The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-21
he PLAYS 10 MORE.
John Alien Gives His Experience F.dclei
in Early Days Of Wichita.


Johnny" Allen tells why he quit play
ing the violin.
Everybody knows John n. Allen, the
worthy chairman of the board of county
commissioners. He is not given TO teiiing
stories, but yesterday as ne was puluins
up his books preparatory TO leaving the
court house, the strains or Vloiln were
heard, and for a minute or Two John LOOK
ed as though he was lost In thought. AT
length his face was wreathed with smile
that would have done ones soul goou 10
behold John cleared bis throat as though
about to speak. and all drew nigh for they
felt certain that he had a story to relate.
They were not disappointed.
did you know that l used TO be No.
dler?" said Mr.. Allen.
All answered in the negative.
"Well il is fact. When / first came
to Wichita, | brought with me an old
fiddle, and every spare moment / had
would get down the instrument and saw
away with great enjoyment TO myself, II
not to Others AT that time L was run
ming a grocery store at the rear OF where
the Citizens bank now stands. On the
corner was a saloon, and IN the upper
story was a gambling house. Wichita was
full Of cowboys, and the cowboys were full
of something else. which Is now prohibit
| ed from being sold by the state constitu-
ton. Wichita had had a hard fight TO Sc
| trade was worth thousands of dollars to
the place, and che trade was at its high
| Among the Texas men who had come TO
| Wichita that year was one great Dig man.
with one arm named Jim Reed. Now
| Jim bad been q great friend TO Wichita
| and at that time bad "A herd OF 10, OO0
| Texas cattle on the Cowskin creek. He
was a king as well as privileged charac-
ter, and was granted many privileges by
| the city officials. Jim was all right ex-
cept when drinking he was a 9 holy terror.
| During these periods he was genera.
| closely followed by some officer or his
| friends to take care OF him and prevent
him from committing deeds OF despera-
| ton.
| ION the evening IN question lt was eX-
| ceedingly warm, and iJ was time to close
up. ! was bachelor at that time and
/ concluded to get down the old fiddle and
play little before retiring. l had not
rear of the room kept up a continuous
strain of what / considered pretty good
| music.
1T seems that Jim had been up to the
gambling house that evening drinking and
! had slipped out OF the room unobseryed by
his comrades. He came into the store,
! while was 30 busily engaged with my
playing that / did not hear him. At last
! stopped and looking up not only seen him
but was convinced he was drunk. All the
| horrible tales | had ever heard or him
flashed into my mind. but determined to
keep quiet and politely asked him what he
would have. The question seemed to an
ger him, and picking up pail of butter
containing about ten pounds OF the
strongest butter that | had ever had II
my possession, he let it fly at my head
The bucket struck the wall just above my
| head while the butter came down all oyel
me. | was grease from head to foot, and
that old butter created fearful smell A
a large chunk slid off from my eyebrows
to my shirt front | seen that Jim had his
six-shooter out. He pointed the weapon
at me and ordered me to play. | obeyed
orders. Inever sawed the strings OF an
old fiddle so energeticaily in my life. The
strings were greasy, but he would not lei
me stop to rosin the bow. 1 played, 'ht
danced and that old butter stunk for the
longest hour | ever put III.
AT length some of the boys came in anC
took him away. | took that old fiddle
to my boarding house, but | could nevel
muster up courage to play IL again. / wa:
no hog, and knew when | had enough.
never hear fiddle to this day but wha
the form of jim Reed flashes before me
aud | actually imagine | can still Smell
that old butter.
, Mr. Reed was one of my warmes
| friends after that and we have often talked
and laughed over the circumstance, but b.
never, whether drunk or sober, caught III
| playiuu the fiddle