Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 14, 1902, Image 31

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    Music and Arms at Bach's Old Church
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EXTEKIOlt OF THE CHUKCH WHERE THE MOTETTA IS SUNG.
A GERMAN REGIMENT GOING TO SERVICE IN BACH'S OLD CHURCH.
ill
IN THESE modern days of the
new world It is refreshing to feel
that one of the most powerful of
individuals living is strong In the
belief that It Is good for the soul
of man to go regularly to church. It Is
Insisted on by the kaiser of Germany that
each man in his great army shall appear
once a month at a klrche. In compliance,
therefore, with this order the men usually
go In a body and special times are set
apart for respective regiments, or parts
of regiments, when appropriate services
are held for them In the most Important
churches of their stations.
There is perhaps no ono of these serv
ices more Interesting than that which
takes place in the old Thomasklrche at
Lelpslc, world famous through its Identi
fication with Johann-Sebastian Bach.
This ancient church, a good example of
early Gothic, Is very spacious and of an
austere, uncompromising character. It
shelters at the 10 o'clock service held on
the first Sunday of every month something
over 2,000 men. This means naturally
that the galleries and seats are occupied
wholly by belted and sworded defendants
of the land.
That a woman should go to this service
Is an almost unheard of event, unless per
haps an officer high enough in rank to pur
sue his own will should choose to let a
sweetheart or even a sister share with him
his chief seat In the synagogue. Only a
short time ago, however, two American
women, with no other backing than a sil
ver piece and a smile for a good-natured
guard, were permitted to take seats In a
secluded corner and remain throughout
the impressive service. The filing of the
men in and out of the church, the system
and silence with which they sought their
places, were sights Interesting to see, but
what seemed more overpowering than any
other feature of the service was the
heavy, harmonious noise made by the
swords wheuever this large body of men
arose from their seats. It was like the
roar of distant, disturbed thunder. The
many strong voices raised In simple, tune
ful hymns and accompanied by wind In
struments created also an Impression long
to be remembe.ed. Happily, the guard had
not seen the camera under the arm of one of
the women. Furiher than this the accom
panying pictures speak louder than words.
In the history of music as well as arms
the Thomasklrche holds an Important
place. It was here that for many years
Johnnn-Sebastian Bach played the organ.
Here also he Instituted the motetta, the
Mending of voices In song without Instru-
mental aid. And here still every Saturday
at 1 o'clock the motetta Is rendered In
commemoration of the great composer.
On these days about thirty of the finest
voices In Germany can be listened to with
out entrance fee or demand of any sort.
Among them all a young voice soars
higher than that of any other boy's In the
world, excepting always the "pope's angel"
In Rome. Always tho Thomasklrche Is
crowded with the simple folk of Lelpslc
and the outlying country, eager to hear
the motetta. Housewives leave their du
ties, merchants their affairs and children
their play at tho first stroke of the bell
announcing the hour. Nowhere else In the
world, perhaps, can so prrxtalc-lnoklng an
audience be seen listening to such severely
classic music.
Alongside of the church is pointed out
to the stranger an old, quaint house. In
the fifth floor of which Bach made his
home and conceived the greater number of
his almost superhuman compositions. Ills
windows can be seen In the accompanying
photograph.
Such, Indeed, are few of the opportuni
ties and sentiments that enter Into the
lives of tho l.HOO American girls and men
now at inlying music In Lelpslc.
People in the Limelight of Publicity
5
u.ir. ui tue tiiiHiun uoys nave
I formed an Edward Everett Hale
imai- nun nuu. i uejr wuuifu uni
forms and got up a raffle to raise
the price. They asked Dr. Hals
to take )0 cents' worth of tickets. He
wrote back: "I do not like to subscribe to
what teems to me a lottery, but I imlose
$5 for the uniforms. I am much pleased
that you formed the club and that you gav
It my name."
Thomas Brae Kelt Reed, who is happier
now in the peaceful practice of law than
he was as speaker cf the house, has a vast
number of car oons dealing with himself,
but is particularly fond of one which he
has banging conspicuously In his library.
It was the first ever printed in which his
face and figure were portrayed. It ap-
"paied In Harper's Weekly some time in
the '70s, when he was a young man. Of It
he says: "When that cartoon appeared I
felt that I had 'at rived.' not at the summit
cf political success, of course, but that I
had at least reached the top of a foothill."
Prof. J. B. Smith, oiate entomologist of
New Jersey, has a fine grove of fruit trees
In the grounds of bis home in New Bruns
wick. With the view of preserving them
from caterpillars he doused them with a
new Insecticide. The other morning early
he saw some boys in one of his apple trees
and was horrified at the thought that the
lads might be poisoned. He turned In a
pellce ambulance call and then rushed into
the garden, half dressed as he was, catching
the toys before they could get away. To
bis great relief, be found that they had not
eaten any and was glad to let them scurry
away just a. the ambulance dashed up.
Someone was telling St. Clair McKelway
of Brooklyn that certain men should be
nominated for office "because the people
wanted them." McKelway asked: "How
do you know ihe people want them?" and.
not getting a satisfactory answer, told this
story: When Tllden was governor of New
York and was looming up as a presidential
candidate Henry Watterson visited blra sev
eral times, and after each visit would write
or say a great deal about the page of Gram
mercy I'ark. One day Daniel Manning re
monstrated with the governor about talking
so much to a newspaper man. "I am afraid,
Mr. Tliden, that your close acquaintance
and Intimacy with Watterson may result in
KOme of our plans leaking out." "Daniel,"
said Governor Tilden with a twinkle in bis
eye, "msybo Hfnry Is mort intimate with
me than I am with him." The pi litlclans
who heard Mr. McKelway's story looked
thought ul for a time and then changed the
FUbject.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General BrU
tow stands six feet four Inches in his stock
ings, but when seated shows little or no in
dication of his great stature. The other day
a country postmaster called to pay his
respects and found Mr. Bristow seated In
a low ulllce chair with his long legs stowed
out of sight. The rural visitor, a little
fellow, s epped up to the desk with out
stretched hand and Mr. Bristow proceeded
to untangle himself. He Is very deliberate
in his movements and as he slowly raised
himself to his feet the rurallte dropped his
hand and gasped: "Gocd Lord, Is he never
going to stop getting up?"
The one man Mark Twain ha stopped
having fun with is Colonel A. G. I'aine, re
lates the New Yorker. Mark, Colonel
I'aine, Thomas Brackett Reed and others
were members of a merry party on board
Henry H. Hogcrs' yacht not long since
In the arrangement of seats at the tabic
Mark Twain found himself opposite Colonel
I'aine. It struck him as being funny to
play deaf whenever the colonel was talking
and to demand more trumpetlike enuncia
tion. Finally, wearying of the repetition
of the cry, "Louder, louder," Colonel Palm
hit on an expedient to quiet the exuber
ance of Mark Twain's humor. He accord
ingly borrowed the yacht's megaphone,
which he concealed under the table at bit
elbow. The next time the funny man ut
tered the familiar warwhoop "Louder" th
colonel drew the megaphone from Its hid
ing place and yelled bis reply into It with
such force and effectiveness that the Joker
was nearly knocked out of his chair and
through the boat's side. Mark threw up
his hands and cried quite. He promised
hn would not be funny again on the trip
at least, not at the expense of Colonel
Paine.
On several occasions lately Conan Doyle,
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while walking in London, has been mistaken
for Lord Kitchener, much to the author's
embarrassment. Once he was nearly mol b d
by a yelling crowd of enthusiasts, who
cheered madly for "tho 'ero of south
liafrlca." By the way, It has seld m fallen
to the lot of man to reach affluence In a
literary career so early In life as has been
tho case with Sir Conan. He Is only 43,
rich, titled and popular.
Thomas O'Day. of Switzerland county.
Indiana, is one of the few survivors of the
famous charge of the English L ght Brigade
at Balaklava, on September 2.1, 18.14. In
that conflict. Immortalized by Tennyson,
Mr. O'Day was In the thickest of the fight,
but ho escaped with only a few slight
wounds. After tho battle the brigade was
reorganized, and w hen peace was declare I
it was transported to Gibraltar, and then to
Quebec, Canada, where Mr. O'Day was hon
orably discharged.
Admiral Jouett says that when he first
went to sea as a endet he attempted some
conversation with the executive officer
who received him when he went on board
The officer, one of the strictest disciplin
arians In the service, met his advances In
this mild fashion: "Silence, sir. Who
gave you permission to speak? Let ma
hear only six words from you, sir, while
you are on this ship: Port, starboard,
vps. sir, and no, sir."
J
I XWYERS AND REAL ESTATE MEN OF ALBION WHO CLAYRD BALL FOH THE H KSEFIT OF THE ITHU" LIBRARY
OF THAT TOWN Ihoto hv M.f.lll. Albion. Neb.
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