The Republican journal., 1898-12-29
a $3.50 90 Fiddle

10 TUE EuIroE or IuL Journal: \
New Years greeting to all friends in my
Old Yankee home. Icaunot forget the hap
py days of youth and the pleasant faces OF
nay friends of years ago ale still fresh in
my memory OF my schoolmates quite a
goodly number still lemain, hut they are
scattered all over this great and glorious
country of ours, and O0 Glory shields
them ALL / do not know how many ale
in Belfast. As far as j know there is
David II Libby, Joe Havuer, Jones Da-
Wis, Robert Burgess, Henry Dunbar, Dana
Southworth, Capt. Ephriam Ryder and
George Osborne, my deaI old amy chum.
don know where Jake Havner is, but
he is a slayer. There are others in Bel
fast that were not quite in my class.
l meet many old-timers here, among
them Ausel White and John Bennett
John hardly grows gray and is fine speci-
men Of manhood. George Day fingers with
us, and can make a maintopsai. OF jib Just
as handily as 80 years ago. l meet tx
Mayor Body of Brooklyn quite often, and
David looks like young fellow. I notice
the names of Mrs. Ansel White and Mrs.
Capt. Higgins, formerly of our old down
east home They We're very pretty girls,
and now in their matronly years are de
voting their time To charity largely, es-
pecially our Brooklyn Nursery, most
worthy institution.
Now what eau | say that Will De OF in
terest to you ALP Do you know the high
est priced fiddle ever owned in Belfast in
Old times? l suppose I ought to call it a
violin So as to be up with the times Away
back in the late forties or early tifties
Col. Rowland Carleton kept a wholesale
ilour and corn store on Carletons wharf.
lie owned several vessels, and in the fleet
was the old Tippecanoe, a fast sailing
schooner of about 100 tons. Capt. Daniel
Carleton was captain, and in rotation
Capt. John. Then Rowland wanted to be
captain. David was the lawyer of the
family and Dudley too young; SO the old
colonel said one day: Rowland do you
think you are capable to 90 captain?H
''Of course l am" was the reply. SO the
colonel got a good mate, Capt. Stephen
Clark, and loaded the schooner with a
hold full of wood and deckload of hem
lock boards. They had good trip, and
and in due time returned with -four
and corn. Capt. Rowland brought home
a violin in pastel )ard box and put it
on shelf in the Office. After while
the colonel says Rowland what did
you get for the boards and how much for
the wood?" When told, the colonel con.
tinued, ''Well, where is the money?n and
the reply was: 81 bought two suits of
clothes and that fiddle" How much did
the fiddle cost?' ''Seven hundred and
fifty dollars.' The old man took chew
of tobacco, swung around, and said:
: Rowland, | dom think you will ever be
success as captain. Go home and tell
your mother all about it,.
My father was book keeper at the time
and says uncle Gould Strengthened out
The cargo and called it venture. That
fall the Colonel had got tired of looking
lp at that fiddle box and gave it to father,
who was quite a player on the violin.
About ) years after | sold the same violin
20 Oliver Pendleton of Lincolnville Beach,
and he has it now, as good as new, and it
has improved much in tone. For aught
know it may be one of the celebrated
Did violins. / have no doubt it is supe-
'ior to Jerry Whitten's old Lion Head.
Boys and girls, pitch in and enjoy your
New Years. Think of many who would
ike to be with you, trip the light fantas-
lie toe, and see that Prof. Sanborn's Or
,hestra does it's full duty. | knew Percy
when he wore dresses, and for heaven
sake, how would he look in one now.
Well, old chums and good friends, /
Won't distress you any further this trip,
md with the kindest of feelings to you all,
am as ever you old friend,
JOHN F. GOULD.
New York City.