Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-29
VOL. LIV. NEW SERIES, VOL. XVII.
The First PIANO in = Mining CAM
FAR VEST STORY BY AN UNFoUAL-GAIrE
FOLLOWER OF BRET HARTE.

The First Piano in Mining Camp.
A FAR -wEsr STORY BY AN UNEoUAL-GAIrEr
FOLLOWER OF BRET HARTE.
In lS5S-It might have been five years
earlier or later, this is not history for the
public schools there was little camp
about ten miles from Phoebe, occupied by
upward of 800 miners, every one of whom
might have packed his prospecting I'M
plements 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 agri-
culturists, but sang, danced, gambled
and shot each other, as the mood seized
them.
One evening the report spread along
the main street (Which wasthe only street
that three men had been killed at Silver
Reef, md that the bodies were coming
IN.
Presently numbering old conveyance
labored up the hill, drawn by couple OF
horses, well worn out with their pull.
The cart contained good-siZed box, and
no sooner did its outlines become visible
through the glimmer of stray light here
and there, than it began to affect the
oilers Death always enforces respect,
and even though no one had caught sight
of the remains, the crewd gradually be-
came subdued, and when the horses came
to standstill the cart was surrounded
The driver, however, was not IN the least
impressed with the solemnity of his COM
mission.
"All there ?" asked one.
Haven't examined. Guess So
The driver filled his pipe and Int ii, as
he continued:
Wish the bones and load had gone
over the grade"
A man who had been looking on step
ped up to the driver at once.
Il don't know who you have III that
box, but if they happen to be any friends
OF mine, I'll lay you alongside.
I'VE can mighty soon see, sand the
teamster, coolly. "Just bust the lid OFF,
and if they happen to be the men You
want, I'm here.
The two looked at each other for a mo-
ment and the crowd gathered a little
closer, anticipating trouble.
81 believe that dead meu are entitled
to good treatment, and when you talk about
hoping to see II corpse go over bank,
all | have To saw is, that it will lie better
for Won ii the late lamented amt my
friends"
We'll open the box. l don't take
back what I've said and if my language
don't suit YOUR ways of thinking, | guess
| can stand it, "
With these words the tcanster began
to pry up the lid. He got the board OF,
and then pulled out some old rags.
strip Of something dark. like rosewood,
presented itself
Eastern coffins, by thunder said
several, and the crowd looked quite as
| founded
Some more boards flew up, and the
man who was ready to defend his frlends
memory shifted his weapon II little. The
cool manner of the teamster had so irri-
ta:ed him that he had made up his mind,
to pull his weapon at the first signs of
the dead, even if the deceased WAS his
worst and Oldest enemy. Presently the
teamster, clearing away the packing, re-
vealed to the astonished group the top OF
something which puzzled all alike.
BOYS" said he this Is planner.
A general shout of laughter went up,
anu the man who had been SO anxious to
enforce respect for the dead muttered
something 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
arrival of thrt lonely piano caused. by
the next morning 1t was known that the
instrument was TO grace hurdy- -Surdy
saloon, owned by Tom Goskin, the lead
| ing gambler In that place. 1t took near
ly week to get this wonder on its legs,
and the owner was the proudest man IN
that State 1t rose gradually from re-
cumbent to an upright position, amid
confusion of tongues after the manner OF
the tower of Babel
OF course everybody knew just how
such an instrument should be put up.
One knew where the ''off hind leg" should
go, and another was posted on the front
piece.
Scores of men came to the place every
day to assist.
I'm put the bones in good order"
''lf YOU want the wire tuned, I'm the
boy"
I've got music to feed it for amonth.
Another brought pair OF blankets for
n cover, and all took the Gveliest interest
in 1t. 1t was at last in n condition for
business
.'It's been showing its teeth all the
week We'd like to have it spit ont some
thing"
Alas there wasn't man TO be found
who could play upon the instrument.
Goskin began to realize that he had
losing speculation on his hands. He had
a fiddler, and a Mexican who tlrummed
a guitar. A pianist would have made his
orchestra complete
One day three-card monte player told
friend confidentally 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
about the camp but, on being question
ed, he vowed that he didn't know note
of music 1t WAS noted, however, Ms
suspicious circumstance, that he often
hung about the instrument, and looked
upon il longingly, like a hungry man
gloating over beefsteak III a restaurant
window. There was no doubt that this
man had music in his soul, perhaps IN
his finger ends, but did not dare to make
trial of his strength after the rules OF
harmony had suffered many years Of
neglect SO the fiddler kept on with his
iigs, 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, bnt every man nerve
, shrank from the leers which the crowd
, would shower upon him should his first
attempt prove II failure. 1t got TO be
generally understood that the hand which
first essayed to draw music from the keys
must not slouch its work.
1t was Christmas eve, and Goskin, ac-
> cording to his custom, had decorated his
gambling house with sprigs of mountain
cedar, and a shrub whose crimson berries
did not seem IA bad imitation Of English
, holly. The piano was covered with ever
green's, and all that was wanting to com
I pletely fill Goskin's cup Of contentnent
was II man to play that piano
! Christmas night and no piano pound
= or, h. said This is II nice country fol
a Christmas to live IL.
=. Getting a piece Of paper he scrlwled
the words
$50 REWARD
I, To a Compliant Pianner Player,
This he stuck up on the music rack
A and, though the inscription glared at Tia,
i frequenterB Of the room until midnight
q it failed to draw any musician from hi'
r shell
" So the merry making went on (; Tia
/ hilarity grew apace. Men danced an'
sang to the music Of the squeaky iiddl