The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1899-07-19
En- ROUTE, April "a, 1899.

To the Fidders:
My DEAR FELLow-SAw YERs-Experl
ence teaches us that first impressions
are the most lasting Next to the inn
pressions which / received from dog
wood sprout or twig of weeping will
low, when | was barefooted boy, are
the impressions which were made upon
nv young mind and heart by the fid-
dlers. The tunes they used to play got
tangled in my memory and they are just
as vivid there today as are the faces |
used TO know and the incidents and
happenings of the happy days gone
by.
can see Polk Scott and Sam Rowe
just as plainly now as / actually saw
them when | was ten-year-old lad at
the old log schoolhouse that stood by
the bubbling spring. They played at
the exhibition at the close of our
school, and | have never heard any
sweeter music since. Sans big brown
whiskers rolled and tumbled in ecstacy
on his fiddle, as he rocked to and fro,
with half-closed eyes, and, with whiz-
zing bow, reveled in the third heaven
of 'Arkansaw Traveller" Folks black
mustache swayed and Topped like a
ravens wings, as he scared amid the
grandeurs of "Natchez Under the Hill"
They were the ''Pegininis' of the
mountains; they were the "Ole Bulls"
of our humble society; they were the
royal 'Remenyis" of our rural, rollick-
ing festivities; they were big-hearted
and genial; they were noble fellows,
and so are all fiddlers to this good day.
Their melodies were the echoes of ma
turessweet voices. In every sweep of
the bow there was the drumming of
pheasant or the cacKle of hen or the
call of Bob White or the trill of a
thrush Sometimes | could hear a
"hlp-poor-Wlll sing; sometimes, a wild
goose quack; and, a panther yell; now
and then the cats would fight, and the
music was always mellow with ''moon-
shine"
when grew little larger l used to
sip out from under the smiling roof of
nome sweet home" and cut the
pigeon wing with the rosy-cheeked
mountain girls, until it seemed that nv
very soul was in my heels. still have
iona recoliections OF every fiddler who
Played at the old-time country dance;
ana when hear those sweet old tunes.
even now it is difficult for me % keep
my soul above my so-ks.
DO lar as | am concerned, l am a
worsh'per at the shrine of music. The
CLASSICS OF Mozart and Mendelssohn are
grand ana glorious TO me, but | cannot
oe persuaded to turn my back on the
. =" OF the plain country fddlers.
Inc old country tunes were handed
'owh IRON the days of the Revolution,
anu every one OF them breathes the
spifi' OF liberty; every old jig is an echo
IRON the fiintlock rifles and shrill flies
oi Bunker Hill; every '.hornpipe- is a
, ezra" from Kings Mountain; "Old
uiahny kattletrap" is Declaration of
n1"uepehaenee; Jennie, Put the Kittle
un' boils over with freedom,s "Jay-
C'ro settin' on Swingin' Limb was
george ., Washington's ''favoright;" and
ofay Eagle was. Thomas Jefferson's
masterpiece; Leather Breaches" was
'ne Marseilles hymn of the old heroes
VINO i'Ved in the days of Davy Crockett.
NO wonder the iddlers are so pa
aio'ic and brave. I'never saw real,
senuine fiddler who would not fight:
0u W, mind you'll have quit fiddling.
:. "hen ] grew large enough to cast
sneeps eyes at the girls, when love be-
san 70 tickle my heart and the blood of
d Sns violets got into my veins, 1 began to
- Nv :, 'ne DOW across the vibrant strings
=. ,ne nddie to give vent to my feelings,
snu poured my spirit out through nv
myers by the bucketful. | swapped
spirit for smiles at the ratio of sixteen
~ oae'l exchanged clogs for compli-
nents, and jigs for signs and senti-
mental EXPLANATIONS. No ordinary
a ,uor'al ever felt the raptures OF fid-
slef' the fiddle is his bride, and the
hVheymoon lasts forever.
! nddied and l fiddled and | fiddled.
s sa.n youth blossomed into manhood,
, tau sun fddled and l fiddied. Poll
~ ,u'ans sneered at me as fiddler. but
hae ris said 1t was no harm, and the
A., yss voted while ! fiddled. and the fid-
SON. n won, There is always some old
sna ' ana taneless hypocrite abusing
sa ~ aenouncing '.us fiddlers." have
sss, them say that they never saw q
- ualer who was ''any account. and /
ase known good men who sincerely
J. seleved that fiddlers were dangerous
vr.s communities. There never was q
o,ea'sr error Of opinion. There is no
,h I0.s harm in wiggling the fingers than
49,. IS IN wagging the tongue, and
WV y great deal more religion in .