The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-02-03
The STRANGE PIANIST,

The STRANGE PIANIST.
In 1853 there was little camp about
ten miles from Phoebe, occupied by up
ward of about 800 miners, every one of
whom might have packed his prospect
ing Implements and left for more inyit-
ing fields any time before sunset. 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 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 it's outlines
become visible through the glimmer of
stray light here and there than it be-
gan 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 stand-still the
cart was Immediately surrounded. The
driver, however, was not in the least
impressed with the solemnity of his COM
mission.
He began to pry up the lid, got a
board off, and then pulled off some old
rags. A strip Of something dark, like
rosewood, presented itself.
Eastern collins, 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-
zled all alike.
Had a dozen dead men been in the
box, their presence in the camp could
not have occasioned half the excitement
that the arrival of that lovely piano
caused. By the next 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 q recumbent to
an upright position, amid confusion of
tongues, after the manner of the Tower
Of Babel.
VOf course everybody knew just how
such an instrument should be PVT 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, and all took the liyeliest
interest in it. It was at last in condi-
ton for business.
cts been showing it's teeth all the
week. Wa'd like to have it spit out
something"
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 fiddler, and Mexican who
thrummed a guitar. A pianist would
have made his orchestra complete. One
day three-card monte player told a
friendconfdentially that he could ''knock
any amount of music outof piano, if
he only had it alone few minutes to
get his Land in" The report spread
about the camp, but on being ques-
honed he vowed that he didn't know a
note Of music. It was noted, however,
as suspicious circumstance, that he
often hung about the instrument, and
looked upon it longingly, like hungry
man gloating over a beefsteak in o res
taurant window. There was no doubt
but that this man had music in his
soul, perhaps in his fingers lends, but
did not dare to make trial of his
strength after the rules of harmony 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 doubt
less 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 would
shower upon him should his first at
tempt prove a failure. It got to be gen
orally understood that the hand which
first essayed to draw music from the
keys must not SLOUGH its work.
. *
It was Christmas eve, and Goskin, ac-
cording to his custom, had decorated
his gambling hell with sprigs OF mount
ain cedar and q shrub whose crimson
berries did not seem bad imitation of
English holly. The piano was covered
with evergreens, and all that was want
ing to completely fill the cup Of Goskin's