The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-05-28
THE FIRST PIANO IN CAMP.


lier or later; this u not history for the pubiC
school-there was little camp about ten
miles from Phoebe, occupied by upwards OF
about 300 miners, every one Of whom might
left for more inviting fields any time before
sunset When the day was over the men did
not rest from their labors, like the honest New
England agrlculturist, but sang. danced, gam
bled and shot each other rs the mood seized
them.
One evening a report spread along the n ain
street (Which was the only street, that three
men had been killed at Silver Reef, and tina,
the bodies were coming IN.
Presently numbering old conveyance la
bored up the hill, drawn by couple OF horses
we'll worn out with their pull The cart con
tanned goOd-sNed bOx, and no sooner did It's
outline become visible through the glimmer
of stray light here and there than 1t began
to affect the oilers. Desth always eniorces
respect, and even though no one had caught
sight of the remains, the crowd gradually be
came subdued, and when the horses came TO
a standstill the cart was Immediately surround
ed. The driver however, was not IN the least
impressed with the solemnty Of his commits
sion.
| "All thereF asked one.
Haven't examined. Guess So"
The driver hled his pipe and lit il, as he
continued
Wish the bones and the load had gone over
| the grade"
A man who had been looking on stepped
up to the man at once.
81 don't know who you have in that box,
but If they happen TO be any friends OF mine
III lay you alongside"
I'VE can mighty soon see said the team
s,er, Coolly. Just burst the lid off, and II
they happen TO be the men you want, ] am
here"
The two looked at each other for moment,
and the crowd gathered little closer, anticl
patng trouble.
II believe that dead men are entitled TO
good treatment, and when you talk about hop,
ing to see corpses 90 over a bank, all | have
to say is, that 1t will lie better for you If the
late lamen,ed amt my friends"
well, open the box. ! don't take back
what I've said, and if my language don't suit
your ways of thinking, lguess can stand it,"
| With these words the teamstcr began to pry
up the lid. He got the board off, and then
pulled out some old rags. \ strip Of some
thing dark, IKE rosewood, presented itself
Eastern collins, by thunderr' sad several,
and the crowd looked quite astonished.
Some more boards flew up, and the man
who was ready TO defend his friends memory
shifted his weapon little. The cool manner
OF the teamster had SO irritated HIM that he
had made up his mind to pull his weapon al
the first sight of the dead, even if the deceased
was his worst and Oldest enemy. Presently
the whole of the box cover was of, and he
teamstcr, clearing away the packing revealed
to the as,onished group the top of something
when puzzled all alike
Boys" sand he "pianner"
general shout of laughter went up, and
the maa who had been 30 anxious to enforce
respect for the dead muttered something about
being dry, and the keeper Of the nearest bal
WAS several ounces better off by the time the
boys had gwen the Joke all the attention called
for
Had a dozen dead men been in the box their
presence in the camp could not have occasion.
ed half the excitement that the arrival of that
lonely plano caused. BY the next morning II
was known that the instrument was to grace a
hurdy-gurdy saloon owned by Tom Goskip,
the leading gambler in the place. 1t took
nearly week to get this wonder on it's legs
and the owner was the proudest individual in
The state IL rose gradually from recumbent
to an upright position, amid a confusion of
tongues after the manner of the old tower Of
Babe.
or course everybody knew just how such
an instrument should be put up. One knew
where the "oif hind leg" should 60 and an.
other was posted on the front piece
Scores OF men came to the place every day
80 assist.
Nl'll put the bones In good order"
"If you want the wire tuned, I'm the boy"
1--we go. music to feed it for month"
Another brought pair Of blankets for q
cover and all took the livelsest interest Ia il.
Ii was at last in a condition for business
ITS been shown it's teeth all the week.
We'd like 10 have il spit out something"
Alas there wasn't man IL be found who
could play upon the instrument. GOsk in be.
gan to realize that he had losing speculation
on his hands He had fiddle, and Mexican
who thrnmmcd guitar. A pianist would
have made his orchestra complete.
One day three card monte player told
friend cOnhdenlialIy that he could knock any
amount OF music out of piano il he only
hau it alone a few hours to get his hand IN"
The report spread about the camp; bot on be-
ing questioned he vowed that he didn't know
u note of music. 1t was noted however, rs II
suspicious circumstance, that he often hung
about the instrument and looked upon il long
mglN, like "a hungry man glOatng over beef
steak IN a restaurant window. There was no
doubt that this man had music in ms soul,
perhaps in his fingers ends, but did not dare
10 make a trial of strength after the years OF
harmOny had suffered SO many years of neg
lcct 50 the fiddler kept on with his jigs and
the greasy Mexican paved his discordant gui-
Tar, but no man had the nerve to touch that
piano.
There were, doubtless scores of men III the
camp who would have given ten ounces of
gold jus, 20 have been half an hour alone with
it, but every mans nerve shank from the
jeers which the crowd would shower upon
him should his first attempt be Q failure. II
got t9 be generally understood tapt the hand
which first essayed to draw masIc from the
keys must no. SLOUGH his work
II was Christmas eve, and Goskin, accord
ing 20 his custom, had decorated his gan bling
house with spriga Of mountain cedar snd q
shrub whose red berries did not seem g bad
imitation of English holly. The piano vas
covered with evergreens, and all that vas
wanting to completely Gil the cup of Gosk!n's