The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-13
NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN SONGS.
There Are Some Born" Musicians
Among the Rude MOuntaineers.

Rev. DIR. Hanford A. Edison in the indie
pendent.
scientists md much TO interest them In
these high attitudes and Southern iati-
tndes. Flora and fauna are individual
lied by the peculiar conditions. The
mountaineer himself Is antique. His ply
slque. his dialect. his cabin. his tools. his
tastes. have all responded 10 his environ
ment. A native American. hidden among
the hills. he has cared nothing for Ger
mans. Frenchmen. Italians and has taken
nothing from them. AT every turn how
ever. he shows how much he has gotten
from his British ancestry. His contact
with the negro and with negro slavery
has also made manifest impressions.
When he is musical, as he is very apt to
be, the product. consistent with the
environment, has character all its own
Tho mountaineers' music is not an accl-
dent nor a mosaic. nor a melsnge; ii is
development. II has grown.
Yet. among such rude conditions In a
log house without q window, one can not
avoid n start of surprise when a bare
footed maiden, wholly innocent of letters.
strikes up. with evident appreciation, A
good old English ballad. Barbara AL
len." or "Barbro Allen" as the common
version has It, is frequently heard The
concluding stanzas will suffice To show
how the original has been both preserved
and modified:
Sweet William died for ne today:
IN die for him ton,orrer;
. Sweet william died Of pure. true love:
Baroro Alien died OF sorrer
GO ax MS grave in The ole chnrohyard-
Barhro Aliens close by the side O. r.
An out 81 his breast there sprung green
A red rose out Of Barbro Ausn's
They grew an grew 20 the ole church top.
TIL they coulan't grow no higher:
They wropped an tfef IN q true ioye-knot
An they lived an died together
Another favorite ballad is Fair Annie
OF Lochroyan;"
. VIVA will shoe my fair foot.
And wAa viii glove nv ham,
Ara wha VIII lace INV middle iImp
W. a n.w-n'..de L9adon ban!
Year faiher'r shoe yonr Fair foot,
FoUr mother glove your han
err sister lace YOUR middle Hmn
VIZ nsw-nrade London ban'.
The African element In the mountain
songs Is evident ana often predominant.
Not she slightest suggestion .. social
equality with the colored people Is ever
allowed. even II corn shuckings or tuner
ais. bat the patient. cheerful musle-lov-
Ing 3aTkv has. notwithstanding sung he
hear HIM IN "Appte Jack"
Rarrcop 49, the 'rcasurr
on hillside a-aghtln':
'Fo~*3m call out: NO t.'r fight
The raccooa res s-Ht;in'"
And in Coin DOWNTOWN"
MsrSa had 6 Nlg wA,.a house
sixteen stories high
An cher storv in that house
Was fu.i n chicken RE
+ or 81 ''So0ryv God Mountain
~ a',}e gals la Sou-Noosi mountain
NJ Hs.}e esrs IN s,ar~ood mountain.
Ha, y. do..a, ia.
or 3a;
Rom. -:oUr gals. g ynu cesni1 oat ,ouiwh.
Ia dance ~ &c light o de r9eonr
y - impossible 20 transfer 20 3apsr the
spen ~ this mountain music. ore needs
- - 'T9 "a The fevnrfts frs.ry,-1e,, ss
fhs, ''aarfe-'' Men viii travel nav.
r1t.~s uD tAs s-eep trails fsst 80 SEQ an
fend,e for 4 few ~ ,nuses "a ssllsr's ban
ser thSt cost h;sn 80 down IN the settle
rrsut" The '-Gadle" Is oftsH homemade
ara = IS wonderful what n sounding boar,
car ~ produces With scarcely airy tools
Ses aes a weii-wsetsed knife. Nanv a
hard knock sess tire fiddle set when en-.
;hus's~m ard devotion ara at high ,3as.
arr mary an old~tfrie- has exaArlao~as
sNch frequent ant rafical alterations ana
repairs ghat the question as 20 real {Ss.p-
ti,y Ne ONES A painful one. Nothing can
exceed thu aTsior 80 these bern musicians.
sra rses mss tNetr technte "a s{I--,rtslng
ose famous perTof nlsr though unable to
read note waen Re wAs - l@etIe
Younger and spryer. could play a tune for
every 6ay 81 th@ year" snd with xrea.
sA.4. 100. 4As iaeEao so.eom gess Ear