[Dixielandjazz] RE: Milneburg Joys from Pat Cooke

[Don Gumpert]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patrick Cooke" <pcooke at cox.net>
To: "Don Gumpert" <dongumpert at cox.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 6:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] RE: Milneburg Joys


> Sandy...you can forward this to the list if you like.
>
> One more time!.....
>       Alexander Milne owned most of the land at the shore of Lake
> Pontchartrain, and he built the resort (named Milneburg) on the shore of
the
> lake at the end of Elysian Fields Ave.  I wasn't around in 1830, but ever
> since I was a kid growing up in New Orleans (I was 6 in 1933), it was
> pronounced Mill-en-burg here in N.O.
>      Milne also donated money for a home for boys.  There is also a Milne
> home for girls.  Those are both pronounced Mill-ney.  There is also a
street
> named Milne, also pronounced Mill-ney.
>      New Orleans is a town that corrupts the pronunciation of many words,
> and they're not even consistent about it.  New Orleans (Or' lins) is in
> Orleans (Or-leens') parish, and there Orleans (also Or-leens') street.  I
> could cite a number of accepted
> (mis)pronunciations in this town that defy explanation.  Are they correct
> because of popular usage? Who's to say?  Even experts may not agree.
>       How the spelling Milenburg got on the sheet music is anybody's
> guess...as Ernie suggests, it's probably an error on the part of who
> transcribed the original chart and misspelled the title to sound like the
> 'accepted' pronunciation, or the publisher (obviously not a New Orleanian)
> made the error.
>       Although it is always written Milneburg,  I have NEVER, EVER heard
> ANYONE in New Orleans say "Mill-ney-burg".  When the tune is to be played,
> they simply call out "Mill'-en-burg".  They always have, and probably will
> as long as there's somebody who still knows it.  Call it Mill-ney-burg,
and
> everyone will know you're from out of town.  And just forget My'-len-burg
> altogether.  The fact that Milenburg is on the chart is
irrelevant....Nobody
> here reads it anyway....we all know it.
>       Pat
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Don Gumpert" <dongumpert at cox.net>
> To: "Patrick Cooke" <pcooke at cox.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 3:43 PM
> Subject: Fw: [Dixielandjazz] RE: Milneburg Joys
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Jim Marsh" <jimbanjo at telus.net>
> > To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2003 2:53 PM
> > Subject: [Dixielandjazz] RE: Milneburg Joys
> >
> >
> > Ernie Landes asked:
> >
> > >growing up in Milneburg.  Which brings up a question that our band
> > >argues about all the time.  What is the correct pronunciation of
> > >"Milneburg"?  Is it:
> > >1.  MILE-EN-burg
> > >2.  MILL-EN-burg
> > >3.  MILL-NE-burg
> > >4.  MILL-'N-burg
> >
> > In reference to the tune (not the town),  I have heard mostly #1 and
> > #3 used with an occasional #4, but who is to say which is correct?  I
> > suspect
> > that any sheet music will use the spelling Milenberg rather than
Milneburg
> > which to me would suggest #1.   Whether this spelling indicates
ignorance
> on
> > the part of the composers or publisher's error or perhaps legal
> > considerations
> > vis-à-vis using the name exactly as spelled I know not.  My copy uses
that
> > spelling, and shows credits to Walter Melrose, Leon Roppolo, Paul Mares
> and
> > Jelly Roll Morton,  possibly none of whom were that well educated.
> >
> > A brief history of Milneburg states:
> > ---------------------------------------->
> > The city of Milneburg, developed by Alexander Milne during the 1830's,
> near
> > Elysian Fields and the lake created new interest in the lake shore area.
> > Beginning in 1832 the Pontchartrain Railway (Smoky Mary) brought the
city
> > folks
> > to the lake to enjoy the camps and resorts.
> > ----------------------------------------->
> >
> > Now here's the hooker . . .  in my native UK I would call him
> > Alexander Miln . . as in "film".  Having said that, I just realised that
a
> > lot
> > of people say "fillum".  Here in Canada it is quite common to pronounce
> the
> > name Millen.  So I suppose the correct pronunciation would be whatever
> > Alexander was called in 1830.
> >
> > All of which has absolutely nothing at all to do with Milenberg Joys
> > does it?? :~}
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Jim Marsh
> > www.gdjb.com
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
> >
>
>