Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-02-14
Musical PerfOFmaH ~ ON the g Harp
OF ThOusAEH Efrfnga


| OF q Th0usaEd Strinss.''
! They axe held weekly, and we are In
formed that some eight hundred persons
attend the performances every week. The
music is made upon sharp of thousand
strings" 1t is i grand old harp, made ac-
cording to the models of those used in
Billingsgate, Five Points and Pike County,
.'some fifty years ago." The "old veter-
am of the quill and pastepOt is delighted,
yes, perfectly fascinated with it.
He says that, while it has all the wierd
plaintiyeness and responsiveness of a
stringed instrument, it has all the force
and pathos of an (personal) organ.
1t is very extensive instrument. as may
be readily inferred from its name-a harp
of thousand strings-and it has the nice
popularity of always being in perfect tune.
Again, the strings all chord-that is, they
are all made from one cord and are all in
one key-the key Of B fiat, which means,
as a matter of course, that any tune can
be played on it, provided it is on this key,
or any modification of this key; for in
u,
Bud-Viol, Brand, Brag, Bluff, Billy-horse
Blind, Slippery Bill, BANDS Bill, ETC.,
can all be played with equal ease and IA
cility. 1t is certainly a most wonderful
instrument, and the old veteran OF ''thirty
odd years experience" no less Won
derful performer. Everybody is perfect
ly delighted with the performances,
while their admiration of the old harpest
is akin to worship itself. 1t is even ru-
mored that the old musician has hundreds
of orders in advance for his finger-soiled
and dilapidated sheet-music, for shrouds !;
that he is engaged to play at the funerals
of his patrons on the key of B 90,
wrap the flag around me, boys; to die is
far more sweet" etc.
The report, that his audiences have be-
come weary, sick and Disguised by turns,
and have wished, as many times as there
are strings to his harp, that tie old mono
maniac, with his harp, were securely To-
Gated in the center of place which mod
ern thcologians have discovered does not
exist, is entirely erroneous ard was no
doubt, started by evil-disposed persons
having no music in their souls. There is
no use in Disgusting the fact that almost
everybody is nearly tickled to death with
the performances.
The ''old veteran" may be called an IT.
repressible harpist, if not star performer.
Trle. he does not always display the best
Of taste, but what he lacks in taste. he
Efskes up in enthusiasm; in fact, he has a
perfect passion and good (sized ear for
music. But what matters it to him that
there are few tunes that he can play, so
long as he is so good at transposition. He
can play everything to the same tune, for
that matter, by transposing it into his IA
vorite key-B flat.
1t has been matter of surprise to many
how the ''old veteran could keep up the
entertainment for so many long years
without a change Of programme, but the
assurances from appreciative audiences that
he is CONSTANT? receiving, would give in
spiration to an Egyptian mummy.
1t really seems too bad that the old man
should be compelled to play SO necessarily
in his old age. The fates have evidently
dealt hard with him, for. notwithstanding
his unparalleled success, he is poor and I'M
happy.
1t matters not to him. however, for.
stimulated by his noble calling-that of
contributing to the happiness of others
he is determined to play it out on that line.
| TO . 70 do To
that he has been at it ''all his life long,
has had abundant opportunities and I'M
limited practice, and knows he can get
away with the harp-"The harp of a thou
sand strfnys."
He has tried almost everything else and
failed, anu he reasons Of himself, substan-
TALLY as the boy did of his dog. He knew
that his dog must be a good coon-dog, be-
cause he was worthless for any other pur-
pose. Besides, the old mans intentions
are evidently good and he means to co the
square thing with the boys. He promised
change of programme, without solicita-
ton, even went so far as to publish some
of the leading features and great attrac-
tons of the new play-the overtures and
the interludes, of course. were we'll under
stood. The new programme read about
as follows:
1st.-" Great Gladtorial Show at the
(hard) Times Office next week."
2d.-''Tremendous unearthing Of villany
and fraud, accompanied by young Earth
quake. at the Editorial 'Sanc'-tomb next
week.
3d.-"Great branding fete Of Spanish
cattle by a Mexican Greaser, at the Lean
der Amphitheatre next week.
4th.-''Magnificent display of dissolving
scenery, accompanied by thunder and
lightning, which will utterly anihilate the
Methodist Church.
"All of which will be produced by the
veteran of thirty-odd years. experience in
the business, at the extensive establish
ment of Sank Pedro & Co., next week. .
Attracted by such fair offers of unique
performances and extravagant display of
home talent, admiring friends wendell their
way to the place of amusement, where, to
their infinite delight, they found the old
mountebank with hang-dog look and an
air Of injured innocence. seated, with his
old sharp Of a thousand strings' before
him, playing the familiar air:
I clark from the Tonnes dOleftll sound,
Mine ears attend the cry;
| Mortals awake! come view the ground,
Where must shortly He."
With the energy of despair, the old
man actually played this overture for two
long hours and nobody even asked him to
take drink, but they enchored him plen-
ty, for they were evidently delighted with
the performance. All went away satisfied,
for he promised them an entirely new pro-
gramme '.neXt week.