Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1889 — THE PROGRESS IN MUSIC. [ARTICLE]

THE PROGRESS IN MUSIC.

An Instrument of Some Kind in Every Home, i K Indianapolis Journal. The growth of musical culture in this country, in the past twenty yew®,., has been as rapid as that of art or industry. The grade or class of music has not only been advanced, but the general musical education has been brought out as a necessary branch of one’s aevelopmentintellectually. There are few children, who enjoy the benefits of the public schools, that can not sing the do-ra-me, aud underetandingly, and while many of them do not become proficient, either as aingejs or instrumentalists. they can listen to a musical number and appreciate it. The language of the lines and spaces is as familiar to. those whose education has been commend d within the past decade as that of any other study. The luxuries of the past have became the necessities of today in the line of musical instuments. Pianos, which were only possessed by the wealthy or well-to-do, are now consideied an article of household furniture which none but the very poorest can do without, but churches and Sunday schools have them as their only voice accompaniment. Lodges are furnished with pianos and organs, and in many of these places large sums of money are spent for handsome pine organs, and skilled organists and singers furnish music for the rites of the societies. The dancing master who taught the art of Terpsichore to the scrape of a

violin, meanwnile performing the steps for his class, has now a piano in his hall, and an accomplished player, who, to the airs of the latest music, keeps time for the dancers. The attractions of the saloon are increased by the presence of a musical instrument, played upon by some one whose forte or ambition aspires to no higher plane. The piano ha 3 been the most popular instrument, probably, for two reasons. First, that it requires the least effort to produce ".sound, and next because it is always ready for the player, not requiring tuning or adjustment as most instruments do before using. The question of its not being in tune, always, does not strike the non-sensitive ear possessed of no particular cultivation of sounds, and often the listener will enjoy a piece, well played, even on a piano badlv out of tune, when exactly the same tones from a violin would almost produce a nervous chill. The feltcovered hammers of the piauo falling on the wires soften and harmonize a discordant vibration as tlie hairs of a how cannot. The study of the piano is so general that it is estimated that there are nearly, if not quite, 100 persons in this city ana vicinity who make all or part of their living teaching this instrument. They range from the master who can command from $1.50 to $2 an hour for instruction, to the pupil’s pupil, who will give an hour lesson for 25c. Some of these latter prices are asked by teachers who, by giving a few lessons each vfceek, can earn enough to pay for instruction for themselves. In the large Eastern and a few Western cities, like Chicago, Cincinnati. St. Louis or Denver, there are teachers who ask some $5 or |6 for half or three-quarter-hour lessons, but Ipdianapolis teachers have never been able to get more than $1.56 for piano or $2.5 i for voice teaching. Jt is d.ubtful if any one is capable of taking instruction enough, even in an hour, to recompense them for an outlay of $5 or $6: but, like many other things, the price is regulated by the law of supply and demand. It is not the high or even the moderately high-priced teachers that are the most numerous however. It is the teacher who asks 50c a lesson or will give three lessons for sl. Some of this lattei class will have from ten to twenty pupils. A few of these are entirely dependent upon their own exertions, but the majority will be found to be young women who have hemes and desire to earn some money on their own account. Besides these two classes there is one, which is small, indeed, and belongs only co the femenine teachers. They are those who have to teach, v and so with the first ambition to make a name and position, and the matter of dollars and cents is secondary. tiVith men it is other lines of business. They expect to make it their life work, -hut with women it is more often simply a transition from school girl do-nothingness to wifehood, when the burden of expense will be borne by some one else.

The violin is rapidly becoming a popu•lar instrument of music. While it baa always been a favorite, it is only within recent years that so many young children have been initiated into its intricacies. It is called the only perfect instrument, because of .the perfection of tone which may be brought from it. It takes the bow in the hands of a skilled violinist to secure this perfection, however, for in the hands untrained it is ah instrument of torture to those within hearing distance. The makers of musical instruments are almost as numetous as the sellers, for nearly every dealer has one named for him or for the firm. There are factories where pianos are made, and any one can have any name pat upon them. The standard makes will alwaysiiold their own and command good prices, and it is' 6nly the cheaper mqkes that bear the names comparatively unknown. The manufacture of new makes is increasing all

the tifnq, and musicians are looking for Some great improvement, hut what the improvement will be future years will have to determine. > ?

•Captain Isaao Bassett. Captain Bassett, the veteran doorkeeper of the United States Senators the oldest officer in the public service. He and his good wife have celebrated the fiftieth anniversary oi their wedding. Captain Isaac Bassett is the oldest officer in contiduous service in the employ of the government. He is 69 years ot age, and has Bpent fifty-seven of those years in the employ of the Senate. He entered the service of the body as a page, receiving his first appointment upon the. recommendation of Daniel Webster. His figure is better known in the Senate chamber than that of other individual- He is a hale and hearty man, erect as an Indian and as active as many men who have not half his years. He rarely misses a session. He is the first to enter the chamber every day and the last to leave. The desks and chairs are religiously guarded by him. He knows the history of each and can leH who have occupied each particular chair and desk for the past half century. He will not, however, impart this information to any one. He has private marks on desks and chairs that are registered in a book into whose pages none are permitted to look. Whether the Captain will permit this knowledge to be communicated to those who may follow him is uncertain. The vandal relec hunter is what horrifies the Captain. He would prefey to see the desks of Cass. Calhoun, Clay; Webster, and other great statesmen who have preceded and followed them, burned m the Capitol park, than mutilated in the chamber.- These desks are built of the best mahogany and of uniform pattern. Every desk made for the Senate since the establishment of the seat of government at Washington is still performing service. The same is true of most of the chairs. A few of the latter were broken down with heavy service. and, as they were beyond repair, were reluctantly removed by the veteran Bassett. The pohderous David Davis crushed one of them. Bassett had a special chair made for Davis, but the big Senator would sometimes, in wandering about the cnamber, seat himsel in a fellow Senator’s chair. After hes had crushed through one of these and was forced to “assume the floor” in a very undignified manner,he was particularly careful about d#p jsiting himself and looked well to the strength of the chair before sitting dow%. Captain Bassett’s place is at the left of the presiding officer, and he i 3 always there. When communications are presented from the House or from the President, the Clerk of the former or Secretary of the latter are formally introduced to the presiding officer by the doorkeeper. This is a duty which Captain Bassett reserves for himself, and thousands who have from time to time visited the Senate galleries will doubtless recall the tall and erect figure of the gray-haired man who 6tood under the clock at the south of the main entrance to the Senate chamber and who, bowing with a genuflection that marks the devotee, exclaimed in a loud tone: “A message from the President of the United States.”

Hereditary. Elopements. Louisville Commercial. ‘•f dm not prepared to gay whether marriage in general is a failure, but runaway marriages certainly are in one sense,” said an old physician yesterday. ‘‘They are a success in being imitated by several generations that follow. Many years ago an elopement was a matter of great public interest, and was usually accompanied by some thrilling incidents, such as a pursuit by the angry father and poßsii.lv a pitched battle between the young man and the girl’s male relatives. In this way some ofj the oldtime runaway matches were' impressed on my mind. You would be surprised if I were to show you the record of the descendants of Jkome of these gay old couples. It seems to be a family trait in many instances, and the mania runs through several generations. I know one gentleman who never has forgiven one of his children for- eloping, and yet he ran off with his bride thirty years ago, and there have been three or four similar escapades in the same family. His descendants will keep on running until the mania wears itself cut. Tt seems hereditary, and the children can no more help running Away than they can help looking like their parents.” y