Music Trade Review
Issue: 1882 Vol. 5 N. 14 - Page 3
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VOL. V.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 20TH, 1882.
No. 14.
I have been, as you may readily see by the
above paragraph, to hear Oscar Wilde, and am
just a trifle lah-de-dah at present.
—OP A—
I always did like to pretend to be bric-a-brack-
MUSICAL JOURNALIST.
ish, and poetical, and literary; and the claims I
used to bring forward that I was a graduate of
BY JACOB C. F I
Oxford University, in England, afforded great
amusement,
I know, to such of my acquaintances
JACOB
C.
FR
D.
THIS SERIES OP ARTICLES HAS BEEN SECURED E X -
in
America
as
were college men themselves, and
To
Charles
Avery
Welles,
Editor
and
Proprietor
of
PRESSLY AND EXCLUSIVELY FOR T H E MU-
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVTEW, 864 were able to tell a college man when they
SICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW,
heard him converse. Of course, I could impose
Broadway.
AT IMMENSE EXPENSE.
P. S.—I have the honor to hand you herewith upon a few men who had only had a common-
school education. The smattering of knowledge
Introductory and General Remarks-—How We Se- the first installment of my "Confessions."
which I had picked up by skimming through a
cured These Articles.
few standard works filled them with amazement,
About two months ago, the musical community was THE ONLY TBUE CONFESSIONS OF A MUSICAL especially as 1 rattled it off with great effect and
JOURNALIST.
filled with amazement by reports which predicted the
in my most theatrical manner.
return to the scene of his former exploits of a man who
But with my poetic and {esthetic affectations,
No. I.
had better reasons to stay away from the musical pro- IT is a curious fact, that as I begin my confes- how terribly galling it was to me to come in con-
fession and the music trades than any man on the sions for THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, tact with the rank and file of those who supported
face of the earth.
another man, also calling himself a "Musical my old musical and music trade paper, you may,
As this man's connection with musical matters had Journalist," having the initials of his name like perhaps, imagine. A dozen persons have heard
given rise to great scandals, it was confidently expected, mine, having also, like me, been mixed up in cer- me time and again curse the ordinary common
when he announced thai he would publicly "confess" tain questionable transactions, and having been herd, that I Avas obliged to "work" continually for
his misdeeds, that tremendous revelations, inculpating obliged, like me, to leave town in a hurried man- filthy lucre, when I was trying to make a great
both himself and well-known parties, would be made. ner, should, like me, be striving, in the very scene strike, so that I could endeavor to curry favor
The public were disappointed, however; for not of his former operations, to attract attention to with what I was pleased to call a more "high-
only did he not "confess" his misdeeds, but he in- himself, by pretending that he will expose his toned" class of people.
dulged in suchamess of balderdash about himself and baseness to public view, thus endeavoring to
Of course, I see the folly of my scheme now, for
the purity of his designs, that people refused to read it traffic upon his own ill-fame.
the people in such a class as I aimed to attain to
after the first number or two.
I suppose this i8 what certain persons mean by are sophisticated, and my face and my manner
As Thackeray might say: Instead of being treated his great "ability."
would have completely given me away to them.
to Fr
d scored and grilled and devilled, they were I know little of this man beyond what I read in
By the way, let me describe to you how I used
served with a slice of cold Fr
d and currant jelly, your paper; yet I understand that, not only is he to turn this very disposition of mine to pose as a
not by any means an appetizing repast.
not admitting his own trickery and deception, but "cultured," imaginative man—soaring far away
The idea, though, was not a bad one, and THE MU- that he is laying the burden of all his individual beyond sordid cares—to account in connection
SICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, always alive to wrong-doing upon other people's shoulders.
with my old paper.
the value of good ideas, resolved that the public should
But let this pass. I only mention it in order to It is a trifling incident compared with others,
have what it craved, and so engaged another indi- set forth more distinctly the fact that, in my con- but it is good.
vidual, who has also given the music trades and fessions, I shall tell nothing but the truth; but it There were several parties, some musicians and
others good cause to remember him, to relate his ex- will be the whole truth, the naked truth, so far as some members of the music trades, with whom I
periences.
I know it; and if, at times, it happens to involve delighted to work my "conversation racquet."
The following correspondence will explain iteelf: other parties besides myself, that is their misfor-
(You will observe that I am high-toned in my
spelling—when I don't forget it—as in everything
From THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW to tune, not my fault.
The musicians and the music trades know me, else. I never spell "racquet" plainly racket—it
JACOB C. FR -D.
of course, but they know little or nothing of me is too common. I always write "cheque" instead
OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND
outside of my connection with them. They cared of check, as you unrefined Americans do. It is so
TRADE REVIEW, 864 Broadway.
NEW YORK CITY, February 1, 1882.
to know nothing of me. I did their dirty work much more effective, too. Suppose I write to a
SIR : Having just heard that you had returned for many of them—a great deal of dirty work, and man and say, "I have drawn upon you for $750,
to New York city, from which place you decamped the dirtiest kind of dirty work—which was what loan, and inclose my check for that amount dated
two weeks in advance," do you think that an ordi-
about two years ago, leaving an odorous reputa- they wanted of me.
tion behind you, I desire to say, that if you will That is why I have a strong hold upon some of nary business man would honor a draft which is
furnish this paper with a series of articles giving a them to this day—even some of those whom I so unbusinesslike and improper? But if I put on
a little pretense of style and dignity, and if I
full and accurate account of your career and your cheated and played the traitor with.
misdeeds, omittiug nothing, and excusing nothing, You see / am actually confessing, and do not know my man, are you aware, my very good Mr.
hesitate to apply opprobrious but just epithets to Editor, that the mere writing of the word "cheque"
you will be adequately remunerated.
instead of check, will greatly help to pull that
myself.
CHARLES AVERY WELLES,
They think, poor, unsophisticated souls, that $750 with astonishing ease and celerity? Of
Editor and Proprietor.
my operations have been limited to the field course, the game is played out now, but in the
To Jacob C. Fr
d.
in which they move, and some of the easy- old days I used to work it beautifully.)
From JACOB C. FR -D to THE MUSICAL CRITIC going ones have ascribed such of my disas- I see, by looking over my manuscript, that I am
trous adventures as have come to their narrow off the track, so I will return to the "conversation
AND TRADE REVIEW.
understandings, to a good-natured recklessness racquet."
NEW YORK CITY, February 2, 1882.
SIR: Your favor of the 1st inst. came to hand on my part, to an impressionable disposition I used to work it in this way: I would call on
this morning. I admit that at first it threw me which led me, like a gay and thoughtless little some young and very self-important man, and we
into a state of great perplexity. I need the remu- humming-bird, te sip from the ehalice of every would converse somewhat as follows:
neration, but am afraid that if I confess only a hun- flower of dissipation and enjoyment, until, by Myself—How do you do, my dear fellow? I
dredth part of what is on my mind, I shall be chance, I tasted a poisonous exudation which stole have just run in to see you for a few minutes.
obliged to leave for parts unknown at the earliest away my brains and left me at the mercy of great, Not on business, I assure you; I want to get rid of
designing men, and too, too utterly, all but, women. business, of the sordid cares and vexations of life;
opportunity.
THE ONLY TRUE CONFESSIONS
Still, I suppose I can write out certain install-
ments of my confession, and then, if the town be-
comes too hot for me, I can turn the rest over to
you, to be divided up as you think best, and I can
then gather up my skirts and make my way out of
this city with as much celerity as I have displayed
before, both here and in other countries.
VOL. V.
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 20TH, 1882.
No. 14.
I have been, as you may readily see by the
above paragraph, to hear Oscar Wilde, and am
just a trifle lah-de-dah at present.
—OP A—
I always did like to pretend to be bric-a-brack-
MUSICAL JOURNALIST.
ish, and poetical, and literary; and the claims I
used to bring forward that I was a graduate of
BY JACOB C. F I
Oxford University, in England, afforded great
amusement,
I know, to such of my acquaintances
JACOB
C.
FR
D.
THIS SERIES OP ARTICLES HAS BEEN SECURED E X -
in
America
as
were college men themselves, and
To
Charles
Avery
Welles,
Editor
and
Proprietor
of
PRESSLY AND EXCLUSIVELY FOR T H E MU-
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVTEW, 864 were able to tell a college man when they
SICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW,
heard him converse. Of course, I could impose
Broadway.
AT IMMENSE EXPENSE.
P. S.—I have the honor to hand you herewith upon a few men who had only had a common-
school education. The smattering of knowledge
Introductory and General Remarks-—How We Se- the first installment of my "Confessions."
which I had picked up by skimming through a
cured These Articles.
few standard works filled them with amazement,
About two months ago, the musical community was THE ONLY TBUE CONFESSIONS OF A MUSICAL especially as 1 rattled it off with great effect and
JOURNALIST.
filled with amazement by reports which predicted the
in my most theatrical manner.
return to the scene of his former exploits of a man who
But with my poetic and {esthetic affectations,
No. I.
had better reasons to stay away from the musical pro- IT is a curious fact, that as I begin my confes- how terribly galling it was to me to come in con-
fession and the music trades than any man on the sions for THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, tact with the rank and file of those who supported
face of the earth.
another man, also calling himself a "Musical my old musical and music trade paper, you may,
As this man's connection with musical matters had Journalist," having the initials of his name like perhaps, imagine. A dozen persons have heard
given rise to great scandals, it was confidently expected, mine, having also, like me, been mixed up in cer- me time and again curse the ordinary common
when he announced thai he would publicly "confess" tain questionable transactions, and having been herd, that I Avas obliged to "work" continually for
his misdeeds, that tremendous revelations, inculpating obliged, like me, to leave town in a hurried man- filthy lucre, when I was trying to make a great
both himself and well-known parties, would be made. ner, should, like me, be striving, in the very scene strike, so that I could endeavor to curry favor
The public were disappointed, however; for not of his former operations, to attract attention to with what I was pleased to call a more "high-
only did he not "confess" his misdeeds, but he in- himself, by pretending that he will expose his toned" class of people.
dulged in suchamess of balderdash about himself and baseness to public view, thus endeavoring to
Of course, I see the folly of my scheme now, for
the purity of his designs, that people refused to read it traffic upon his own ill-fame.
the people in such a class as I aimed to attain to
after the first number or two.
I suppose this i8 what certain persons mean by are sophisticated, and my face and my manner
As Thackeray might say: Instead of being treated his great "ability."
would have completely given me away to them.
to Fr
d scored and grilled and devilled, they were I know little of this man beyond what I read in
By the way, let me describe to you how I used
served with a slice of cold Fr
d and currant jelly, your paper; yet I understand that, not only is he to turn this very disposition of mine to pose as a
not by any means an appetizing repast.
not admitting his own trickery and deception, but "cultured," imaginative man—soaring far away
The idea, though, was not a bad one, and THE MU- that he is laying the burden of all his individual beyond sordid cares—to account in connection
SICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, always alive to wrong-doing upon other people's shoulders.
with my old paper.
the value of good ideas, resolved that the public should
But let this pass. I only mention it in order to It is a trifling incident compared with others,
have what it craved, and so engaged another indi- set forth more distinctly the fact that, in my con- but it is good.
vidual, who has also given the music trades and fessions, I shall tell nothing but the truth; but it There were several parties, some musicians and
others good cause to remember him, to relate his ex- will be the whole truth, the naked truth, so far as some members of the music trades, with whom I
periences.
I know it; and if, at times, it happens to involve delighted to work my "conversation racquet."
The following correspondence will explain iteelf: other parties besides myself, that is their misfor-
(You will observe that I am high-toned in my
spelling—when I don't forget it—as in everything
From THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW to tune, not my fault.
The musicians and the music trades know me, else. I never spell "racquet" plainly racket—it
JACOB C. FR -D.
of course, but they know little or nothing of me is too common. I always write "cheque" instead
OFFICE OF THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND
outside of my connection with them. They cared of check, as you unrefined Americans do. It is so
TRADE REVIEW, 864 Broadway.
NEW YORK CITY, February 1, 1882.
to know nothing of me. I did their dirty work much more effective, too. Suppose I write to a
SIR : Having just heard that you had returned for many of them—a great deal of dirty work, and man and say, "I have drawn upon you for $750,
to New York city, from which place you decamped the dirtiest kind of dirty work—which was what loan, and inclose my check for that amount dated
two weeks in advance," do you think that an ordi-
about two years ago, leaving an odorous reputa- they wanted of me.
tion behind you, I desire to say, that if you will That is why I have a strong hold upon some of nary business man would honor a draft which is
furnish this paper with a series of articles giving a them to this day—even some of those whom I so unbusinesslike and improper? But if I put on
a little pretense of style and dignity, and if I
full and accurate account of your career and your cheated and played the traitor with.
misdeeds, omittiug nothing, and excusing nothing, You see / am actually confessing, and do not know my man, are you aware, my very good Mr.
hesitate to apply opprobrious but just epithets to Editor, that the mere writing of the word "cheque"
you will be adequately remunerated.
instead of check, will greatly help to pull that
myself.
CHARLES AVERY WELLES,
They think, poor, unsophisticated souls, that $750 with astonishing ease and celerity? Of
Editor and Proprietor.
my operations have been limited to the field course, the game is played out now, but in the
To Jacob C. Fr
d.
in which they move, and some of the easy- old days I used to work it beautifully.)
From JACOB C. FR -D to THE MUSICAL CRITIC going ones have ascribed such of my disas- I see, by looking over my manuscript, that I am
trous adventures as have come to their narrow off the track, so I will return to the "conversation
AND TRADE REVIEW.
understandings, to a good-natured recklessness racquet."
NEW YORK CITY, February 2, 1882.
SIR: Your favor of the 1st inst. came to hand on my part, to an impressionable disposition I used to work it in this way: I would call on
this morning. I admit that at first it threw me which led me, like a gay and thoughtless little some young and very self-important man, and we
into a state of great perplexity. I need the remu- humming-bird, te sip from the ehalice of every would converse somewhat as follows:
neration, but am afraid that if I confess only a hun- flower of dissipation and enjoyment, until, by Myself—How do you do, my dear fellow? I
dredth part of what is on my mind, I shall be chance, I tasted a poisonous exudation which stole have just run in to see you for a few minutes.
obliged to leave for parts unknown at the earliest away my brains and left me at the mercy of great, Not on business, I assure you; I want to get rid of
designing men, and too, too utterly, all but, women. business, of the sordid cares and vexations of life;
opportunity.
THE ONLY TRUE CONFESSIONS
Still, I suppose I can write out certain install-
ments of my confession, and then, if the town be-
comes too hot for me, I can turn the rest over to
you, to be divided up as you think best, and I can
then gather up my skirts and make my way out of
this city with as much celerity as I have displayed
before, both here and in other countries.
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).