Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-06-12
The First PIANO in Illinois.

Judge Halliburton tells Laugahle story
about the first piano ever heard in Illinois: :
A Baltimore physician having removed
with his family, to settle near the Illinois river,
during the period Of emigration thither, with
his goods ard chattles slowed away in seven
large wagons, excited no little wonder and
conversation among the backwoodsmen on
their appearance in these far cit regions,
whose inhabitants had never seen the like
before
,'Glas5-this side up with care why
thought this ere feler was n doc or. What
on yearth is he going do with that box full of
winders 2
: This side up, with care, exclaimed another
'Fe's got his paragoric and lie spike fxins in
that. Won't he phySic them ugur fcilers
down on the riyer9'
IN the last wagon there was one large box,
and on it we're painted these words Piano
forte, keep dry, and handle carefully 1t re-
qurctl all the assistance of the bystanders, to
unload the box; and great 7,=s tho curosiy
excited. Panoiore' said tail yeiIow-haired,
feyer.aud ague youth. Wonder if he's
afeard Of tie iDjtnsT he cant scare them
with pine forte
Keep F-y,' spelt By large, raw-boned
looking; man, who was evidently a liberal pa
troI of old bald face He broke off at the
letter Y, with 'd-n yOur temperance carra-
turs; you needn't come round with your
tracts He was interrupted at this poin, by
a stout built bersonaSe, who cried out, He's
got his skeleton in thar, and he's ateurd to
give them likker for they'll break it ii lie
does 7 Handle carefully said man with
a red hunting shirt, aad the size of whose fists
was twice that Of an ordinary man. There's
some live Critter in that, don't you hear him
Groan + This was said rs the box struck the
ground and the conclusion cansed a vibration
OF the strings.
No sooner had all hands let go than the
doctor was beseiged by his neighbols to know
what was the meaning of the. word 'piano-
forte On his telling them it was n musiCa!
instrument, some reckoned it would take
tarnal sight of wind to blow it, others, that
ii would take lot of r!.el to make it GO
The doctor explained as well as he could, but
he could ohly get rid Of his nquisitive neigh.
bors by promising them q sight ut an early
DIR.
Three days elapsed, and
all was ready for the reception of the 'Yizters,'
and Miss L. was TO act rs first performer. The
doctor had but opened the door, and half
score Of men. was ready 10 enter. Some went
directly up 20 the instrument Crittur, rs It
Hal Deen Ci'ieo on account ot It's lpuF IeSS55@
some, more shy. remained close to the door;
while others who had never seen q carpet.
were observed walking round on a strip of
bare floor, lest, by stepping on the handsome
kaIiker,' they might spile 1t. The first tune
seemed to put the whole company into ecsta-
cies. The raw-Doned man, VINO was SO Tluch
opposed temperance tracts, pulled out flask
Of whisEey, and insisted that the ga!,' as he
called Eliss E., should drink. Another laid
down dime. and wanted that's worth ont Of
the forty pains. as the name had come to him
after travelling through five oT six pronuncia-
tions Another with broad grin on his fGce,
declared he wo'd give his 'ciain.' and all The
truck on 1t, if his 'darter' coOld have such
Cupboard The 'pine-forte' man suggested
that if that sort of music had been iu the
Black Hawk war, they would have sLceEed
the Injuns all holIer'
The result may be easily ANTICIPATED the ladies
were long tired of playing ere tbeiE vzteFs were
tired of bearing, The whole country for twelve
miles round, rang with the praise of DR.. AS cOs-
SAN the musical cupboard Patients in
crowds for advice, or a few agur pills. all deter
mined to appear in person, but uons Of whom would
leave without hearingthe forty palms. and the ply
sician, thanks to the 6rst piano forte in Illinois, be
came one Of the frs: men in the State"