, in the person of James Harden, a colored boy from
Baltimore. He plays the guitar, and sings the most difficult
music, exceptionally well; and is also something of a
composer. He has received no instruction, but is most
emphatically a natural-born musician."

Louisville, Ky., shows its appreciation of music by organizing a
society devoted to the latter, numbering over a hundred persons. This
fact has attracted the attention of Brainard's "Musical World," which
journal, in the number for October, 1877, alludes to it as a bright
evidence of the dawn of better times in the South.

In St. Louis[17] live _Mrs. Georgetta Cox_ and _Miss Nellie
Banks_,--two ladies who have won golden opinions for their exhibition
of fine musical qualities. They are both excellent vocalists and
pianists.

[Footnote 17: St. Louis is placed in this section of the record
because the latter is devoted to such localities as before the war
were within slave territory.]

_Mr. L.W. Henderson_ as a vocalist, _Mr. Alfred White_ and _Mr. Samuel
Butler_ as vocalists and instrumentalists, all possess artistic
abilities of a fine order.

_Miss Johnson_ has attracted the attention and won the high praise of
competent judges for her proficiency in piano-forte performance.

_Mr. James P. Thomas_ is a finished violinist.

With such artists as the above mentioned, and others whose names I
have not learned, it will be seen that the city of St. Louis is not
behind in musical culture.

Helena, Ark., is fortunate in numbering among its citizens _George
H.W. Stewart_,--a gentleman of rare musical and general culture. He
was, I think, educated in Indiana, and received a diploma as a
graduate from a college of music located at Indianapolis. Mr.
Stewart's specialty as a performer is the piano, with which instrument
he finely interprets the best music of the masters. He has also a
soft yet powerful baritone-voice; and, as a singer, he has often
delighted private and public audiences.

_Miss Annie S. Wright_ of Memphis, Tenn., has few equals in that State
as a ready reader of music, or in the feeling and expression with
which she awakes the echoes of the piano-forte.

In Memphis there are several others possessing good ability as
instrumentalists.

No fears need be entertained that Nashville, Tenn., will not keep pace
with the advance of other cities in musical culture. The famous
Jubilee Singers of Fisk University, located near Nashville