melaney's
musical education. that here was a
great tenor artist being lost to the
world unless something was done. She
arranged with Leonard Smith. one of
the really great teachers OF the
country and musical adviser to Arch.
bishop Bowling, for Melaney's train
ing. That was in 1926. Melaney has
been Smiths pupil ever since.
: Previously Melaney's singing had
attracted passengers on the trains.
notably SO one day at Miles City.
when lot Of New Workers Of the
highest social circles there had gath
cred about him as he oiled the loco
motive valves. But though he caused
them to marvel, nothing came Of 1t.
It was not until he attracted the at
tention Of Schumann-Heink that his
star was set in the musical firma-
ment. He hasn't forgotten that. The
madame is one Of the most wonderful
persons in the world to him. Often,
as he sings, the vision Of her face
rises before his mind and then he
feels an inspiration the words he is
singing, whatever their beauty and
emotion, alone could not arouse.
Shovels Coal Sometimes
Since he started broadcasting, three
years ago, Melaney has sung more
than 800 programs from 70 stations
in the United States and Canada.
Some days he has sung five programs
from as many as four stations.
The old days are q dream to the
singing fireman" Until three years
ago he fired on the Yellowstone di-
vision. He ran as far as Laurel, 18
miles west Of Billings, but consid-
cradle portion Of the time he fired
between Glendive and Forsyth or
from Dickinson to Glendive. Some.
times he takes q try at the old job.
A year or so ago he fired q train from
Dunkirk to Erie just to show some
doubter he had met In Buffalo that
such singer ever could have been q
fireman on q locomotive.
Melaney Is magnetic fellow, He Is
affable, sociable and Of simple ways.
Nature has given him robust body.
and he ought to rival his "angel,"
Madame Schumann- Heink, In singing j
to ripe old age.
Within the Reach