The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-09-01
4 CHECK I !, x Erred LIFE.
FresA Stories About Ole Bulls Remark
able Career. et
Adventures That Would stock a Noveisst's
Portfolio.
rPhiladelphia Times.l

Portfolio.
TPhiladelphia Times.
Old Bulls first visit to this country was in
1884. He was then in the primeof splen-
did manhood such nature, in the North
ern ATTITUDES seems so often happy in pro
ducing. The atmosphere of Norwegian lakes
and forests and mountains had enriched his
blood, and the vigorous practice which vio-
lin-playing demands beyond that of all
other musical instruments had made his
muscles like iron Americansin those days
did not comprise very musical public, but
they rushed to greet him With open arms.
He had the presence, the art, indeed the
very spirit of one born to conquer. All were
nlagnetized Even the matters in their shop
windows displayed ''Ole BulP' caps, which
had decidedly military appearance, and
which gladdened the hearts of the youth ot
that period. Mrs. Lydia Maria Child, in
one of her Letters from New York, pop
ular and widely-read book of the last gen.
Grafton, gave somewhat extravagant but,
on the whole, wildly descriptive account of
the prodigious intensity of excitement which
was felt by his audiences during the per
'slike rebuking the very cabman whose gruff
tones, as took my seat to return home from
the concert Jared so harshly upon the SEN
sitive emotions which had but just enthralled
me-" L
THE POTTER COUNTY COLONY.
His second visit to America had for its
purpose not art alone but project of con-
siderable magnitude and importance-one
which, both in its conception and its failure,
was equally characteristic of the man. De
lighted with the grand promises afforded by
the system of government in this country,
he eagerly and impulsively resolved to have
the poor peasantry of Norway and Sweden
enjoy and profit by them. He invested
large portion of his fortune in some extern
sive tracts of wild land situated in Potter
County. on the northern boundary of this
State. He made extensive preparations to
COLOMBO this territory, offering to his far
away fellOw-countrymen inducements which
did great credit to his warm and generous
nature. As often before and often afterward
in his life. the dear old man was victimized
badly The lawyer who transacted the
business for him made fraudulent
conveyance of title, and he was placed
in the doubly trying position of being
ruined himself and witnessing the
ruin of many poor settlers in a strange
land who had emigrated at his per-
sonal suggestion For the second, and prob
ably for the last, time in his checkered life
the mans spirit was then completely broken.
The previous occasion had been when a
poor starving alien youth in Paris, he had
sought TO end his troublous life in the Seine.
This later suffering was far worse. To any
one who then or afterward knew Ole Bull
personally, the mental torture of this period
Will be readily conceived. The thought of
giving pain or doing an injury to another
would be almost unbearable TO hiSlOving and
honorable hp IN
resort again TO the violin. Two concerts
were announced in this city, at the Musical
Fund Hail. in the spring of 1856 When he
appeared at the first one the audience was
surprised and touched at the change in his
appearance. The jet black hair was already
white and there was a sadness sort of
meek hnmility-in his bearing on that even
ing which many who were present can never
forget. His playing was still as effective as
usual. One woman sObbed aloud during
the performance of little composition of
his entitled the Mothers Prayer" ~,
The second concert announced never took
place. On coming from New York to this
city his violin was attached at Trenton by
some enterprising creditor. Soon afterward
he went to Europe 1t was not until twelve
years after that that Ole Bull appeared for
the third time in this country. His fame
then was still as great as ever, and the audi
encss of the chief citieswere as eager as ever
Old World had replaced the previous frowns
of that versatile goddess, and it is probable
that the artist was never in his life so ac-
ceptable to the public as during his concert
tour of 1868 and 1869. But no kindliness of
fortune could prevent the constantly recur-
ring accidents and incidents OF this ex-
tremely interesting life. In the autumn
of 1868 Ole Bull was passenger down the
Ohio River when collision between two
steamboats, Occasioned terrible accident,
which involved the loss of many lives. ION
that evening"" as he narrated afterward,
without having any reason for what did,
put on my coat again and went on deck,
although ii was then quite late" Soon
afterward the shock occurred. One boat
had quantity of petroleum, which,
igniting, poured out upon the river and sur
rounded both vessels with a circle of fire.
Mr.. Bull rushed to his room, seized his
violin, and sprang overheard in the midst of
the flames He reached the shore with
violin and person alike intact, and, after
tough struggle up the PERCEPTIONS and
clayey bank of the stream, found a firm
footing at the top, where, as no help arrived,
he was obliged to walk about until daylight
to keep from freezing.
1t has not vet been made known here up
to the writing of these lines what compiler
tions of disease or accident have caused this
unexpected decease A week or two ago
there was a line in the foreign dispatches
saying that ole Bull had been obliged to
cancel all existing engagements owing to
serious illness. Yet tits difficult to imagine
him as a victim of any ordinary ailment.
His health was splendid, his physique SUI
perb. In person he was tall and straight as
a dart There was not an ounce of unnec-
essary flesh in his composition. He retained
to the very last the youthful proportions of
his igure-a figure which few young men
could boast and all might envy. With a
hos Ia fsf
only twenty-four, the firmness of his grasp
and the muscular strength of his arm were
wonderful. Just after he had entered
his SEVENTEEN year, concert COM
pany with which he was temporarily as
ISOLATED were taking dinner at the Lochiel
The concert was Just over. As usual the
player had been greeted by an approving
and crowded audience, and he was In fine
spirits. The question of physical strength