Article November 9, 1899 Issue

Music Wards off Fatigue

Philadelphia Record

A Philadelphia contractor, who has recently returned from the Sudan, tells of an interesting fact connected with the building by the English of the new military railroad in that region. With every gang of forty or fifty men are assigned two harpers and a flute player. Music is furnished almost continuously, and so long as the musicians play the workmen—nearly all Negroes—do not seem to feel the fatigue, and their movements are conformed as nearly as possible to the time of the music. As a general thing, the players get tired before the workmen do. To a white man the melody produced by these cheerers of labor would not be inspiring, for it is peculiarly plaintive. The Africans, however, find the music a great inspiration, and work with cheerfulness and dispatch. The Philadelphian declares that the idea is one well worth considering, for it is well known that colored laborers and stevedores along the river front will work harder and faster if permitted to sing. As a matter of fact, singing among them is encouraged.—Philadelphia Record.

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