The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-13
A NEW KIND of MINSTREL.
Travels In PnrIOr Cars. u Appears,
and Makes "a Pay.

From the New York Sun.
When the SIS train pulled out of the
Atlantic City station, on Sunday afternoon
last, the chair cars were pretty well filled
with Elks who had remained over at the
huge New Jersey resort after attending
their annual National Convention there.
Many OF them were In a pretty cheerful
frame of mind; perhaps they were glad be-
cause they were getting away from a
land breeze that waited the mercury in
the thermometers on the Atlantic city
porehes up to the 100 mark and carried
fayriads of utterly fearless mosquitoes
right down to the board walk and perhaps
again, some of the joyous Elks had loiter-
ca quite lot on their way to the sta ton.
AZ any rate, the majority OF them were
OBVIOUSLY feeling pretty good. and The ex-
change OF witticisms and gentle knocks"
among the chairs was pretty rapid.
In the smoking compartment of the for
ward chair car foreign looking young
chap with big mop of very straight and
very black hair brushed back from his
forehead sat gloomily with a black leath-
er violin case across his lap. Five of the
Joyous Eiks were joying one another
over cigars in that smoking compartment.
nut me foregn-looking young chap with
He looked out or the window at the green
marshes that hedge Atlantic City around.
ana the boisterous laughter of the Elks
never Induced him to turn his head once
he looked blue. He looked like a man
who had lost his lob
ABOUT five minutes after the train had
pulled out young fellow in blue serge
suit and apparently In possession of a lag
OF such proportions that 1t must have been
"A FRI -
al the door of the smoking commitment
in which the foreign looking Young chan
with the violin case and the five happv
Eiks sat For all OF his apparent lag
there was certain shrewd expression in
ms gray eyes. The lightning glance which
ne exchanged with the foreign-lookinu
young man with the violin case who turn
ed his gaze from the window for the first
time wnen the young man with the lag
appeared az the door might have told a
close observer tina, his jag wasn't of such
monolithic proportions as he was endeav-
oring 10 make IL appear but the five Elks
weren't observing things closely Just then;
'hey were just having fun among them
selves.
Inc young man with the shrewd gray
eyes and the somewhat unsteady gait
took seat In the compartment. ding
tfazzied cgar out of his waistcoat pock-
ct, III H. ana leaned back contentedly
with his legs on his suit case. In some
,htos less than five minutes he was in
full swing with the FIVE Flks. He had
hutted In at favorable opportunity with
witticism so opportune that he caught
'he hVe, and the Elks grinned and were
rather inclined to BE- indulgent with him
on account OF his obvious jag Inside OF
ten minutes he was saying most OF the
fnnny things In thick, yet clever sort OF
way He was a good talker and pretty
soon the Elks found themselves incl.ning
their ears to catch his quaint. humorous
remarks. The young man with the shrewd
gray eyes and palpabe jag reached into
his suit case and produced n .ine bottle
OF cocktails after the train had been un
der way for about a quarter of an hour
ana handed II around Each OF the Ave
II KS good-naturedly took swig out o.
the bottle, which vas thin passed over
10 the slcomy-lookfhg foreigner with the
vialin case and the mop of black, straight
nair. The latter shook his head smiling
drearily.
81 NJ drink" said he Il like. but IL 1
drink ! no can play" tapping his violin
care,
Who ssid you could play. anyhow. Gin
ney7" inquired the young man with the
jag, good-naturedly. You can't prove It
by U.S. We ain't heard you"
Il been play in orchestra there" said
the foreign locking chap. waving his hand
back In the direction OF Atlantic City
but l no play re ragstime and gay no
want re good museek. been discharge"
and he turned his face 10 the window ana
sighed somewhat heavily
Got fired because you couldn't or
wouldn't pay rsgtime hey?" inquired the
Young man with the jag, sympathetically
Flows hat for a bum hard-luck story
ffllows?" and he locked around at the
five Elks wi h a grin.
The Blks admitted that 1t did look kind
of hard-luckish.
Say. get out your old whangdoodIe and
scrape us one or two, will you, Guinea p
said the young man with the Jag to the
foreign-l looking chap. Wen make good
If you hit us right"
The fore gn-ooking chap looked around
Al The faces Of h six compartment mates
with bland. inouiring gaze
GO ahead" said one of the Elks. Give
w some of your good music"
The musician nnstrapped his violin case
and took out the instrument. There was
a dreamy look In his eyes as he resined
the bow. From the way he tuned the in
strumcnt which was OF rich tone and of
contralto quality, 1t appeared as II he
might prove to be q pretty fair performer
ffe put tic NlOuH uHOef tllS cntl, tTeW tHe
bow across the strings and then rested
the instrument on his knees.
Vat ] play?' he asked looking around
the circle with an inquiring gaze.
What's the matter with Schuberte
'Serenadeg asked one of the Elks
stout broad-faced man "Qm feeling
kind O. Woody, myself. otter this whirl
and the 'Serenade' I'D about nail me"
Good thing" seid the other Eiks and
the young man with the jag. Saw US
the 'Serenade.'"
The foreign looking chap put the in
strument under his chin. raised his bow.
and began. Right from the first note II
was obvious that he was a performer of
no mean ability There was expression
in his method and sentiment. His chords
bars before the Eiks and the young man
with the jag began to look biz serious
Say, he doesn't do a thing but ysnk
the means and sobs out o. that piece.
does hep said the young man with che
Jag looking around at the others hut
they frowned a bit. They wanted 10 lie
ten. The musician with the mop Of black
hair swayed with the Inspiration OF the.
-Serepade,' and there Is no doubt that he
performed the piece remarkably well
When he had finished he sighed and rest
ed his violin on his knees. and the Eiks
and the young man with the jag seemed
slowly to awaken from a spell Eight
or ten other Elks were listening at the
door OF the compartment.
Say. that fellows all right" said the
trJLg Ia "a anxnt,arfr,on. 40 o.n