Wichita eagle., 1889-01-02
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THE PIANO IN CAMP.

IHE PIANU --UAMf.-----
In -lS5S-it might have been five years
earlier or later, this is not history for the
public schocls-there was little camp about
ten miles from Phoebe, occupied by upwards
Of 300 miners, every one of whom might have
packed his prospecting implements and left
for more Inviting fields any time before SUM
set. When the day was over these men did
not rest from their labors, like the honest
New England agricultuIist, but sang, danced,
Eambled 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 tho bodies were coming in. Presently a
lumbering old conveyance labored mp the
hill, drawn by 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 glirnmer of, q
stray light here and there. than it began to
affect the idlers. Death always enforces re-
spect, and even though no one had caught
sight of the remains, the crowd gradually be-
came subdued, and when the horses came to
stand still. the cart was Immediately sur
rounded The driver, however, was not in
the least impressed with the solemnity of his
commission.
"All thereF asked one. -rr7.
Haven't examined Guess So" &
The driver filed his pipe and Lit it as he
continued: ~
.'Wish the bones and load had gone over
the grade.a ~ t-asss.s5
A man who had been looking on stepped
up at once.
Il don't know who you have in that box,
but if they happen to be any friends Of mine,
III lay you alongside. "1ra sss g. 4l
1--WE can mighty soon see,n said the team
ster, cooiiy f.Just burst the lid off, and if
they happen to be the men you want, Pm
here.n .-.-..-r5
The two looked at each other for a mo-
1nent, and the crowd gathered little closer,
anticipating trouble. p'- ''.-
The teamster began to pry up the lid He
got board of, and then pulled out some old
rags. A strip of something dark, like rose
wood, presented itself sarrs f.as 3 1,e-. -
Eastern collins, by thunderl" said several,
and the crowd looked quite astonished.
Some more boards few up, and the man
who was ready TO defend his friends memory
shifted his weapon Little. The cool man
ner of the teamster had SO irritated him that
he had 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, ''this is pianner." l-.
A general shout Of laughter 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 near
est bar was several ounces better off by the
time the boys had given the joke all the at
tention it called for.
Had dozen dead men been in the box,
their presence in the camp could not have &C.
casoned half the excitement that the arrival
of that 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. IL
took nearly a week to get this wonder on its
legs and the owner was the proudeSt indi-
vidual III the state. 1t rose gradually from
a recuInbent TO an upright position, amid a
confusion of tongues, after the manner of tho
Tower OF Babel. - ~ 't
OF course everybody knew just how such
an instrument should be put up. One knew
where the '.of hind leg" should go, and a.
other was posted on the ''front piece" .s.t
Scores of men came to the place every day
to assist. -H- .r
"In put the bones in good order." ..iff
"If you want the wires tuned up, I'm the
boy" .,
'rve got music to feed 1t for month";
Another brought pair of blankets for
cover, and all took the lveliest interest in it.
l.. -. H.. r..
''Its been showin' its teeth all the week.
We'd like to have it spit out something
Alasl there wasn't man to be found who
could play on the instrument. Goskin began
To realize that be had a losing speculation on
his hands de had fiddler, and Mexican
who thrummed a guitar. A pianist would
have made his orchestra complete. One day
O three card monte player told friend con
fidentially that he could ''1nock any amount
of music out of the piano, if he only had it
Rlone few hours to get his hand in" This
report spread about the camp, but on being
questioned he vowed that he didn't know
note of music. 1t was noted, however, as a /
suspicious circumstance, that he often hung
about the instrument and looked upon 1t
longingiy, like hungry man gloating over
a beefsteak in restaurant window. There
was no doubt but 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 harmony had suffered SO many
years of neglect SO the fiddler kept on with
bis jigs, and the greasy Mexican paved his
discordant guitar, but no man had the !
nerve to touch that piano. There We're,
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 jeeIs 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 essayed to draw
music from the keys must not slouch its
work. ....
1t was Christmas eve, and Goskin, accord |
ing to his custom, had decorated his gambling
he'll with spriss of mountain cedar and /
shrub whose crimson berries did not seem /
bad imitation of English holly. The piano
was covered with evergreens and all that
was wanting to flil the cup of Goskin's con-
tentment wssa man TO play that piano
christmas night, and no piano FOUNDER"
be said. This is a nice country for Chris
tian to live inn
Getting piece of paper no scrawled tie
words:
$50 Reward t.-.ls.r- sr-
To compliant Pianer Player.
...-..--.---.---..-...,.. ..,...................
This he stuck up on the music rack snd