Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-10-03
MUSIC'S CHARMS.
Tunes Of Long Ago by Fiddlers
Who PLAY by Ear"
The Indian Summer Celebration at
the Worlds Fair.


WORLDS FAIR. Oct. a-iSpeciAl +
OF all the clubs here none have excited
clubof Indiana, and now that il is gone ,hs
state building seems melancholy place.
The club is so thoroughly Hoosier that it is
a subject of state pride. When the new OF
scientific school Of music began to crowd
ou. the old, and all the fiddlers who played
by ear and didn't know one note from an
other" especially those who played for
'hoedowns' Sdanee parties where no num-
bers were arranged and no exact style OBJ
seryed}. began to be spoken Of as low" a
few men resolved that the old tunes should
be preserved. The wild enthusiasm which
greeted their rendition here proved that for
nine-tenths OF the people there is still more
music in the old fiddle tunes than in all
that science Can produce.
Popular Old Tunes.
So far as l know, most of the tunes so
popular in my boyhood have never been
put in sheet music, and even the few so ar
ranged are not as the old fiddlers played
them. Among them l recall "Possnm Up
Gum Stump" "Satchez Ender the Hill, -
THE Rye Straw" Fishers Hornpipe," /"
Sally Gooi'n," ''Forkesi Deer" Chicken
Pie and a few others. Many q time and
oft have heard these tuneful airs resound-
ing from the rafters and wooden walls Of
the old cabins. IL it was at party" the
rattle Of heavy boots and of slightly more
delicate wornan's shoes sounded from the
floor as stalwart men whiried scarcely less
sialwart partners in the dance II il was
only family party or a few friends met
together, still the feet would go tapping
tapping in unison with the music, and ey-
cry dancer would thrill with longing to be
on the floor with his best girl
As the fun at a regular ''hoedown" grew
fast and furious and the fiddler warmed TO
his work he sometimes threw himself com
pleteiy away and became mashed on his
own music" He laid back and played, he
leaned forward; he beat time with his foot;
he threw himself into every possible posi-
tion Of musical abandon never once missing
a note. And as the club played in the In
diana building all the old enthusiasm re
vived. The hearers laughed, they almost
cried. they beat time with their feet. a few
enthusiastic ones Joined in an impromptu
dance. and on all sides were heard such
expressions as "Ah, that brings back the
old timesI' That's the kind for mei'' mo
music like the old fiddle tunesi' etc The
club has restored and mastered over 100
old tunes, and those who have made a
study of the subject say that many of these
are as old as music The plain truth is,
very few of our people really like scientific
music. The old jolly, rollicking tunes are
what stir their blood.
Renewed Activity For the Future.
Al FL - 7
did so well that all those arranging for fu-
ture days have been stirred to increased
activity despite the many cold days of
late. Mexico is having quite an interest
ing series Of official and social affairs at this
time. Mexico is not extensively represented
here either by officials or structures. but
some of her exhibits in the main buildings
are surprising, especially in the Palace Of
Arts. She has i3 fine pieces Of sculpture,
81 oil paintings and 10 minor pictures, and
has appropriately selected her finest pic
lures on American historical subjects TO
send here There are busts and statues of
her principal presidents and generals, paint
ings OF noted scenes and incidents of the
conquest and settlement of the country, and
some remarkably fine views of old cities,
forts and prominent natural objects Two
points observe with some surprise-therc
are only five distinetively religious pictures,
while there are many which illustrate po
litical clemency and many more giving hon
or TO the Aziecs Her celebration is almost
entirely Of a social character.
On the 5th Rhode Island will celebrate
All citizens Of the state who are bere--apd
Commissioner Wyman tells me with much
regret that he thinks they will not be
many-will march from the state building
to Music hall escorted by the Newport ar
,illery and band There will be an ad-
dress of welcome by Governor Brown, an
Grafton by Professor Alonzo Williams,
short addresses by DIR. f. b. Andrews,
president Of Brown university, and some Of
the commissioners. and card reception at
the state building in the evening. On the
9th the carriage makers will have display,
and on the 9TH tbs Poles will celebrate in a
small way, but no programmes are made
out. The 9th is of course the great day,
ChicagoS and on the 10Th North Dakota
will undoubtedly make very fine display.
Very Interesting state
/ regard North Dakota as in many re-
spects the most remarkable state in the
Union--not the least 50 in politics. for aft
er being almost unanimously Republican
she suddenly distinguished herself last
year by dividing her electoral vote equally
among three candidates. II seems but
a little while ago-tbough it was in 1859
that | stood at the northwest corner OF
settled Minnesota and was told / could
20 no farther, as for go miles westward
all was Indian land, and even in 1872 |
went 100 miles west of jamestown without
seeing cultivated farm. Yet in one
year recently she sold $4,000, 90 worth
OF wheat. being over SEQ for every white
person in the state She now has 4.DQo.-
go acres under cultivation. 100, 600 head
Of live stock and wheat crop in the
neighborhood Of 10000 bushels. and
when the foreign commissioners, represent
ing 28 nations. made their recent tour to
the northwest they saw 43 self binders AT
work in one wheatfield near I.arimore in
Grand Forks county. In winter she cuts
clean ice feet thick and in summer har-
vests two tons of hay per acre and other
things in proportion. Verify. my fellow
citizens, we live in great country.
On her day there will be an address By
Governor T.. c. d. Shortridge, response
by Ex-Governor Andrew Fl. Burke and
reception to the governor from 2 to p IN.
at the state building. Minnesota will also
celebrate On the anniversary Of her admis
sion day, which was Oct. ID, 1853. There
will be one or two militia regiments, the
usual speeches and a reception 10 Governor
Knute Nelson and staff Both these states
have their principal displays in the Agri-
cultural building, but they are among the
very first in educational exhibits, and their
magnificent endowments of lands. set aside
at their organization as territories. insures
them long school terms with little or no
tax North Dakota is eminent among new
conmonwef.lths for the excellence 81 her
public institutions. especially her asylum
for the insane, where the nourestraint sys-
TEN has been carried out 20 successfully
that aIienists come from Europe to investi-
gate it.
Steamer Wrseked
ST JoHS, n. b.. Oct. 2--The British
steamer Rhiwiderin, ia tons. which
sailed from New York for Tilt Cove. n.
F., In ballast, went ashore 10 miles from
Cape Race The crew were saved. but tue
steamer will probably be total wreck.
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