The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-07-08
SURVIVAL OF THE PlI'TEST
The Festive Fiddler and the Bold
Bad Blower.
FIGHT TO A FINISH IN PORTLAND
LAST NIGHT.

Both Men Fall From Sheer Exh austion-
A Big Audience Attended the Perform
ance-How a Limerick Citizen was
Hypnotized.
The stirring tragedy of the horn and fd-
die OF the survival of the fttest, was given
it's second performance last evening,
which was heard If not seen by large
and appreciative audience. The per-
Torrance took place on the same.stage
at the corner of Middle and Temple
streets.
1t was reported last night that both
performers fell exhausted from loss of
wind at the close Of one hours steady
performance. The plot Of the tragedy
WAS given In yesterdays PRESS, but it
will doTno harm to repeat 1t in brief
Young Mr. Blank Is fiddler from
FiddlevilIe, and to keep himself up to
high standard of excellence and exeou-
tion. 1t is necessary for him to do a very
considerable amount of fddling, and
this be has been doing with entire right
of way in building near the corner Of
Temple and Middle streets for 10, these
many moons. He has fddled everything
from Sally in Our Alley to chromatic
scale and a Beethoven Sonata on 6
string. Mr.. Blank has had the exclusive
privilege of furnishing dulcet strains
to that particular neiRhbor hood for so
long that he had established q sort of
Temple and Middle Corner-Musioal-
Trust (Limited.) Attacked by that greed
and hard heartedness that Is usually a
qualitySof a grasping monopoly, he was
wildly indignant when pair strong
lungs behind generous brass tuba In
neighboring building began contest
for the privilege OF inficting torture on
that particu lar feature of precious
Portland. -
Now these musicians are awfully jeal-
,, Gus fellows, and the festive fiddler be-
sought the police to stop the barbarous
blarting of the big brass blower that he
might be undisturbed in his fiddle gym
nastios.
The police couldn't see it just his way,
however, and. said il the disturber was
| minded to blow eternally within his
own castle, Why blow he could, even If
| be blew away the last lay of linger-
ing lung. and passed to oonsumption's
| grave.
The fiddler grieved and betook him
| self sadly homeward. Then he recalled
| that somewhere in his career he had
heard something about Fighting the
| dax,i1 with fro and hic rovar, ruf,1l N, ind
at once transformed this sentiment &c
fight a horn with horn," and reach.
! ing down in the cavernous depths of his
pocket, he drew forth some filthy luore
and HE'D himself to the nearest store
| where he bought a horn, the size OF
which would have done credit to an en-
tire Washington sbirthday celebration In
town of 10000 inhabitants. Then he
sought his bed again TO gain strength fol
the approaching battle.
When the shades of evening fell ht
brought out his trusty fiddle and fiddled
q wee small fid The trick worked, ant
hardly had the first three notes squeaked
fore was heard the answering lay o.
the tuba across the way. Then will
deathly pallor and a wild look in hill
eyes. the young man deposited his fiddle
and seized upon the horn of revenge
Then stealing across bridge into tbt
very citadel of the "tubarist - he secret
| ed himself, gathered all his latent ener
| gies into one tremendous effort and
blew! And what a blast was that my
oountrymen. 1t burst out into the still
ness of the night; it tore it's way through
a weeks washing hanging in the baci
| court; it roared the length of Templ'
street it made the Middle street wire
leap and sing; it woke the sleeping bel
| boys In the Falmouth hotel; 1t dashed
down Cross street: and few across thu
harbor and ceased n OF, Til it had spen
| it's fury against the water tower on tn
| Cape shore. 1t was a grand effort ant
the fiddler fell in swoon before the last
| echoes had died away.
| The tubarist was amazed. but only TO
| q moment. He comes not Of a race tina
| uuailj before the ordinary fish horn-no
| he, and hugging his tuba closer TO hi
! breast and bracing his feet. he sent gu
| the slogan of the tubarist that pro
claimed in trumpet tones to all tn
world that so long as life lasted. with oc
casional intervals for liquid refresh
ment, the lay Of tbs tuba should be heart
in the land
1t was to be duel to earth. The fiddle
| recovered and took fresh start. Thel
were the dogs of wer let loose, and TO
a solid hour no such blarting was eVe
| heard in Maine.
A crowd quickly gathered and listene'
to the terrible struggle. The police cam
and went. They had no warrant for tb,
arrest of fiddler or tubarist. nh
| arm Of the law was powerless and tn
| contestants blew till they blew them
= -----,--u.---u--s--
cift with one Quart of -four two tea