* Slows ty rocks and rl er meine lB) i awe Foe Popa wy “if Olin Hall born By ELMO SCOTT WATSON = HIS year marks the centennial of one of our famous patriotic songs and since it was first sung in public on July 4, 1832, special attention was pald during our Fourth of July celebrations this year to honoring Rev, Samuel Fran- cis Smith, the man who wrote “America.” Although Francis Scott Key's “The Star Spangled Banner® has been officially adopted as the national anthem, “America” is the unofficial national anthem in that it is more sung by more Americans because it is easier for untrained voices to sing than is the widerang- ing melody of “The Star Spangled Banner™ Written originally for children's choirs, it was easy for the singing of “America” to become a traditional observance in our public schools and that is one reason why this unofficial national anthem Is more often heard throughout the land than the official one, In fact, it was the desire for a patriotic song which could be used in the schools which brought “America™ into existence. In 1831 Willlam C Woodbridge, a noted educator of New York, visited Germany's public schools, particularly for the purpose of bringing back any idea which might be adapted for use in the schools of the United States. He learned what every good German knows, that music had an Important place In the life of the people and In school life, as well, Consequently some of the school music books brought back by Mr. Woodbridge were passed along to Lowell Mason, a talented musician and pioneer in the introduction of mu- sic in the Boston public schools, jut Mr. Mason was not a student of German. Bo he sent the books to Samuel Francis Smith, a twenty-four-year-old theological student at Andover, a young man who had an extraordil- nary facility in languages. He was asked to make translations from the German, or to write new verses which could be set to the German musie. “On a dismal day in February, 1832, looking over one of these books, my attention was drawn to a tune which attracted me by Its sim- ple and natural movement and fs fitness for children's choirs,” wrote Doctor Smith many years later. “Glancing at the German words at the foot of the page, 1 saw that they were patriotic, and I was Instantly inspired to write a patriotie hyom of my own. “Seizing a scrap of waste paper, 1 began to write, and in half an hour, 1 think, the words stood upon it substantially as they are sung to- day. 1 did not share the regret of those who deem it an evil that the national tune of Britain and America is the same, On the contrary, I deem it a new and beautiful tie of union be- tween the mother and the daughter, one furnish. ing the music (if indeed it is really English) and the other the words. “I did not propose to write a national hymn. I did not think that I had done so. I laid the song aside, and nearly forgot that I had made it. Some weeks later 1 sent it to Mr. Mason, and on the following Fourth of July, much to my surprise, he brought it out at a children's celebration, where it was first sung in public. “When it was composed, I was profoundly impressed with the necessary relation between love of God and lové of country; and I rejoice if the expression of my own sentiments and convictions still finds an answering chord in the hearts of my countrymen.” The Fourth of July celebration to which he refers was held in Park Street church in Bos ton on July 4, 1832, where “America” was first sung in public by a children’s choir under the direction of Lowell Mason. History says that Edward Everett Hale was one of the children in that young choir; and a Smith family legend has it that one of the passersby who heard with profound admiration the song pouring out of the Park Street church was the girl who afterward became Mrs. Samuel Francis Smith, She was Miss Mary White of Haverhill, Mass, a schoolmate of Whittier, whom Smith married on September 16, 1834. “America” was first published in the Juvenile Lyre, a children's song book, which later, and in the face of much opposition to the Introdues tion of music into the schools, was adopted by them, The original manuscript is now treasured by the Harvard university library, to which It was bequeathed by Doctor Smith's son, Dr. D. A. W. Smith, on November 14, 1014. In accepting the gift W. C. Lane, the Harvard librarian, wrote, “This is one of the most precious bits of orig. fnal manuscript which any American library could desire to own.” The whole life of the author of “America” centered around Boston. He was born on Sheafe street In the north end of that city on October 21, 1808. As a boy he attended successively a “dame school,” the forerunner of the modern kindergarten; the Eliot school and the Boston Latin school, In all of which he showed unusual most often iy Newton Centre, Mass. POE BCID Spree Peres talent and won many medals for scholarship, At the age of seventeen years he entered Har vard college, with Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Freeman Clarke and Samuel May among his classmates. 0. W. Holmes wrote poems for their class reunions. In one of them, entitled “The Boys,” was a quatrain about Doctor Smith ; “And there's a nice youngster of excellent pith; Fate tried to conceal him by naming him Smith: But he shouted a song for the brave and the {ree Just read on his medal, "My country, of thee'™ While in college young Smith added to his income by tutoring, reporting and translating, the last eventually bringing him the chance to see those German songs. After he was grad uated from Harvard In 1820, he spent some time as a reporter, But the call to the ministry proved stronger than the call of journalism, and he pursued his studies in the seminary of Andover, There he wrote other hymns, religious In character. The best known of these is “The Morning Light Is Breaking,” and “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds" In his lifetime he wrote a total of 150 hymns, Smith was graduated from the seminary In 1832 and a short time later became pastor of the Baptist church In Waterville, Maine. He was also professor of modern languages in Wa. terville, later Colby college. Ten years later he was called to the church at Newton Centre, Mass, where he was pastor for 12 years. He was for six years editor of the Christian Re- view, Boston; and for 18 years edited the Mis- sionary Magazine, also preparing other literature for missionary distribution. This Involved trans. lating languages, of which he could read 12 or 13 easily. At the age of eighty-five years he vis. ited a daughter, bringing along a Russian gram. mar and a Russian Bible, delighted because he had begun to master a new tongue, Doctor Smith and his wife traveled extensive ly, later writing books on missions and one or two biographies. His son, D. A. W. Smith, be came president of a seminary In Rangoon, urma. In April, 1805, Doctor Smith was honored with a children's service one afternoon and an eve- ning meeting at which the governor of the commonwealth presided. Seven months later, on the train en route to preach at a little town In Massachusetts, Doctor Smith died peacefully while sitting beside a friend, Although some Americans object to “Amer fea” because it has the same tune as the Eng fish national anthem “God Save the King.” the fact is that the air Is not the air of England's national anthem alone. For Germany, Switzer. land and Denmark sing the familiar strains, as well as we who sing “America.” The first line of those German words at which Smith glanced after he had been attracted by the “simple and natural movement” of the music are “Heil dir im Blegeskranz.” Switzerland's national anthem begins, “Rufst du, mein Vaterland,” while the Danes sing, “Heil dir, dem Liebenden” There has been considerable dispute as to the origin of the alr and concerning this one authority, the Encyclopoedia Brittanica, says: “The most celebrated of all national anthems is the English ‘God, Bave the King' which is sald to have been first sung as his own com- position by Henry Carey In 1740; and a version was assigned by W. Chappell (Popular Music) to the Harmonia Anglicana of 1742 or 1743, but no copy exists and this is now doubted. “Words and music were printed in the Gen- tleman's Magazine for October, 1745, There has been much controversy as to the authorship, Samyel Francis Smith which Is complicated by the fact that earlier forms of the air and the words are recorded, Such are an ‘Ayre’ of 1619, attributed to John Bull, who has long been credited with the origin of the anthem: the Scottish carol. ‘Hemember, O Thou Man,’ In Ravenscroft's Melismata, 1011; the ballad “Franklin Is Fled "Away’' (printed 1660) : and a plece In Purcelle’'s Cholee Colleo tion for the Harpsichord (1608). The words or part of them are also found In various forms from the Sixteenth century, The discussed In tichard Clarke's Account of the National Anthem (1880), and has been reinvestigated by Dr. WW. H. Cum mings In his ‘God King' (1502). “Carey and Bull, in the musical historians, divide the credit: but in his "Minstrelsy of England’ (1001), Frank Kidson fntroduced a new James Oswald, a Scotsman who settled In London In 1742, and worked for John Simpson, the publisher of the question was Save the general claimant, became chamber composer to George III. What appears to be certain Is that 1745 Is the earliest date assignable to the substantial national an- them as we know it music had been evolved out of earlier forms, Bull's is the earliest form of the air; Carey's claim to the remodeling of the anthem rests on an unauthoritative tradition: and, on general Oswald 1s a sfrong candidate” “God Save the probabilities, As early as 1770 the tune of America by the Patriots during their struggle with the mother country. A “Dutch 10 verses written, as the records have it, by “a lady of The Hague,” was published In the Pennsylvania Packet at Philadelphia that year, as a tribute to sailors of American ships moored at Amsterdam. It began: God save the Thirteen States, Long rule the Thirteen States, God save our Slates! Make us victorious, Happy and glorious, No tyrants over us, God save our States! The original “America,” as written by Sam uel Smith, contained eight verses, but these four are rarely sung: Our glorious Land today, ‘Neath Education's sway, Soars upward still Its halls of learning fair, Whose bounties all may share, Behold them everywhere « On wale and hill Thy safeguard, Liberty, The school shall ever be; Our nation’s pride! No tyrant hand shall smite, While with encircling might All here are taught the Right With Truth allied. leneath Heaven's gracious will The stars of progress still Our course do sway; In unity sublime To broader heights we climb, Triumphant over Time God speeds our way, Grand birthright of our sires, Our altars and our fires Keep we still pure! Our starry flag unfurled, The hope of all the world, In Peace and Light impearied, God hold secure! It is said that Smith wrote “America” In less than half an hour and Doctor Tillett, in commenting upon it in “The Methodist Hymnal, Annotated,” says: “The author had not the remotest idea that the words he dashed off thus hurriedly would ever become a favor. ite with any lovers of music and song, much less become the national hymn of a great and growing nation. National hymns do not become such by virture of their loftiness of poetic thought and expression, but because they have in them that indefinable, simple something that gets Into the hearts of the peo. ple. Greater national songs than this have been written—hymns surpassing it in dignity and nobility of thought-—but It Is doubtful if we shall ever have In Ameripn a national hymn more popular. with the le than this” (@® by Western Newspaper Union.) he of Actual Value Extravagant Claims Made by Sellers Seldom Justified. By DR. H. HH. MITCHELL, Chief in An mal Nutrition, College of Agriculture, University of lllincis~WNU Bervice. Elaborate and mysterlons commer- celal devices which are being sold to farmers for saving feed by pre-digest- Ing or fermenting it are practically worthless, If a farmer accepts the extravagant elaims made for the pre-digestion or fermentation of feeds by these high- priced, secret-formula mixtures, he does so simply because it is easier to belleve than to Investigate, especially if it Is a case of believing what he hopes may be true, It Is true that one-half or more of the total nutrients in good farm ra- a8 indigestible material or as extra animal heat, but the devices which fire being offered the farmer haven't yet solved the problem of reducing this wastage. Nutrition laboratories have tested many methods of prepar- ing feeds. While improvements can be made in producing a plete digestion, the extras labor and more coome- tibility obtained. Elaborate equipment is being sold for the pre-digestion of feed for horses and cattle The use of i ment is claimed to make avings In feed bills, The feed Is thor. this eq and mixed render the feed much more digestible, Nor has the Inefficient pig been over. A number of mixtures are on which, when mixed with the feed and make it much more di- In the former case the “con. sald to contain enzymes which do the work, while in the latter case, the fermentation Is brought Unfortunately, neither the “convert. ers” nor the attack the woody material which Is of feed wastage. If these agents produce any considerable Yeasts can chemical change, it is simply a change in the starches and sugars of the feed, cuity In digesting, Sudan Grass Too Early Many inquiries with regard to the the year, says a writer In the Rural New-Yorker. This is an annual grass 8 quality, making a large Plant. ed too early, the stand is likely to be thin Nothing is seeding Sudan before the Sudan be ready to cut for the soll becomes warm or two or three To delay seeding until 40 pounds per bushel, are needed. In drills, 6 pounds will Concrete Mulch - The federal Department of Agrienl- ture has been conducting experiments with permanent mulches of conerete, fron, cinders, zine, aluminum and other substances which cover the ground except spots where plants are to grow. In the tests beans, peas, strawberries and other small fruit grew as well as with ordinary cunlti- vation. Rolls so covered since 1028 have continued productive. It is said that permanent mulch conserves moisture, controls weeds and warms the soll early. Drags in Small Stacks These are suggestions made by IR. B. Popes, Monona county, Towa, in Wallace's Farmer: In order to speed up the hay-mak- Ing and to save labor at such a busy time, we stack the hay In the fleld on a pole sled framework. By using buck rakes and a sweep stacker, it takes very little time to put the hay Into a stack. Each sled will hold four or five tons, Then, in the win. ter, drag the small haystack to the feed yard just as you pull a load on f wagon. Plant Disease-Free Potatoes The value of any potato for seed purposes depends upon its freedom from diseases such as spindle-tuber, mosaic, ete, Ordinarily seed which Is certified by any responsible agency has a very low disease content and be cause of this Is of superior value for seed purposes. Experiments have in. dicated that where the disease factor ean be eliminated, just as valuable seed can be produced under Irrigation as under any other cultural conditions, s«Nebraska Farmer. . Drink Their Fill Expert Advises Liberal Sup- ply for Animals. By P.T. ROBBING, live Blork Extension Bpecinilet, College of Agriculture, Uni» versity of lincoln. WNU Service Farmers can avold heavy death loss In their horses by giving them plenty to drink while they are at work in the field, and by pasturing them at night, This Is the plan used by many men who farm extensively and successful ly with horses, it is reported. Among these farmers are A. L. Robinson, Tazewell county ; Col, George & Christian county; Henry Moultrie county; Fred Balle county, and Chris Gerbe tian county. Colonel Seaman, who experience with thousands horses and mules in the pays that a hot horse ea whiter it starts right ahead with ti wards, His men took fields last summer during wenther and wa an hour from a ¥ BG work horses wi Ji wants withou the Value of Timothy Most of our timothy is cut for y after the the seed that low percentage stage, protein however, it is cut in earls carries 8 much higher percentag protein and begins to approact in that respect. For three years, the Olio has fed timo 1 yield is greatly hence is scarcely is cot reasonabl practical OWer er, early, the quality much better and the yield reduced lit- tie.—Wallace's Farmer, . War on Lice Lice on live stock cause consider annoyance and Joss to farmers, as the season advances the dam- caused by these pests becomes more and more serious, unless steps are taken to control them There are seven different kinds of lice which get thelr entire living from the blood and tissues of cattle, horses and hogs. All of these different lice are similar in construction and habits and can readily be eradicated by effective control measures A scientificall prepared animal spray is a valuabl stock ald, killing lice quickly with harm to the skin. A thorough spra) ing of the animals and their surround- ings every ten days soon destroys all lice The sprayed should be kept In well-sheltered quarters until they are dry.-— Indiana Farmer's Guide, stock Emergency Pastures Dry weather for two years has killed many seedings and made emer- gency pastures necessary in 1832 A mixture that has met with in the corn belt is composed of 10 pounds of sweet clover and four pounds of timothy sown with three to three and one-half bushels of early oats, On sour soils a mixture of five pounds red clover, three pounds of alsike and four pounds of timothy is & better one. The new seeding can be pastured lightly when the grain ls seven or eight Inches high. The seed- ing should have a chance to get a foothold and will make good feed throughout the season after the oats are gone—Prairie Farmer. Success Agricultural Notes Soybean oll meal produces firm pork, the same as tankage. » - ra Expensive weed eradication pro. grams will accomplish but little while farmers continue to use poor quality, ungraded seed, * * - Austrian field cress, one of Minne sota’'s dangerous new weed pests. re sembles horseradish. The roots are longer and more slender, the leaves smaller, - * - Teste at the Wisconsin experiment station Indicate that when lambs are fed cracked barley and alfalfa hay, it is wise to chop the alfalfa and mix It with the barley. . » - Hand picking as many as possible of the asparagus beetles will pay in lessening the crop of eggs and larvae CI When hay containing less protein than alfalfa Is fed, one should feed a protein concentrate with the corn or other grain, * "0 Alfalfa can be successfully pastured without damaging the stand if good Judgment Is used. It should never be pastured when the land is so wet that the tramping of the animals will pud. die the soil
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers