The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-18
THAT OLD VIOLIN
which May Figure In the West Virginia
Campaign this year-An Old story Re-
urodueed.

as-s@s7ss5
Which May Figure In the West Virginia
Campaign this yeAr-An Old story RE-
produced.
The following extract from an
article which appeared in the Pitts
burgh Dispatch early last summer Is OF
especial interest just now and well
worth repeating:
yves" or George Wesley Atkinson
came up TO Pittsburgh from Wheeling
for brief visit. Not to know the ex-
congressman argues oneself. II a West
YlrgIrFan. unknown. Mr.. Atkinson Is
known In every county in the state.
When he Is among the river bottoms
near RarkerBOurg he can tell ripe
watermelon by merely looking at II,
Just as well as the farmer whose agrl-
cultural methods he Is pralsing. He
doesn't need to ''thump" the fruit. He
knows something OF the making OF
nails and iron and steel, useful ac-
compliShment for a politician domi-
cIled IN Wheeling. Up In the Pan
handle" ne can tell the probable price
that his constituents wool will bring
Just by passing it through mis- fingers
In the mountains, however. his we'll
known principles relieve him from the
necessity OF passing judgment
on the qualities OF mountain wh!skey.
How about the story that you open
cd United States court at Clarksburg
with violin solo?" asked air. Atkln-
son.
There was VIOLIN" he replied. but
didn't open court with II. I'll tell
you about II. One morning at Ciarks-
burg. Just before court opened, l was
10 no TTat a Naan nm
ehai. Lafe Garden OF wheeling. A box
had Just come by express. and when
the marshal opened II he found Il con-
tanned n violin. ! took up the instru-
merrt. tuned It, and then played an air.
LATE. who Is a good player, also tried
tune. and then ] started in on the
Arkansas Traveller BY this time a big
crowd had gathered, and while l was
saving away heard voice exclaim:
"'well. I'll be switched
IT turned around and whom should
see but Nathan Con, the United
States Judge,
" WAY. Yves, he said, I didn't know
you could play the fiddle
"'But can. Nate replied. 4
learned II twenty-five years ago
"'Well, WE'LL the judge retorted
i've known you for twenty years, and
never knew you were ornery enough
to play the eddie
Then played enother tune. and Nate
said It was pretty fair execution.
Now, as soon as played the fiddle !
knew IT was good one. and offered
LATE q hundred for Il. He refused.
and offered him my fiddle. which l
bought for $50 from Joe Cramer. who
used to lead the Opera House orchestra
In Wheeling, and who. ! believe. Is now
a., ava SEn ~ hRnf TlYf
LATE refused ~
'I'Il tell you wha,. I'll do. wes," he
saId, ''f'li give you that fiddle 4 you
ever become governor OF West Virgin
Ia. That's promise"
"And ali his deputies. who. OF course,
are Democratic. laughed and said: IT'S
n safe promise. Marshal. West Virgin
IA will never have a Republican gov
ernor'
''But I ON going to have that fiddle,
concluded Mr.. Atkinson, even under
the conditions set by I.aRe.'
Then Mr.. Atkinson told the story
OF the vlolin Sssels II was present
to Marshal Garden By one of the depu-
ties, "RaFJ;leSnake Pete" Harper. Pete
was out In the wildS OF Pendleton
county when ne clme across an old
farmer. whose AnceH.orS had lived in
New England. Before going 10 he'd
one night the old fellow took the fiddle
from .ts shelf on she wall aud reelcd
of a tune. He charmed the Rattle
snake" The laser can play the f1ddle
a little himself. and he recognized the
Instrument as an Old one. None OF the
modern make, he knew. could have tina.
depth OF tone and sweetness OF sound,
The old man showed papers, yellow
with age, which proved that the violin
was at least 100 years old. and had de-
scendcd from one to another genera
ton of his family, and tad at last
landed high up In Pendleton county.
TIattlesn1ke Pete wurGed the fiddle,
and, as he has alncc said, wanted Ii
bad" Tentatively he tried the old man
with an OFFER OF Sl5.
To his surprise, the farmer placed
the violin In his hands. with the re-
mark; Shes yours. stranger. Fork
over the money"
The old fiddle kas entered on new
era in its history. Perhaps il once
lay neglected In some New England
gnrrcS, Its owner fearful OF eVoklnI
Its Strntns, lett some uosiug seleo;utau
hear the devllish music and report him
to the church authorities
Perhaps Il saw the light OF day later
when. during the British occupation.
the gay military had infused some OF
the desire for the more frivolous de-
lights OF society into the descendants
rae stern Puritlns.
It's known history begins when
Washington was a boy OF twelve. II Is
recorded that one OF rs owners had
It in camp ut Valley Forge during thar
long and dTeary winter, The very time
that tried mons souls" and perhaps
the determined ommander-iu-chict
had his weary evenings somewhat en-
iivened by It's spriEhtiy strains.
But X will play different tunes next
year Then, IL George Wesley Atkln-
son Is the Republican candidate for
governor, LATE Garden will lend him the
fiddle, and 1t will be very strange II
the mounlalncer can't induce him to
play a tune occasionally TO make sure
TINT hiH pIptatlon for musical nblllty