The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-05
MUSIC HATH CHARMS.
TUNES OF LONG AGO BY FlppLERS
WHO "PLAY eY EAR"
Indian Summer Celebration at the Great
Expedition North Dakota Wonders.
Minnesota's Thirty-fifth Anniversary.
Rhode Island and Mexico Days.


North Dakota Wonders.
Minnesota's Thirty-fifth Anniversary.
Rhode Island and Mexico Days.
WORLDS FAIR, Oct. 4.-[Spec:al.l-
Of all the clubs here none have excited
more enthusiasm than the Old Ficdlers'
club Of Indiana, and now that it is gone the
state building seems melancholy place.
The club is so thoroughly Hoosier that it is
subject of state pride. When the new Or
scientific school Of music began TO crowd
out the old, ard all the iiddlers who PLAYED
by ear and didn't know one note from an
other" especially those who played for
''hoedowns" dance parties where no num-
bers were arranged and no exact style OBJ
served), began to be spoken OF as low"
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 I 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 recall ''Possum Up
Gum Stump" "Natcbez Under the HILL"
'The Rye Straw" Fishers Hornpipe,"
sally Good'n, "Forked Deer" Chicken
Pie and few others. Many time and
oft have heard these tuneful airs resound-
ing from the rafters and wooden walls of
the old cabins. If it was at a party" the
rattle of heavy boots and of slightly more
delicate woman's shoes sounded from the
floor as stalwart men whirled scarcely less
stalwart partners in the dance. II it was
only family party OR few friends met
together, still the feet would go tapping,
tapping in unison with the music, and ev-
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
pletely away and became mashed on his
own music" He laid back and played; he
leaned forward; be beat time with his foot;
he threw himself into every possible posi-
ton of musical abandon, never once missing
. 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 times!" That's the kind for mel" mo
music like the old fiddle tunes.' 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.
Indiana, the Odd Fellows and the Irish
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 Is fine pieces of sculpture,
50 oil paintings and Is minor pictures, and
has appropriately selected her finest pic
lures on American historical subjects to
send here. There are busts and statues of
her principa; presidents and generals, paint
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-there
are only five distinctively religious pictures,
while there are many which illustrate po-
litical clemency and many more giving hon
or to the Aztecs. Her celebration is almost
entirely of a social character
On the 5th Rhode Island will celebrate
All citizens of the state who are here-and
Commissioner Wyman tells me with much
regret that he thinks they will not be
mGny-will march from the state building
to Music hall escorted by the Newport ar
tllery and a band. There will be an ad
dress of welcome by Governor Brown, an
GRAFTON by Professor Alonzo Williams,
short addresses by DR.. L. 3. Andrews,
president of Brown university, and some of
the commissioners, and q card reception at
the state building in the evening On the
9th the carriage makers will have a display,
and on the 9Th the 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 a very fine display.
Very Interesting State.
y / regard North Dakota as in many re-
epects the most remarkable state in the
Union-not the least so in politics, for aft
er being almost unanimously Republican
she suddenly distinguished herself last
year by dividing her electoral vote equally
among three candidates. It seems but
q little while seo-though it was in 1859
that stood at the northwest corner OF
settled Minnesota and was told l could
60 no farther, as for l 900 miles westward
ali was Indian land, and even in 1872 |
went 100 miles west OF jamestown without
seeing a cultivated farm. Yet in one
year recently she sold $40, Coo 600 worth
of wheat. being over 500 for every white
person in the state. She now has 1900.
eco acres under cultivation, / 100. Goo head
of live stock and wheat crop in the
neighborhood OF 100, co 600 bushels, and
when the foreign commissioners. represent
ing % nations. made their recent tour to
the northwest they saw g self binders 81
work in one wheatfleld near Larimore 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 a great country.
On Der day there will be an address By
Governor L. G. ID. Shortridge. response
By Ex-Governor Andrew H Burke and
reception 10 the governor from TO ) p. II
at the state building. Minnesota viii also
celebrate on the anniversary OF her admis-
sion day, which was Oc. IS. ls5S There
will be one OF two militia regiments, the
usual speeches and reception TO Governor
knute Nelson and staff. Both THESE states
have their -,-srffrzI dsxrlav= IN Tho 4 ey~5-
cultural building. but they are among The