Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1875 — The Great American Whistler. [ARTICLE]

The Great American Whistler.

The person who whistles may always be sure of a warm reception in an editorial room. This order of music.is some in the United States of America that its incoming is invariably received with shouts of joj. If perchance the person can’t whistle he can at least sing. He can whistle, however. We are convinced that there is no person born of respectaTilo jinrentswho can’t whistle after a proper course of instruction. Iris an art, to be sure; but only so through cultivation. The genius is invariably there as a starting-point, and no young man need be in this country six months without being tolerably proficient. Weoften think of the ybung man who made his appearance in a Western editorial room one day whistling a lively air. The -Western editor said to him : “.Now, my young friend, you can do much better than that, you know. Let yourself out a little and don’t be bashful. We have nothing in the world to do but listen to you. Givens something from the • Bohemian Girl.’ ” He was a bright young man and he let himselt out accordingly. Then the Westl ern editor led him gently on to another I experiment, and then another, and then j another, and then another, like the man ;in the fable whose story was without i end, and the bright young man never faltered. It was getting rather late in the day and the Western editor began to get nervous. He said to himself, however: “I have set out to show- this young man that he is a bore and 1 shall persevere.” And he added encouragingly: “ Give us something regarding the old folks at home.”

Much practice had by this time made the bright young man versatile, and he wheeled without a break in his whistle, rendering the facts regarding the Suwannee Riyer with exceeding excellence. “ Now, then,” said the Western editor, again glancing at liis unfinished manuscript, thenrising-aftd walking the door briskly, “ suppose you give us that fin A extract from ‘ Norma.’ I see”—and he picked up a chair and bringing it nervously down upon the lloor shattered every piece of timber in it—“l see you are gaining every moment, my friend. I think in due season you‘will be the champion whistlerof the continent. Now give us ‘ Old Hundred’ by way of variety.” The bright young man again turned the current of his music without accident, and the grand old niece was entered upon. The Western editor resumed his walk, tearing his hair, and occasionally biting some new lead-pencils in two; but he preserved his temper. “Ah,” he said finally, picking up his table and inverting it on the floor, then butting his head against the wall for a few moments, and tnrning a somersault from pure nervousness, though still preserving his temper, “most extraordinary whistle; never heard anything like it. Suppose now you give us the occurrences relating to ‘ Molly Darling.’” The bright young man entered upon the piece with alacrity. “ Keep it up,” said the Western editor, casting a despairing look at his manu script? “Keep it "up, my dear young friend. Don’t mind my absence. Practice, practice—that leads to perfection. I have to go now, but go on with the music. By-bye." He took his coat from the hook and went but, pausing on the door-step to remark bitterly: “ And this—this is satire. It would have done with a book-canvasser or an insurance! agent. It would have answered the purpose, I am quite sure, with the devil himself. But not with the whistler—not with the great American whistler.” In the editorial room meanwhile the whistling went on; but finally the musician paused, looked around with a triumphant smile, and said hoarsely: “ And this is satire. Yes, 1 believe that’s what they call it. I expect I can whistle in peace next time.” — Rochester Democrat.