The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-14
TOM wATSON'S VIOLIN.
How it Used to Comfort Him in the
Days Of Adversely.

How it Used to Comfort Him in the
Days Of Adversely.
Few people are aware that in his own
county the Hon. Thomas Il. Watson
has widespread reputation as fid-
dler. He has played the violin ever
since his oldest friends can remember,
SAYS a writer in the Atlanta COnstitu-
tion. Even when he first came to
Thomson a penniless young man, that
old, well-loved fiddle came with him.
And when he was struggling young
lawyer he would appeal to that old
violin, and as he drew the bow across
the strings the instrument seemed to
speak to him of home and old acquaint-
ances and of better days.
Nor has he forsaken the instrument
since entering the political field. His
children have inherited a talent for
music from him. His daughter per-
forms well on the piano, while his son
plays the bass viol and guitar. And
when the evening shades are falling he
loves to gather with his family in the
parlor and take his lifetime friend from
its ease and play the old familiar airs
to the accompaniment of his children
on their Instruments.
Mr.. Watson is loved by all the young
people of Thomson. His ready smile
makes them feel at home when in his
house, and he in turn is fond of them.
Even now, during the busiest cam
paign of his life, he Is ever willing to
lay aside his correspondence and the
preparation of his political speeches, in
order to accompany on the violin the
young people of his city, who love to
bring their instruments to his home.
Some Is years ago, when he was more
frivolous than he is now, he used to
play at parties and dances. On such
occasions he was in great demand, and
many rural beauty has tripped the
light fantastic to the sound OF Tom
Watson's famous fiddle. Imagine if
you can the Popnlist candidate for
the Vice Presidency of the United
States standing at the end of hall in
a country house, saving away at an
breakdown, keeping time
on the floor with his foot and calling
the numbers in stentorian voice,
while the rustic lads and lassies swing
around the room, and you have Tom
Watson as he appeared l5 years ago.
In his younger days he was fond of
and almost any night after
the good country folks of Thomson had
retired to rest Tom could be seen stand
ing under the window of some country
belle playing such tunes as "Then
You'll Remember Me-" or ACome Into
the Garden, Maud" On these mid
night serenades he generally went alone
but sometimes he was accompanied by
one or two other young men, who
would play and sing, but he himself
never sang. His talents took another
course.
In the present campaign Mr.. Wat
sons fiddle will not accompany him
on his tour of speechmaking. In a
letter TO the writer he announces that
'the catgut platform will hardly do for
a national campaign" But whether he
takes the instrument with him or not,
there is no denying the fact that the
violin has helped to make him popu-
lar in his home, and has assisted other
men to honor and wealth. The story
of ex-Gov. Bob Taylor is still fresh.
He fiddled his way into the gubernato-
rial chair of Tennessee, and stepped
from the strings of his Yiolin TO fame
and fortune.
While he is stumping the country,
suppose Mr.. Watson should favor his
audiences with few selections like 81
Dreamed / Dwelt in Marble Halls.n
People would go wild, and his name
would be shouted from one end of the
country TO the other. And then after
the election, when he finds that his
hopes have not been realized, he could
retire to some dense forests i'm the
neighborhood of Thomson and cheer
his soul with that old familiar air ''The
Old Red Hills of Georgia" While it
is not generally known that Mr.. Wat
son is violinist, yet it will be no sur
. Use TO those who are acquainted with
him. Born in a land that is full of
harmony, out in the open air, survey
ing the beauties of nature until he was
a man, it is no wonder that some of the
love instilled into his being should seek
an outlet through that sweetest of all
instruments-the violin.
The violin is an instrument which
appeals to the better part of man. Its
low, sweet tones and high shrill notes,
when played by master hand, will
stir our souls to thought and action.
Even the brute creation of this earth
seems to be affected more by the violin
than any other musical instrument.
Beasts will crouch and listen, and some
will even become perfectly docile when
they are under the influence of its mag
ic spell.
And il the Hon. Thomas +. Watson
could be induced to take his fiddle with
him on the stump, he would be able
with that master hand which he has
acquired to make men forget them
selves at the polls. An then he could
hang a sign on his Washington resi-
dence which would inform the passer-
by that there lived tom Watson, fid-