The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-05-10
THE STRANGE PIANIST.

ten miles from Phoebe, occupied bv up
ward OF about three hundred miners,
every one of whom might have packed
his prospecting implements and left for
more inviting fields any time before sun
set. When the day was over these men
did not rest from their labors, like the
honest New England agriculturist, but
sang, danced, gambled and shot each
other, as the mood seized them.
One evening the report spread along
the main street (which was the only
street. that three men had been killed at
Silver Reef, and that their bodies were
coming in. Presently a 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 outlines
become visible through the gIimmer of
a stray light here and there than it began
to affect the idlers. Death ALWAYS en-
forces 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,
however, was not in the least impressed
VAhL thN 1VlCiliHllN VI uiS NOuIlIfSSlOU.
He began to pry up the lid, got a board
off, and then pulled off some old rags. \
strip of something dark, like rosewood,
presented itself
Eastern coffins, by thunder said
several, and the crowd looked quite as
tonished.
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 puz-
lied all alike.
Had a dozen dead men been in the box,
their presence in the camp could not have
oecasioned half the excitement that the
arrival Of that lovely piano caused. BY
the next morning it was known that the
instrument was to grace the hurdy-gurlv
7.lovri = 14~I L t.. q is~i.:--, a;..,
gambler in the place 1t took nearly a
week to get this wonder on its legs, and
the owner was the proudest individual in
the State. 1t rose gradually from re-
cumbent to an upright position amid a
confusion of tongues, after the manner of
the Tower of Babel
OF course every BODY knew Just how
such an instrument should be put up
One knew where the =" off bind leg should
90, and another was posted on the & front
piece"
Scores of men came to the place every
day to assist and all took the liveliest
interest in it, 1t was at last in condition
for business.
1t has been showing its teeth all the
week We'd like to have It spit out some
thing
Alas, there wasn't man to be found
who could play upon the Instrument
C1oskin began to realize that he had
losing speculation on his hands He had
a fiddler and a MeSican who thrGmmed
guitar. y pianist would have made his
orchestra complete. One day q three-card
monte player told friend confidentially
that be could g knock any amount OF mu-
Sic out Of piano if he only had it alone
few minutes to get his hand in"
The report spread about the camp, but
on being questioned he vowed that he
didn't know a note Of music 1t was
noted, however, as a suspicious circum-
stance, that he often hung about the
instrument, and looked upon it longingly,
like hungry man gloating over beef
steak i'll a restaurant window. There was
no doubt but that this man had music in
his finger-ends, but did not dare to make
a trial Of his strength after the rules of
harmony had suffered so many years of
neglect. So the fiddler kept on with his
jgs, 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 Of gold dust
to have been half an hour alone with it,
but every mans nerve shrank from the
jeers which the crowd wonld shower upon
him should his first attempt prove a fail
ure. 1t got to be generally understood
that the hand which first essayed to draw
music from the keys must not slouch it's
work.
3 # x
1t was Christmas Eve, and Goskin, ac
cording to bis custom, had decorated his
gambling hell with sprigs Of mountain
cedar and a shrub whose crimson berries
did not seem bad imitation OF English
holly. The piano was covered with ever
greens, and all that was wanting to com
pletely fill the cup of Goskin's content
ment was man to play that piano.
"Christmas night and no piano poun-
der" he said. "This is nice country
for Christian to live in.
| Getting piece Of paper he scrawled
the words
| !: To . compliant PaRer Player /:
/ - '---'-'-'. ..'- ''--- II '-.'.'--.--