The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-02-12
THE ARKANsAs TRAVELLER.

A burleSQue tune, known aS AAo
Arkansas Traveller" is exceeding pop
ular in the West and South, and orig
mated from the incidents of the fol-
lowing story-which are exact as re-
lated by the author of the tune and
story, COL S. G. Faulkner, of Arkansas:
In the earlier days of the Territory
of Arkansas, when the settlements
were few and far between, an adven-
turous traveller from one of the old
States, while traversing the swamps of
that portion of the country, gets lost,
on cold rainy day, in the Autumn OF
the year. After wandering till even
ing, and despairing of finding habi-
tation, while searching for place to
camp, he strikes trail which seems
to lead somewhere, and also hears in
that direction the noise of fiddle.
Accordingly he takes the trail, and
soon discovers ahead of him, rising
above the timber, light column OF
smoke, which he knows comes from the
cabin of squatter. AS he approaches
he finds it to be log cabin, ten logs
high and about ten feet square-one
side being rooted, and the other only
half covered with boards. He also
sees the proprietor seated on an old
whisky-barrel near the door, sheltered
by few boards which project from the
caves, playing a tune, or, rather, the
first snatch of tune, on an old fiddle.
After surveying the habitation and
surrounding of "cotton-head' children,
the traveller rides up to see if he can
getlodgings, and the following dialogue
ensues, the hoosier, however, still con-
tinuing to play the same part over and
over again, only stopping to give short,
Indifferent replies to the travellers
queries:
Traveler-"Good morning, sir
Souatter-"How dye do, sir!'
Il. Can | get to stay all night with
you?"
S. mo, sir"
T. Cant you give me a glass Of
something to drink? l am very wet
and cold
S. 81 drank the last drop this morn
ing"
T. | am very hungry; amt had a
thing to eat today. Will you let me
have something to eat?"
s. Haven't a darncd thing in the
house"
T. Then can't you give my horse
something's
S. Got nothing to feed him on"
Il. GLOW far is it to the next house,
S. stranger, don't know; I've
never been there
7. "Well, where does this road go
to-"
S. ats never been anywhere since
| lived here; it's always here when |
get up in the morning"
T. "As am not likely to get to
any other house tonight, can't you let
me sleep in yours, and I'll tie my horse
to tree and do without anything to
eat or drink
/ S. "My house leaks; there's only
one dry spot in it. and me and Sal
sleeps on that"
"Why don't you finish covering
your house and stop the leaks?"
/ S. '1ts raining
| T. "Well, why don't you do it when
it is not raining?'
! S. at don't leak then"
T. "Wcll, if you have nothing to
eat or drink in your house, and nothing
alive about your place but children,
how do you do here, anyhow
S. "Putty we'll, thank you. How
dye do yourself?'
T. (After trying in vain all sorts
Of ways to extract some satisfactory
information from him)-"My friend
why don't you play the whole of that
tuner"
i S. (Stops playing, and looks up FOL
the first time -"I did not know that
there was any more to it. Can you
, play the fiddle, strange"
T. II play a little, sometimes"
J, S. "You don't look much like a fid
dler (handing him the fiddle.) Will
you play the balance Of that tune?"
The traveller gets down and plays
] that tune.
s. stranger come in! Take hall
/, dozen chairs and sit down. Sal, go