The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-05-18
TaEFIRsT PIANO AIMING CAMP


earlier or later, this is not history for the
public school-there was little camp about
ten miles from Phoebe, occupied by upward
of about 800 miners, every one Of whom
might have packed his prospecting imple-
ments and 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 agricultural
list, but sang, danced, gambled, and shot
each other as the mode seized them.
One evening a report spread along the
main street (which was the only street,, that
three men had been killed at Silver Reaf,
and that the bodies were coming in.
Presently numbering old conveyance
labored up the hill, drawn by a couple of
horses well worn out with their pull. The
cart contained a good sized box, and no
sooner did its outline become visible through
the glimmer of stray light here and there,
than it began to affect the idlers. Death
always enforces respect, and even though
no one had caught sight of the remains, the
crowd gradually became subdued, and when
the horses came to a stand still, the cart was
Immediately surrounded The driver, how
ever, was not in the least impressed with the
solemnity of his commission.
Gall there?" asked one.
"HaVen'L OueSS so.
The driver filled his pipe and lit it as he
continued.
"Wish the bones and the lead had gone
over the grade"
A man who had been looking on stepped
up to the man at once.
81 don't know whom you have in that box,
but if they happen to be any friends of
mine I'll lay you alongside"
an fUbf ~ Ia
ster. coolly. gJust bust the lid of, and if
they happen to be the men you want, Pm
here"
The two looked at each other for a mo-
ment, anu the crowd gathered little closer,
anticipating trouble.
81 believe that dead men are entitled to
good treatment, and when you talk about
hoping to see cOrpses go over a bank, all 1
have TO say is, that it will be better for you
if the late lamented amt nay friends"
"We'n open the box. don't take back
what I've said, and if my language don't
suit your ways of thinking guess 1 can
stand it,
With these words the tesmster began to
pry up the lid. He got the board off and
then pulled out some old rags. A strip of
something dark, like rosewood, presented
itself.
eastern coffins, by thunderl" said sever
al. and the crowd looked quite astonished.
Some more boards few up, and the man
who was ready to defend his friends NOM
ory shifted his weapon a little. The cool
manner of the teamster had so irritated him
that he made up his mind to pull his weapon
at the first sight of the dead, even if the de-
ceased was his worst and oldest enemy.
Presently the whole of the box cover was
off, and the teamster, clearing away the
packing. revealed to the astonished group
the top of something which puzzled all
alike.
"Boys," said he, "pianner."
A general shout of laugher went up, and
the man who had been so anxious to enforce
respect for the dead, muttered something
about feeling dry, and the keeper of the
nearest bar was several ounces better off by
the time the boys had given the joke all the
attention it called for.
Had dozen dead men been in the box
their presence in the camp could not have
Occasioned half the excitement that the arri-
val ofthat lonely piano caused. By thenext
morning it was known that the instrument
was to grace hurdy-gurdy saloon, owned
by Tom Goskin, the leading gambler in the
place. 1t took nearly week to get this
wonder on its legs, and the owner was the
proudest individual in the state. 1t rose
gradually from recumbent to an upright
position, amid confusion of tongues after
the manner of tae tower of Babel.
OF course everybody know just how such
an instrument should be put up. One knew
where the "off hind leg" should go, and an
other was posted on the "front pIece.'
Scores of men came to the place every day
to assist.
'I'n put the bones in good order"
eff you want the wire tuned, Pm the
boy"
ave got music to feed it for a month"
Another brought pair of blankets for a
cover. and all took the liveliest interest in it.
1t was at last in a condition for business
ats been shown its teeth all the week.
We'd like to have it spit out something"
Alasi there wasn't man to be found who
could play upon the instrument. Goskin
began to realize that he had losing specu-
lation on his hands He had a fiddler and a
Mexican who thrummed guitar. A
pianist would have made his orchestra com.
plete.
One day three card monte player told a
friend confdentially that he could "knock
any amount of music out of piano, if he
only had it alone few hours to get his
hand in" The report spread over the
camp; but on being questioned he vowed
that he didn't know a note of music. 1t
was noted, however, as suspicious eircum-
stance, that he often hung about the instru.
ment, and looked upon it longingly, like a
hungry man gloating over beeisteak in a
restaurant window. There was no doubt
that this man had music in his soul, perhaps
in his fingers ends, but did not dare TO make
trial of his strength after the rules of har-
mony had suffered so many years of neglect
So the fiddler kept on with his jigs, and the
greasy Mexican paved his discordant guitar,
but no man had the nerve to touch that
piano.
There were doubtless scores of men in the
camp who would have given ten ounces IF
gold dust to have been half an hour alone
with it, but every mans nerve shrank from
the jeers which the crowd would shower
upon him should his first attempt prove a
failure. 1t got TO be generally understood
that the hand which first esssyed to draw
music from the keys must not SLOUGH its
work.
It was Christmas eve, and Goskin, accord