Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1881 — How a Young Amateur Musician Won His Honors. [ARTICLE]

How a Young Amateur Musician Won His Honors.

New York Mercury. “I think,” said a well-known orchestral leader, “the best joke ever played in Ban Francisco was on an ambitious amateurpianist when Gottschalk was there. The amateur’s father was the owner of a large hall, and he offered the use of it to Gottschalk for his benefit. There was to be a piece for eight pianos, and the amateur was to play on one of the instruments. I was leader. I thought Gottschalk would have a fit when I told him that the amateur couldn’t play three straight notes of the |pieee. ’He is sure to throw us all out.’ said I, ’and ruin the performance.’ ” ’’Gottschalk swore like a Major, but ’twas no good. The bills werdout,and he couldn’t go back on his programme even If the gift of the hall for the night was no consideration to him. At last 1 hit upon an idea that fixed the whole business. The amateur came down to we praised him up until he thought he waa to be the star of the’ night. As soon as he left we took the hammers out of his piano and made it as dumb as an Oyster. I guessed 'he would never know the difference with seven pianos going at once. And just as I thought,” said the leader, hammering on the table with his glass, “that amateur nor his friends never discovered the trick. He just sailed.in and pounded on that piano as if it was the worst enemy he ever had. He was bound to show off among h j many* food pianists, and hammered on bf« ; ey-board until the perspiration nearly blinded him. Now and then I looked at h-’ra approvingly to give him fresh courage, and every time I did he gave the piano a lick that nearly made match-wood tof It. His friends all around threw* bouquets at him till he looked like a*wedding-arch, and when ’twaß all over his fond parent fell on his neck in the green-room and slipped a cheok for $250 into his hand. The old man didn’t know whether he was standing on his head or heels, be was so tickled, and the way he set up the wine for the crowd was a caution. I never heard an amateur do so well in public. Don’t you think I did right?”