J.F. MARTINFDALE.
It is probably not known, except to those who take some interest in an
author's personal history beyond the small amount necessary to an
understanding of his productions, that the little village of Greeley, in Delaware
county, is the
home of one of America's most famous song-writers, and talented vocalists, J.
F. Martindale, better known in theatrical
circles and to the song-loving world by the nom de plume
and stage name of "Frank Howard."
Mr.
Martindale is a son of one of Delaware county's early
settlers and a man who for many years was one of her most highly
esteemed, Rev. John Matindale, of the Deciples, or Christian church. He is also a brother of David Martindale of
Delaware county, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this volume, and should the reader feel interested in the ancestral
history of the subject of this notice reference may be had
to that sketch for such facts as he may
wish to know.
J. F.
Martindale, of whom we here write, is a native of the town of Buchanan, Marion county, Michigan, and was born March
7, 1851.
That same year his father moved to Iowa, settling in the vicinity of the
present village of Greeley, Delaware county,
and there the childhood and youth of our subject were passed. His mother dying in Michigan when he was but seven days old, and
his father marrying again about two years later, the guardianship and early
training of the boy were committed to the care of his
step-mother, assisted also by his father, who was always extremely watchful of
the welfare of his children. Young
Martindale's boyhood and youth were spent on the farm, and did not differ in
any material respects from those of the average farm-boy. His educational advantages were good for the
time and locality where he lived, and he also received some
instructions in the high-schools at Eldora in this state after passing
from the public schools of Greeley.
He was a musician
from infancy. Although he
never took a music lesson in his life, his father being opposed to the children
receiving any musical training, Mr. Martindale says that he cannot remember
the day when he could not read music and sing correctly according to the books. As.he grew his
musical ideas and sentimental feelings began to take form, and before he
had reached his majority
he had given expression to these in
verse and song. The
story of his earlier efforts is
that of the bright lad, with a talent, who first delights his friends and
companions with his gifts, rises from that into
local notice, and
then, by a "happy hit"
or two, darts at once into fame.
"Baby's Kiss," written in 1878, was his first offering to the
public, and met with some favor. This
was followed by "Still Far from Me," which served to strengthen the
good impression made by the former production. Then, in 1882, appeared “Pansy
Blossom." Everybody sang that, and the author's success became assured.
Later followed "When the Robins Nest Again," and then came, in rapid
succession, "I'll Await My Love," "Sweet Alpine Roses,"
"Howard's Cradle Song," "Sweet Heather Bells," "The
Springtime and Robins Have Come," "Veneta,"
"A Faded Pansy," " The Sailor Boy's Return," "Two
Little Ragged Urchins," "Only Blue Bells," and many others of
less popularity. Two others of his earlier successes were the "Song of
the Cobbler " and "Only a Dear Little
Flower."
In 1872 Mr.
Martindale went to Chicago, and for two years sang in the Coliseum
theater, of which he was also treasurer during most
of the time. In 1874 he signed with Happy Cal Wagner, and was with that popular
fun-maker four seasons. At the end of the time he joined the Barlow, Wilson, Primrose & West Ministrel combination, and was with it three seasons. It
was during his engagement with this company that he brought out and sang for
one season the popular song, "When the Leaves Begin to Turn." His next
engagement was with Thatcher, Primrose & West, with whom he traveled three
years. It was while with this employ that he composed, sang, and subsequently
published, "Pansy Blossom." Following his engagement with Thatcher, Primrose
& West he went for two seasons with McNish,
Johnson & Slavin. Going to New York city at the end of that time, he was one
season with Dockstader, Twenty-ninth street and Broadway. Then, in 1887, he
returned to Iowa and remained at home for a year. In 1888 he took out
a farce comedy of his own, entitled "Three Blind Mice," which he made
a tour with for one season, but which did not prove a success financially.
Retiring from the stage at that time, Mr. Martindale has since lived quietly at
his old home in Greeley, giving his attention to farming on
a small scale and to the breeding and developing of trotting horses on a
somewhat extensive scale. He is quite as much in love with his new calling as with
his old, and so far has been quite as successful. He owns a farm of two hundred
acres adjoining the town site of Greeley, which is well improved, and his splendid
stud of thorough-bred horses contains some notable purse-winners and promising
roadsters. He owns two fine sons of "Happy Medium," Membrino Medium 55-95, records 2.28 1/2; "Saxony" by same sire. He also owns
two sons of Nut Wood,—Nut Coal and Nut Coke, both standard bred. His brood
mares are all of the Hambletonian and Membrino breed. We should expect to find in a man who has
embalmed in immortal song-verse some of the sweetest and tenderest
feelings of the human heart, one who is passionately fond of his home and
family, one who has a keen appreciation of "the native feelings
story" and "guiltless ways" assigned by Burns as the work of the
true poet, and so we do in the case of Mr. Martindale. His home life is as
happy as his public career has been prosperous. A wife and two babies, aged one and five, bring to him more pleasure than
all the plaudits of an admiring continent. He married April
26, 1882, his
choice for a life companion falling on a young lady residing then in Clinton, Mo., Miss Jolena
Barlow who, however, is a native of Burwick, Ill., being a daughter of John and Ellen
Barlow; natives, the father of Ohio and the mother of Illinois. Mrs. Martindale is the only child
of her parents and they are spending their closing years in her household. To Mr. and Mrs. Martindale have been born three children, only two
of whom, however, as we have said, are living. Their eldest, Paul Robin,
born October 22, 1883, died August 25,
1884 Their other two are Hugh B., born August
19, 1885
and John H., born November 20, 1889.
It would
probably not be any exaggeration to say that no song writer in America has met with the success that Mr.
Martindale has. It is certainly doing no violence to truth to say that no man
ever bore his success, in whatever line attained, with the modesty and sturdy
good sense with which he bears his. He has sung for the millions and they,
quick to recognize his genius, have showered their praises on his name. And yet
the same spiritual insight, the same simple tastes, that enabled him to
perceive the excellences that lay around him and clothe them with the language
of feeling and understanding for the millions, constantly send him back to the
green fields, the brown woods, the unclouded skies of his Western home, where
in the modest retirement of his farm he finds at last his best enjoyments, as
from the wealth of nature, amidst which he lives, he draws his chief
inspirations.
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