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(Centuries "Bejfore
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"Call It what you will, and 'rug
tlmo' Is as good aa any other noise,"
Bays Thomas Preaton Brooke. "Thla
'ragtime' existed conturlea before our
time, and It will go on for centurloa to
como after wo have been forgotten."
"Ragtime," Its origin, Its status, Its
merits and demerit, and its chances
for porpetuntlon have been worrying
musicians with long hair und the pub
lic having long purses over since a
popular song wrltor a few ycara ago
claimed to havo "Invented" its rhythm.
When a discriminating public for
public effect had jumped upon ragtime
and its popularity with the hoi pollol,
Bomo ono high in the musical world
carao forward In its defense, paying
that some of the world's famous coru
posura had used It in classic music;
that technically it was syncopation,
and under that nnmo was worthy place
In any composition. Yet still the long
haired musician and his followers are
not reconciled.
In tho Chicago Federation of Musi
cians thcro is a prospect of a split In
tho organization, leaving tho plnycrs
of tho classic on the ono sldo and the
ragtime champions on tho other. The
long-haired men nre refusing to a3so
ciato with tho ragtime men, and tho
situation is becoming acute.
At Denver Inst Juno tho American
Federation of Musicians at its annual
convention passed a resolution con
demning ragtime and recommending
that its members ccaao playing It In
like measure the Dancing Teachers' as
sociation of Amorlca and the National
Music Teachers' association nro de
clared ngalnst it and pledged to dls
courago the uso of ragtlmo in ovefry
manner possible.
Dut against all of thla, Brooke's Chi
cago Marine Band at tho Cincinnati
.Zoological Gardcna last season gavo
12'yC3r"TiJM
"ragtlmo concerts" every Wednesday
evening, and in splto of Cincinnati's
reputation as a musical city, theso con
certo drew from 12.000 to 15,000 peoplo
to thorn every ovenlng. At these con
certs tho best elements of Cincinnati's
population were there, doubling tho at
tendance at Waguer nnd Symphony
conccrtB. At tho Buffalo Exposition
and In every other city in tho United
Stntes and Canada where Brooko's
"band has played, 90 per cent of tho re
quests for music havo been for tho
rag-tlmo selections.
Mr. Brooke's standing ns a compo
ser of popular music has given him a
-voice to bo heard on tho subject. Es
pecially la his opinion valuable when
It is considered that not ono bnr of
ragtlmo music occurs In his composi
tions, and that while ho does not de
fend It, ho makes It plain that ragtime
music 1b with tho peoplo for all tlmo.
Mrs. James L. Blair, a society leader
of St. Louis, declared In a public ad
dress last spring that tho Missouri me
tropolis la" a "ragtlmo" city, and In tho
following talk tho bandmaster agrees
with her as to all cities being In tho
category.
"Ragtlmo," said Mr. Brooko, "Is now
tho mo3t generally mooted of all
themes among musicians, but why
fti3r: -LJbJL
i l"r '' 'V
Ragtime B
J M J
6j jy eiy. j
g IrtULOLANP- MJfcs.
Mu$ic KjcMfed
Ms drummed tn lha
Aaa of pharaoh.
Ms yVcMW In the
cfoyi jy" Washington..
i5 e modorti
m
- . i
iUD
such a subject should threaten to dis
rupt tho Chicago Federation of Musi
cians Is rather difllcult to nuclei stand
when considered from an Intelligent
and unprejudiced standpoint.
"During the last year thero havo
been published countless articles on
ragtime, written by prominent musi
cians, teachers, and critics, many of
whom hud something to say nbout who
"discovered" or "Invented" It. Rag-
tlm wns not discovered or Invented by
anyone. Darwin-'' says 'music was
known and understood before words
were spoken,' and I believe that rag
tlmo existed In tho lower animals long
before the advent of man. It Is sim
ply rhythm, or intensified rhythm, and
I havo frequently observed unlmala
keeping time to music having a strong,
marked rhythm.
"Rhythm Is tho skeleton on which
all music la hung, and If you will strip
the so-called modern ragtime of its
- r'
melodies you will havo tho music that
lias been in voguo since the beginning
of tlmo and thnt still la the only music
of many of tho heathen races. It Is
tho 'Jubor,' buck, and wing dances of
tho old plantation darky, and no moro
inspiring ragtlmo waa ever played thnn
that which he patted with his hands,
shullled with his feet, or plunked on
his rudely constructed banjo.
"All the oldtlmo 'fiddlers' were rng
tlmo performers. Tho backwoods
"
&.1
t&$m Js urn
sCL fAm
-sm JJL1 K
f.-'AteWi
Our Time,
player who pat perched on n barrel
In u comer at u 'corn-husklng beo,
who held his Ilddlu at his elbow and
his how nt hnlf-must, played the 'Ar
knnnnw Traveler' and 'Up Duck Creek'
In a ftylo that would put to shuine
innny of tho fellows who claim to havo
originated what they nro pleased to
call 'ragtime.'
"Drummcra have played nothing but
ragtime since tho Invention of tho
drum. Tho buss drum la now used
only to punetunto or omphnslzo tho
heavy beat! or pulse of the music, but
In the oilglnal 'sheepskin band' that
ha? furnished martial music for our
soldiers In times of war for centuries
tho bass drummer used n Btlek In each
hnnd and helped out the ragtime
rhythm of the Biinio drum.
"Who hns not stood on n curbstone,
watching n passing parade, and noticed
how wearily the men tn lino plodded
along to the monotonous 1 11-2-3 of
tho bass drum? But when tho snnre
drums broke Into their merry ragtime
beats of 'tat-t tat-a-tat' how the
marchera Immediately braced up and
walked with n buoyant, elastic ntcp?
"According to good authority tho
sense of rhythm 1b greater by 1)3 per
cent thnn either tho senso of harmony
or melody. Consequently, any march
with a strong rhythmic accent, or a
ragtlmo bong with Its tntcnsillcd
rhythm, appeals more Intensely to
greater mankind.
"I havo often been asked 'Why do
you play so much ragtlmo at your
concerts?' and I always reply thnt rag
time music la what la most demanded,
and that my mission Is to please not
to educate the masses. It Is not n
crlmo to acknowledge that you enjoy
ragtlmo. All the old masters wrote
ragtime, and thnt great poet nnd wiz
ard of harmony, Richard Wagner, wns
a pastmnstcr nt It. It Is a well-known
fact that the themes for many of our
most popular ragtlmo songs were
taken bodily from his oporas.
"1 have always delighted In strong
contrasts from the subllmo to the rl-
BAGTrME
dlculous, If you like nnd I lnvnrlably
follow "Tanntmuscr" or "Leonore"
ovortures with some littlo street song
melody or rngtlmo march. It frequent
ly hnppena that two persons will sit
bide by sldo nt ono of my concerts, ono
a lover of 'high-class' music tho other
with a desire only for the rngtlmo
piece. By bringing the extremes in
close contrast the grand old overtures
soem grander and tho street song
sweeter nnd more entrancing.
"Why should any conductor refuse
to play music which causes so much
harmless pleasuro?
"Ragtime is not a fad, ns many havo
declared, and it will not 'die out.' It
pleases tho Clod-given sonso of rhythm
nnd will enduro nu long as tho world
shall stand. Call It what you will
ragtlmo Is aa good as any other name
It existed centuries before our tlmo
and It will go on for centuries to como
after wo have been forgotten."
Unknown Language!.
Tho aborigines of tho Mnlabar Is
lands employ . a perfect whistling
langungc, by means of which they can
communlcato with each other over
long distances. A stranger wandering
over tho Islands is frequently surprised
to hear from tho hilltop tho sound of
loud whistling, which Is quickly re
peated on tho next hill, and so Is
carried from summit to summit, until
it dies away In tho distnnco. But per
naps tho most curious moans of com
munication in tho world Is tho drum
Innguage of tho Congo tribe. Theso
queer peoplo can talk to each other
with largo drums made of bamboo
hoops, over which tho skin of somo
nnlmal Is stretched. Tho drum, how
over, Is used only on Importunt oc
casions. Tlmo will not make tho great man,
but ho cannot bo mndo without It.
Baotime m
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RUSSIAN RAILWAY ACOIDENTS
III I Htlll Avtirngmt Tirclo it llnjr, with
I.3SH Killed niul a,X0l Injured,
Tho Russian inllwaya havo nlwnys
had an evil reputation for the great
number of accidents, fatal and other
wise, annually icoorded against them
Judging ft out Koine statistics Just Is
sued by the ministry of ways und com
munication!!, this unenviable notoriety
would appear to be more or lcs3 well
dcaon ed.
The latent compiled data are for
18!!. In which year there were -1.11"
accidents, that la, on an average, a
little mote than twelve per diem. Of
this total 1 1102 were derailments, 7i".0
collisions und 'J.:i:!r of arlous other
descilptlona. The derailments resulted
In twenty-one deaths and 172 eases
of set lous personal Injury; tho dam
ages inclined by those accidents were
D52.SIH rubles. The colllMons were re
sponsible for nineteen deaths, 2uS enact
of acrloua Injury, nnd damage to the
nntouut of WO.UOO tubles. other acci
dents resulted In the deaths of 1,1 IU
persons nnd 2.CU3 cpses of personal In
jury. Railway accidents unconnected
with passenger tratllc were responsible
for thirty deaths nnd It.SGO eases ol
personal Injury. Altogether 1.22tJ per
aons worn killed and (!,y'J3 Injured.
During the twelve months under re
view thero were not so-called serious
railway accidents In England. If tlu
trnins, ordlnury nnd express, In Rus
sla wero run at anything like tin
speed which obtains on EukIIhIi am
French HncB, snya a Ixindon Htandnrc
correspondent, tho number of fatall
tics would bo nt least tenfold greater
more especially in cases of derailmen
and collision. Rnllway traveling It
Russia la proverbially slow, but bj
no means sure.
DELICIOUS NEW FRUIT.
It In Called Damlitirll, anil Tiiitn I.lki
1'oach FlitTored ultli l'lnt)iiipln.
Tho newest product of uclentlllc gar
dening la the dumbbell fruit. It te
semblea a Siamese twin peach ami
tastes like a peach tlavorcd with pine
apple. It is said to be delicious fat
surpassing any known fruit In tho del.
lcacy of Its tlavor.
Thero 1b a romance connected with
tho story of its cultivation. In tho
year 1886 a scientist named Jeffreys,
embittered by an unfortunate love af
fair, turned his bnck on civilization
and, with a Clngalcso servant, madn
his homo on a small Island 1.0UQ
mllea aouth of Ceylon. Here ho re
mained until his death, In 1SUS, occu
pying himself with scientific studies
and the cultivation of fruit trees. In
grafting nnd other methods ho pro
duced several curious varieties, his
most astonishing success being the
dumbbell fruit.
After tho death of Mr. Jeffreys the
natlvo servnnt took a few (samples ot
the now fruit nnd set sail In a trading
vessel for Bombay. Tho merchants to
whom ho showed his specimens at once
formed a syndlcato nnd havo since
been diligently cultivating the planta
tions. Sovornl ship loads havo been sold In
tho seaport cltlea of Australia and In
dia, and tho syndlcato Is making prop
nratlons to meet an enormous demand
next senson. In London, whoro tho
dumbboll fruit hag nppearcd this sea
son in small quantities, it has mot
with much favor from thoso fortunato
enough to obtain it. A suburban con
fectioner who concocted a now drink
with tho Julco of tho fruit did a thriv
ing business.
HE FELT BETTER.,
r-
IlocaoM He Hd Cut llld of the CaaM
of DUtartmnce.
Bishop WllllnmB of Connecticut used
to tell tho following Btory of tho late
Dr. Ducachet: "Ono Sunday morning
Dr. Ducachot arose feeling wretched.
After n futile attempt to eat break
fast ho-callod an old and favorite col
ored servant to him nnd said: 'Sam,
go around und tell Simmons (tho sex
ton) to post a notice on the church
door that I am too ill to preach to
day.' " 'Now, massa,' said Sam, 'don't you
gib up dat way. Just gib him a trial;
you get 'long all right'
Tho argument went on and resulted
In tho minister starting off. Service
over, ho returned to his nouso, look
ing much brighter.
" 'How you feel, massa?' Bald Sam,
as ho oponed tho door.
" 'Better; much better, Sam. I am
glad I took your advice.'
"'I knew it; I know it,' said the
darky, grinning until overy tooth was
In ovidenco. 'I knew you feol bettor
when you git dat sermon out o' your
system.' "New York Tribune.
Albert and Victoria.
Queen Victoria has set down In her
Journal her feelings after her wed
ding. "Oh, how I feel for my dearest,
precious husband at this moment," sho
wroto. "Father, brother, friends, coun
tryall ha3 he left for me. God grant
that 1 may bo tho happy person, the
most happy person, to mako this dear
est, blossed being happy and content
ed! What Is In my power to mako
him I will do," Tho proceedings in
parliament on tho ovo of tho marrlago
were not such as to mako Prlnco Al
bert happy, nnd the queon's Journal
records her Indignation at tho courso
events took in tho Hotiso of CommoiiB.
A long nnd heated discussion took
plnco on tho proposal to grant ?2GO,000
u year to tho prince, and ultimately
tho grant was limited to $150,000.
Prlnco Albert learned of theso things
on his wny to England and complained
bitterly In n lottor to tho queen. "All
I havo to say," ho concludod, "la that
whllo I possess your lovo they cannot
mako mo unhappy,"
'Will Da.s,z.le .Society
Silver Qvicon of UlaK" Picons Social Cam
paijn in Washington.
Thomas F. Walsh, the owner of the
Camp Bird mine In Colorado and fa
moon as (ho most mtinlllceut enter
tainer In tho world, lias a light on his
hands that promises to keep him ex
ceedingly busy during I ho next few
years. Ilia supremacy na an enter
tainer In being dlr.puted by a woman
who hns quite an much wealth nt her
disposal us ho und who la quite lavish
.-$
Vf-AA-M
f V
&'
?f A
bum
9 -v S V
nu
"
in her uso of It. Thla woman Is none
other than Mrs. Emcry-llolmea, known
everywhere aa "the silver queen of
Utah" because her wealth comes from
tho silver mines of that state, which
are tho richest In the world.
A resident of Salt Lake City, Mrs.
EmcP'-llolmea baa not yet made her
debut In Washington society, but Ib
rredltcd with the Intention ot doing
so at tin early date nnd to outshine so
cially uny ot the personages known
there for ninny years.
Both the rivals families have mil
lions to tho extent of twenty or thirty.
Both were poor und amassed this
wealth
Mrs, Edwin F. Holmes, formerly
Mrs. Susanna Bransford Emery, la ouo
of tho owners of tho famous Silver
King mine of Utah. Sho la tho pos
sessor of the Amelia palace built by
BrlRham Young for tho ono wife who
ruled him nnd who would not bo
herded with tho rest. She has n his
tory thnt la romantic. Sho la hnnd
some and tihe la not Ignorant of tho ef
fect that the glamour of her wealth
has.
Wnshlngtonlnns havo been somewhat
staggered by somo of tho superlatively
wcnlth-burdened peoplo from the west.
Tho Walshes of Colorado wero most
truly Kingly in tucir entertainments.
Piles of glittering dollars aro cer
tainly elements In these new century
days that are truly IrrcslBtlble. Mrs.
Emery-holmes Is not nvcrso to trying
tho gamut. Her millions will not bo
a small factor. Her daughter, Mlsa
Emery, will bo an excellent ally, for
she Is pretty and engaging In manner.
It is Jirnt possible that n few staid
folk In Washington may object to Mrs.
Holmes Installing herself as a queen of
society, for this western woman baa
everything In this world that money
can buy except family Uncngo to back
her. Sho was a milliner, but tho most
garrulous and most envious in Utah
cannot say that they were not good
hats and bonuotB her deft lingers
made.
The "silver queen" of Utah set tho
Btylo In those early days qulto as well
as sho has ordained for herself to do at
tho prcsont day In Washington. The
Indies woro then deforentlnl, for her
taste waa acclaimed tho beHt ner crea
tions entirely too chic, too n la Parl
slcnno, to be cast asldo ruthlessly.
Her early lite has had much of the
athctlc clement in it. iiow, with all
ty ana luxury that surround
Iter her family sho has not for
gotten ,nhcllng to tho name of old
"Dick" Enfc her first husband, who
laid the foMatIon for her wealth.
They climbed ether up tho ladder of
hard work and pWotlon until they
both landed on the ifokpund of riches.
Then, with tho culnuBon ot the
great bucccss, "Dick"
For a long whllo aft ,nick" d(cd
tho widow was Inconsolable. Hc grief
moderated enough to listen to
H
H,
'DicK eA-MTRYirOUH
of Cupid tho second time w
C. W. Holmes, a wealthy Ictr
wIMi Inlornstn In Utah, laid h
nnd fortune nt her feet. Tlunemory
ot "Dick" Emery wns njivto oe oo
lltcratcd, and Col. Holmes agfeed to
allow a littlo hyphen to be tho con
necting bar between his name and that
of tho widow. So It reads, -'Mrs.
Emery-Holmes."
They get along qulto comfortably.
Both brought ready-made families Into
tho union, and tho assimilation Is all
that could bo desired, though tho
Holmeses Insist that Detroit Is their
residence. Tho Emery mombers nro
loyal to tho Mormon city.
Hundreds of tourists passing through
Salt Lnko City every year will recall
Amolla palace. In tho early dnys it
waa tho finest vcsldenco between the
"river" and the Pnclllo const. Poor
old "Brig" had ouch n tlmo with hla
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fitful fnvntltc In this mansion! Stories
of various kinds are told of his effort!
to placate her when she was seized
with her capilclotia spells.
Tho house baa been well built, nt its
solidity attests to-day. Col. and Mrs,
Holmes purchnKcd It Inst summer ami
It has been thoroughly relltted In the
moat cxqulslto manner. Tho l.oula
XV. parlor and music-room havo walls
of old rose brocade. Interesting brlc-n-brae
from all over tho world llll n gold
carved cnblnct. Tho piano In tho nut-ulc-room
la In cream nnd gold. Tho
oriental room tranaporta to tho rich
splendor ot homes In the far east. Tho
dining room is gothlc and tho wall la
In gold leaf ovcrlnld with green nnd
dull bluo luster. Tho cutest thing of
all la the tower-room, Hero, secluded
from ovcryono, ouo can chouse from'
nil the latest hooks, rccllno on the
most restful divan and read or look
out on nnturo for mllci nnd enjoy,
without Interruption, a communion
that Is most Inviting, with tho Biipcrb
view.
Washington must hold great attrac
tions to lend tho mistress of such n
homo to Its doors.
In tho handsome faco ot tho "sllvoi
queen" there Is determination und tho
llrm mouth has not weakened with
years. Purpose nnd decision will help
her In her campaign at tho nntlon'3
cnpltal. It Is probable that Mr.
Holmca will remain nt homo, cither,
at Salt Lake City or Detroit, till Mrs,
Holmes has won somo of hor social
battles. He la not, however, nvcrso
to society and Is cnpablo of holding hla
own with Its brightest leaders, pro
vided ho is allowed a littlo tlmo in
which to brush oft somo of tho crudl-
DRA.VVJNC
tics of tho west ho has acquired and
burnish his naturally shrewd and
Btiavo manner.
How Fait FUli Can Hulm.
Fow of us have an accurato Idea of
tho rate at which fish swim. When wo
suy thnt a person la "as fast as a por
polso," wo hardly assoclato a quick
rate of swimming with that Individual,
yet porpoises havo been seen to dart
round and round a steamer travollng
sovcutceu miles an hour.
Tho dolphin may bo placed on a
level with tho porpolao, but tho bonlto
haB occasionally been known to ap
proach forty mllea for short distances.
Herrings, in shonla, movo steadily
nt a rato of between ten nud twelvo
mllea; mnckcral swim much faster,
ami both trout und salmon go nt a
rapid paco when swimming up a stream
for spawning.
Capture AlmoU Certain.
During tho past thirty years thero
havo been sixty-six escapes from Sing
Sing, and ot this number but ton havo
novor been recaptured; six moro wor.
at largo for many years, two of tho
six being retaken only after fifteen
years' absence; nine othora wero gono
for from six months to two years;
four wero killed outright; throe wero
severely wounded and recaptured; ono
came bnck voluntarily and politely re
quested tho prlvllcgo of, serving bis
full term, and tho romnllrtng twenty
nlno .wero gono but a few hours.
The Sorrow! of the Young.
It was at tho dinner table. The
mother was talking ot a woman who
hnd died, when tho 7-year-old daughter
TWe; DRA.VVJNQ. rooavT
nut this aucsMon to her youueor slater M
suited with tho late Senator Davis of
Minnesota about tho mattor. "I think
it would bo a splondld uppolntment,"
said Mr. Davis. "I am a living wit
ness of Joe Wheeler's grit and per
sistence. During tho Civil War ha
chased me llko the devil through five
6tat03."
TrlU Age of Forcelalu.
A French scientist claims ho can fix
tho ago of porcelain vases by testlpg
them with magnets. Tho Iron In clay
Is magnetized in tho direction of tba
compass nccdlo, nnd this direction U
fixed when tho clay Is baked. Know
ing tho "dip" and "declination" of th
noedlo nt various times in past centu
ries, tho ago of vnsc3 may bo computed.