Maturity Journal - April 2021 Issue

As for the many songs he wrote,
it is just as well that most of them
remain forgotten, not so much due
to their sentimentality as to their
overt racism. A certain genre of song
was popular in the latter 1800s and
into the early 20th century; there’s
no merit in mentioning the name of
that genre, but Dresser contributed
his fair share of songs.
Soon after the success of “On the
Banks of the Wabash, Far Away,”
Dresser became an active partner in
the Howley, Haviland and Company
music publishers; heretofore he had
been a silent partner. The company
was renamed Howley, Haviland
and Dresser with the idea that his
name would invite other successful
songwriters to sign with them. This
prompted a move to New York.
But one day he was in Chicago
on business when a very young and
beautiful blonde-haired woman
Maturity Journal
asked to see him. She was from Ohio,
she said, but was born and spent
her early childhood in Evansville.
Her father was an engineer for the
Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad.
Perhaps Paul remembered him. His
name was Kerlin.
Remembered him? He certainly
did! Paul said he was a young kid
selling newspapers on the train to
help make ends meet for his family.
People used to make fun of him
because of his size, but his father was
always kind to him.
The girl, whose name was Lulu,
told Paul that after the family left
Evansville her father was killed in
a train wreck in Ohio. Greatly saddened,
Paul told her he was sorry
to hear that. Was there anything he
could do for her?
Lulu said, as a matter of fact, that
she wanted some advice. She said
she was told that she had a lovely
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Paul Dresser dedicated this song to a
girl he never met until after the fact.
singing voice and decided to go into
show business. Paul thought for a
few minutes and then made a phone
call. He scheduled Lulu for a show
he was involved with in Chicago but
used her given first name — Louise
— and told her to use Dresser as her
last name. He would tell people she
was his sister. And that’s how Louise
Dresser, who became a beloved star
of the musical stage and, later, an
excellent character actress in silent
and talking movies, got her start. In
1927 Louise was one of the three
actresses nominated for Best Actress
in the first Academy Awards.
Paul Dresser’s lifestyle and circumstances
finally caught up with
him as the 20th century entered its
fifth year. With the new century
came a new type of American music
with uptempo, syncopated rhythm.
Suddenly ragtime, or jazz, was all the
rage. Suddenly Paul Dresser’s sentimental
music was old-fashioned.
Paul left Howley, Haviland and
Dresser. His music no longer sold
Continued page 6
Page 4 april 2021