Maple Leaf Rag to its publication, Joplin anticipated that the piece would be a success—he told Arthur Marshall that "The Maple Leaf will make me the king of ragtime composers". The exact circumstances which led to publication of the "Maple Leaf Rag" are unknown, and there are versions of the event which contradict each other. After approaching several publishers, Joplin signed a contract with John Stillwell Stark on August 10, 1899 for a $0.01 royalty on all sales of the rag, with a minimum sales price of $0.25. The "Maple Leaf Rag" was published between August 10 and September 20, 1899, when the
Maple Leaf Forever Guitars Maple Leaf Forever Guitars The Maple Leaf Forever Guitars refer to two Guitars, one acoustic and one electric, made from the tree that inspired Alexander Muir to write "The Maple Leaf Forever". The guitars are kept in a trust and are loaned to a different musician each year. In 1867 Alexander Muir, a Scottish immigrant, lived on Laing Street in Toronto , Ontario. Following Canada's confederation, a large maple tree on his street inspired Muir to write "The Maple Leaf Forever". The song was used as Canada's unofficial national anthem. In July 2013 a thunder storm destroyed the tree that