The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-13

later was immediately TAKEN up ny Ill Ihe nlu-
strel shows, of which there were great number
then on the road. 1t also became the marching
song and the campfire song of the Forty-niners
on their way to the gold fields of California
For 20, Susanna" Foster received 500, an
event which determined his career for him.
Imagine my delight in receiving 500 in cash."
he wrote later. Though this song was not sue
cessful, yet the two $50 bills received for 1t
had the effect of starting me on my present
vocation"
While the words of 20, Susanna" are utter
nonsense of the most engaging sort, and the
humor is rollicking 1t has irresistible Tilt and
a chorus that makes everybody join in whether
they will or no. Everybody was singing 1t in 1S4S
and 1S49
Only light-hearted youth who had not faced
phases of life for which he not equipped
by temperament could have written such care
free lines and set them to such spirited music
SAYS Howard "There is fun in such fooshness
1t rained all night the day left,
The weather it was dry,
The sun hot froze to death;
Susanna, don't you cry.
And then the refran-everybody pleased
o, Susanna don't you cry for me,
I've come from Alabama wid-(long held)
My banjo on my knee.
OF all the popular songs that had their birth
on American soil In Fosters time, his were the
only ones that lived. The others were sung for
a year two and forgotten Curiously enough,
Stephen imagined that his songs would be for
gotten as quickly as the others. 1t never seemed
to occur to him that they might have the seeds
of Immortality In them. Proof of this to be
found in his willingness, after receiving $1,000
In royalties for of his songs in six years, to
sell the copyright for 800 In the belief that its
day was nearly spent and it would not be likely
to bring in more than that. So he presented
20, Susanna" and "Old Uncle Ned" to w. c.
Peters, friend of the family who was in the
music publishing business and who proceeded to
make $4,000 out of them.
Fosters Indifference to what became Of his
songs led to their being copyrighted by other
persons. Even in the case of "Old Folks at
Home" song which became world famous and
which Mr. Howard believes has been printed
often than either Home Sweet Home" or
"Annie Laurie" he authorized, for a small con-
sderation, the publication under the name of
E. P. Christy, who headed the Christy Ministries.
Morrison Foster has related how his brother
came to him with a letter from E. P. Christy
asking the composer to write song for him to
sing before II was published
Morrison told Stephen not to do It unless
Christy paid him. A form of agreement was
drawn up and the paper was sent to Christy.
Afterward, when the song had become closely
associated with Christy's name and had been
copyrighted with his name as author and COM
poser, Stephen wrote to Chrsty to permit him to
claim it as his own. He wrote humbly: ION
receipt of your free consent to this proposition,
I WILL If you wish, willingly refund you the
money which you paid me on that song, though
II may have been sent me for other considera-
tons than the one in question, and promise in
addition to write you an opening chorus in my
best style, free of charge and In any other way
to advance your interests hereafter. find
cannot write at all unless I write for public ap-
probation and get credit for what write"
Although Stephen had told Christy that he
could accomplish little so long as "Old Folks at
Home" stared him in the face with another
mans name on it and although he expressed
the hope that the singer would appreciate an
authors feelings In the case, there is no record
of reply from Christy, and it was a long, long
time before Fosters name appeared on the song.
Although Morrison Foster said Stephen received
$500 for the song he confessed to friend in
New York that he got from $40 to SIS for his
songs from Christy, but that he received two
cents a copy for the 100000 copies of the first
edition which was soon exhausted Adena Patti
and Christine Nilsson helped to make the song
popular by singing it in their concerts.
In the eleven years when Stephen Foster was
producing his greatest songs-including "Swanee
River" "old Kentucky Home" "Old Dog Tray"
"Massas in de Cold Cold Ground" "Nelly Bly,"
"Ellen Bayne," willie, We Have Missed You"
"Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair" and "Gen-
tie Annie"-he earned, according to Mr. How
ards elaborate calculations, S15O91 .OS-an aver
age Of s., 371.92
The story has often been told of how the
Suwannee river, small stream In Florida which
Stephen never saw, even knew Of came to
be immortalized In the "Old Folks at Home
His brother, Morrison Foster, told it first In his