The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-08-05
BY ELMO SCOTT WATSON

T- HIS year marks the centennial of
of our most famous patriotic
songs and since it first sung
A II in public on July 4, 1882, special
mi attention paid during our
~ Fourth of July celebrations this
I'M year to honoring Rev. Samuel Fran
S&A els Smith, the man who wrote
@&% America" Although Francis Scott
@NNSNl%N Keys 1.-The Star Spangled Banner"
H lINVhHN has been officially adopted as the
H NS1 national anthem, America" is the
I 4HH unofficial national anthem in that
Il ~ it is more often sung by more
Americans because it is easier for
unframed voices to sing than is the widerang-
ing melody of 1.-The Star Spangled Banner"
Written originally for children's choirs, it was
easy for the singing of America" to become
traditional observance in our public schools and
that is one reason why this unofficial national
anthem is more often heard throughout the land
than the official one.
In fact 1t was the desire for patriotic song
which could be used in the schools which brought
America" into existence In 1881 William c.
Woodbridge a noted educator of New York,
visited Germanys public schools particularly for
the purpose of bringing back any idea which
might be adapted for use in the schools OF the
United States. He learned what every good
German knows, that music had an important
place in the life of the people and in school
life, as well. Consequently some of the school
music books brought back by Mr.. Woodbridge
were passed along to Lowell Mason, a talented
musician and pioneer in the Introduction of mu-
sic in the Boston public schools.
But Mr.. Mason was not student of German.
So he sent the books to Samuel Francis Smith,
a twenty four-year-o theological student at
Andover, a young man who had an extraordf-
nary facility in languages He was asked to make
translations from the German, or to write new
Ii H. cs1
"On dismal day in February, 1882. looking
over one of these books, my attention was
drawn to tune which attracted me by its SIM
pie and natural movement and its fitness for
children's choirs" wrote Doctor Smith many
years later.
Balancing at the German words at the foot
Of the page saw that they were patriotic, and
instantly inspired to write patriotic
hymn of my own.
"Seizing a scrap of waste paper, began to
write and in half hour, think, the words
stood upon it substantially as they are sung to-
day. l did not share the regret of those who
deem it an evil that the national tune of Britain
and America is the same. On the contrary
deem it new and beautiful tie of union be-
tween the mother and the daughter, one furnish
ing the music (if indeed it is really English)
and the other the words.
81 did not propose to write national hymn.
did not think that had done So l laid the
song aside, and nearly forgot that l had made
it. Some weeks later I sent it to Mr.. Mason,
and on the following Fourth Of July. much to
my surprise, he brought it out at children's
celebration, where it was first sung in public.
when it was composed, l profoundly
impressed with the necessary relation between
love of God and love of country; and rejoice
If the expression of my sentiments and
convictions still finds an answering chord in
the hearts of my countrymen'
The Fourth of July celebration to which he
refers was held in Park Street church in Bos-
ton on July A, 1882, where America" was first
sung in public by a children's choir under the
direction of Lowell Mason. History says that
Edward Everett Hale was one of the children
in that young choir; and Smith family legend
has it that one of the passersby who heard
with profound admiration the song pouring out
of the Park Street church was the girl who
afterward became Mrs. Samuel Francis Smith.
She was Miss Mary White of Haverhil Mass,
schoolmate of Whittier, whom Smith married
on September 16, 1884.
America" was first published in the Juvenile
Tyre childrens song book, which later. and
in the face of much opposition to the introduce
ton of music into the schools, was adopted by
them.
The original manuscript is now treasured by
the Harvard university library, to which it
bequeathed by Doctor Smiths son, DR.. D. A. w.
Smith, on November ii. 1914. In accepting the
gift w. C. Lane the Harvard librarian, wrote,
This is one of the most precious bits Of orig
inal manuscript which any American library
could desire to own"
The whole life of the author of America"
centered around Boston. He was born on Sheafe
street in the north end of that city on October
81, 1908. AS a boy he attended successfully
"dame school, the forerunner of the modern
kindergarten; the Eliot school and the Boston
Latin school, in all of which he showed unusual
talent and won many medals for scholarship
At the age of seventeen years he entered Har-
ward college, with Oliver Wendell Holmes,
James Freeman Clarke and Samuel May among
his classmates o. w. Holmes wrote poems for
their class reunions. In one of them, entitled
''The Boys" quatrain about Doctor
Smith:
"And there's nice youngster of excellent pith;
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith:
But he shouted a song for the brave and the
free
Just read on his medal, My country, of thee"
While in college young Smith added to his
income by tutoring, reporting and translating
the last eventually bringing him the chance to