The Republican journal., 1896-01-16
The Old Songs and the New.

To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: |
recently looked over list of 800 songs,
words and music, all for the reduced
price of 30 cents, and this suggested a
comparison of the present with the past
say so Years ago. Judging from my limit
ed knowledge, with only the associations
of this district. the change has been mar
vellous. The first musical instrument
recall in tie district was the iewsharp.
Nearly every boy who could get two cents
bought a jewsharp of the in-peddler. al
though | never knew any one to become
skilled in getting music out of it before
the tongue broke. But I think every boy
in the old Centre district tried his best.
The next musical instrument was a violin.
OF rather a fiddle, as it was called then.
There was a blind man named Marden.
from Swanville, who was a good fiddler.
Along about that time Jack Douglass, a
famous musician, played for a dance after
a chopping bee at Charles Turner's in the
district. Mr.. Douglass was an old man
then, lame and with poor eyesight, and
he played the violin with his eyes shut.
He moved his hand with the bow but very
little, and the least that anyone could do
in lingering on the strings. To a boy it
looked very easy to do the little he did
Tie old district then had bur few dancers.
most Of them coming from the village
Grants. Mudgett>, etc The district was
never famous for musical talent or in
genuity in making musical instruments.
But young man named Prescott, who
settled in the district for awhile, made
violin and became quite AN expert player
In some families only sacred music was
allowed, but Prescott sometimes overcome
that by playing sacred music and all other
tunes quickly for awhile and then chang
ing over to the more lively tunes, when all
passed oft satisfactorily.
Other little side issues came in as the
time rolled on in the big school of a hun
dled scholars. Somebody learned how to
dance a fole-and- after, and then there
had 10 be some music The two favorite
tunes for fore-and after were cold Zip
Coon ard the "Girl left Behind me. =
Aftel sitting out the slow of tongue only
two boys and one girl were classed as pro-
ticient for long dance. There were sew
slal others with music enough, but only
WIND enough for few sets and turns.
and ST. often two wouId take spells at the
muei, rs more of the younger ones learn
ed 10 dance. The eowhide boots could
come down with the best steppels at the
emf oi the set in Old Zip Coon and dig up
clean spot More or less tor 20 years
tile foreand-aftels had steppels and used
L. keep it along at the noon recess.
HE young people knew very few songs
in those days, but many had good voices
AMI perhaps could sing verse OF two.
About all can remember of the old time
songs are:
Bonny is gone from the wars of all fighting
He has gone 10 the place he ne took de-
Hght 'l'
Al there he may sit down and tell the
sctnes he saw, all.
W hut foflorn he doth mourn Oh the Isle of
81. Helena.
Louisa doth mourn for her husband depart
Sl4 dra,,,,. ,,.,,.,, .l,... ,.,,.,
Internationally
~ -+t ~ ''49"i'' even 1ioSe thal
For ste mourns " e14 she thinks Of the Isle
iiT'e'l"
- '''' "l" songs bdhkS OF
LII, ann ne constant Farmer
60 '00'ii''''' ''0ile VI tHe wa tunes
0'' WIN ''lo ana uIuih mad
'-' ''-,'e'' ''i'" 'i'e Hi''sIc' one
~ 'i"ii'e' Inc
Ebari-y nya1 'I..5 'n T.1,, anu VINE
Charley owes tp kiss the girs
ne" NE can iiAu them mandy
Gag ei''i u.s. Announcer song
W-tha par of strIn4d tro,ls..r.
and Are rlolus:
Corn cobs twist vaur hair
tart Wheels surround you,
And ln6rtor ppsties nnnnd ,.,r