Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-06-24

OratoriN by John Phenfx-A Train from
Pike County-A Night Attack Pancake
Aria-Grand Hymn and Chorus.

Aria Grand Hymn and Chorus.
The Cincinnati papers are poking fun at
| Wagner and his Emusic OF the future, oy
| reyiving that impressive oratorio, Inc
| Plains" by Mr.. John PhUnix, of California.
For breadth and depth and grasp OF subject
it is probably unequalled.
The symphony opens upon the wide ana
boundless plains, in longitude $50 degrees
west, longitude 80 degrees 81 minutes G3 sec
onds north, and about sixty miles from the
west bank of Pitt river. These cata are
beautifully and clearly expressed ny q long
geographically drawn note from + f1at
clarionet. The sandy nature OF the soil
sparsey dotted with lunches OF cactus, the
extended view flat and unbroken to the hori-
zon save by the rising smoke in the extreme
verge, denoting the vicinity Of Piute vii
lage, are represented by the bass drum. A
few notes on the picolo call the attention to a
solitary antelope, picking up the mescal beans
in the foreground. The sun having All alti-
tude of 81 degrees 27 minutes, blazcs down
upon the scene in indescrbable MA jesty.
Gradually the sounds roll forth in a song Of
rejoicing to the God of Day:
OF thy intensity
And great inlmensity
Now then sing:
EehOldiny in gratitude.
Thee in this intitrde,
Curious thing.
Which swel's out into ''Hey jim along, Jim
along Josey," then decresccnd0, mas 0 mcaos,
POGO pocito, dies away and dries up.
Suddenly we hear approaching train from
Pike county, consisting OF seven families,
with forty-six wagons, each drawn by thlr-
teen oxen Each family consists of a man in
butternut colored clothing, riding in the
wagon, holding butternut baby, and seven
teen butternut children running promiscu-
ously about the establishment; all are bare
footed, dusty, and smell unpleasantly. CAN
these circumstances are expressed by pretty
rapid fiddling for some minutes, winding up
with puff from the opheclide, played by an
intoxicated Teuton with AL atrocious breath
it is impossible to misunderstood the descrip-
! tion.)
Now rises Ger the plains in melitluous ac-
cents the grand Pike county chorus:
On, well soon be thar
III the land of gold.
Through the forest DID,
Ger the mounting cold,
With spirits bold
Oh, we come, we come,
And we'll soon be thar,
Gee up, BOlly! whoO hup, whOo haw.
The train now encamp. The unpacking
of the kettles and mess-pans, the uny0king OF
the oxen, the gathering about the various
camp-fres, the frizzling of the pork, are SO
clearly expressed by the music, that the most
untutored savage could readily comprehend
it. Indeed, so vivid and lifc-llke was the
representation that q lady sitting near US, in
voluntarily exclaimed, ''Ihar, that perks
burning" and it was truly interesting to
watch her face, when by few notes of the
guitar, the pan was removed from the fire,
and the blazing pork extinguished.
VI: r~no ,,nl 1,vyf f1,nh h0cv7 Sf,,1 ~
''Oh, marm, want pancake" followed by
the touching recitation, ''Shet up or I will
spank you: to which succeeds grand cres-
cendo movement representing the flight of
the child with the pancake, the pursuit of the
mother and the final arrest and punishment
of the former, represented by the rapid and
successive strokes of castanet. The turning
in for the night follows, and the deep and
stentorious breathing of the encampment is
we'll given by the bassoon, while the suffer-
ings and trials of an unhappy father with
fretful infant are touchingly set forth by the
cornet-a-piston.
Part Second.-The night attack of the
Piutes, the fearful cries of the demoniac Ind
ians, the shrieks of the females and children,
the rapid and effective fire of the rifles, the
stampede of the oxen, their recovery, and the
final repulse, the Piutes being routed after a
loss of thirty-six killed and wounded, while
the Pixies lost but one scalp from an old fel-
low who wore wig and lost it in the scutfle,
are faithfully given, and excite the most in
tense interest in the minds of the hearers;
the emotions of fear, admiration, and delight
succeeding each other in their minds with al
most painful rapidity. Then follows the
grand chorus:
Oh! we give them 1its,
The Injun Utahs,
With our six-sh0Oters-
We give em particular fts.
Morning succeeds. The sun rises magnif-
Gently (octavo flute)-breakfast is eaten in u
rapid movement on three sharps; the oxen
are caught and yoked up-with small drum
and triangle; and watches, purses, and other
valuables of the conquered Piutes are stored
away in a camp kettle, to small movement
on the piccolo, and the train moves on with
the grand chorus:
Well soon be thar,
Gee up, Bolly! Whoo hup! whoo haw.
The whole concludes with the grand hymn
and chorus:
When we die we'll 60 to Benton