Evening star., 1939-08-27
Foster Made
Numerous
Melodies
His Contributions
Listed at Head
Of Folk Works
By John Claeen Proctor.

w
passed, If he could, to prohibit the
playing of ragtime and swing music
over the air and to prevent the
singing of suggestive songs, such as
we only too often hear. And yet, on
the other hand, when We stop to
think the matter over it has been
the radio, and the radio only, that
has revived ever so many Of the songs
of yesteryear-the same old songs
the same old-timer once loved to
sing or listen to.
Perhaps a song that will touch
q tender and sympathetic chord is
Florence Percy's affecting poem, set
to music by Ernest Leslie a year
before the Civil War, entitled Rock
Me to Sleep Mother" and contain
ing such endearing lines as:
"Clasped to your heart in a loving
embrace
With your light lashes just sweeping
my face,
Never hereafter to wake or to weep;
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me
to sleep!"
For, after all, nothing appeals
more to the human emotion than
does a song of mothers, or the
songs that mother used to sing.
Known Through World.
OF course, Stephen c. Foster was
the ideal composer of American
folk songs and probably, no one
will ever take his place. He made
his melodies known and loved
throughout the world. His music
has placed him among the i'm
mortals and has won for him a
niche in Americas Hall of Fame.
On July 4, 1926, John Adams
second President of the United
States. and Thomas Jefferson, for
mer President and author of the
Declaration of Independence, died
and God sent us, Stephen Collins
Foster to write for us his beautiful
and appealing music.
Foster was born at Lawrenceville
now a part of Pittsburgh, Pa, on
independence Day, 1926. His father
was a prosperous merchant of Irish
descent, and at one time Mayor of
Pittsburgh. Stephen was early sent
to school in Tawanda and afterWard
to Athens, Pa, and later to Jeffer-
son College at Cannonsburg, in that
same State.
He early gave evidence of mu
sical capacity of no common order
At 7 years of age he learned to play
the flageolet. At 13 he made his
first attempt at composition, the
"Tiogo Waltz" which he did not
think worthy of preserving, fol-
lowed by the music to Sadly to
Mine Heart Appealing" At the age
of 16 he wrote the song, "Open Thy
Lattice, Love-" At II he went to
Cincinnati and entered the count
ing room of his brother, where he
continued for nearly three years
his spare hours being still devoted
to his favorite pursuit.
Song Competition.
While there, Mr.. Andrews OF
Pittsburgh offered a silver cup for
the best original Negro song. Nor
rison Foster, brother, urged
Stephen to become competitor for
the prize. Stephen disliked to ap-
pear under such circumstances but
finally yielded and in due time for
warded a melody entitled, Way
Down South Whar de Corn Grows
When the night for the rendering
of the compositions arrived and the
various pieces were played the au-
dience expressed by applause de-
cided preference for Fosters melody,
but the committee decided in IA
vor of some one else. However, the
next morning the accompanist, a
Mr.. Kneass, appreciating the merit
OF the song, made application for a
copyright in his own name as au-
thor but was prevented from doing
so by Morris Foster, who happened
around.
Returning to Pittsburgh, he wrote
Louisiana Belle" which became
immediately popular. Uncle Ned
was written in 1847, followed by
"Oh Susannah!" for which he re-
ceived $100, and which started him
on his professional career as a song
writer. In all he wrote upward
of $50 songs. Nellie Was Lady
appeared in 1849. my Old Kentucky
Home" In 1850, "Massa's in de Cold
Cold Ground" 1852; 20 Boys Garry
Me Long" 1858; Hard Times Come
Again No More" 1854; "Way Down
South" and % Lemuel," 1858: "Old
Black joe" 1860, and Don't Bet
Your Money on the Shanghai" 1861
His songs were immensely popular
and his income from royalties con-
siderable. "Old Folks at Home,
or "Suwanee River" as it is usually
called, was his best seller. From
this he received 5000, and up to
30 years ago 100000 copies had been
sold. Two of his most popular songs
today are "Jeanie With the Light
Brown Hair" and Come Where My
Love Lies Dreaming"
Inspiration of Song.
The incident that is said to have
inspired Foster to write "Old Folks
at Home" occurred in this way:
When Foster was once passing
through Kentucky, and while the
stagecoach was stopped at way
side inn to permit the horses to be
changed, he stood near, watching
the operation with some degree OF
interest The Negroes moved lazily
making no great degree of haste
in performing their duty, talking
meanwhile in the manner and dia-
1ect peculiar to themselves at the
time.
Finally one, deploring his hard
lot, said: 81 wish I were back with
the old folks at home"
Where was that?" asked another,
and the first rejoined, ",Xay down
upon the Suwanee RivUR.e
The novelty of the expressions
caught the quick ear of the poet
He recognized in the theme they
suggested an appropriate subject
for a song, and that evening when
he reached his destination wrote
both words and music.
w. Il l.