an.'" We
are also informed that he was born of a cultured family, that his
inherited nobility of character has been carefully fostered by a
thorough education, and told that one finds in him the unusual
combination of genius wedded to sound common sense and practical
business capacity. His family moved to Colorado, Texas, while he was
still a lad and here his musical talent began to display itself. "The
inventive faculties of the small boy, and the innate harmony of the
musician, combined to improvise a crude instrument which emitted the
notes of the scale. Successful at drawing forth a concord of sweet
sounds, he continued to experiment upon everything which would emit
musical vibrations. (Even the pigs, I take it, did not escape.) He
consequently discovered the laws of vibrating chords before he had
mastered the intricacies of the multiplication table. Yet strange as
it may seem, his musical education was neglected. A four months'
course in piano instruction was interrupted and then resumed for two
months more. Upon this meagre foundation rested his subsequent
phenomenal progress." I pause to point out to the astonished and
breathless reader that even Mozart and Schubert, infant prodigies that
they were, received more training than this.

I continue to quote: "At the age of thirteen he joined The Colorado
(Texas) Cornet Band as a charter member. The youngest member of the
band, he soon outstripped his comrades by virtue of his superior
natural ability. His position was that of second tenor. Wearying of
the monotony of playing, he determined to venture on solo work. The
boy felt the impetus of restless power and the following incident
illustrates his remarkable originality. Taking the piano score of a
favourite melody he transposed it within the compass of the second
tenor. This feat evoked admiring applause because of his extreme youth
and untrained abilities. The band-master remarked that elderly and
experienced heads could hardly have accomplished this.

"From boyhood to manhood he has remained with the Colorado (Texas)
band as one of its most efficient members, composing in his leisure
moments, marches, ragtimes, waltzes, song and dance schottisches, etc.
Of his many meritorious compositions only one has so far been given to
the public:--_The West Texas Fair March_, composed for and dedicated
to the management of the West Texas Fair and Round-up. This
institution holds its annual meetings at Abilene, Texas. There