St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-04-27
F1DDLED INTO FAME.
with q Violin ~ Capital, Lake Pryor
Became Rich ana
Senator.

Luke Pryor, who fiddled himself into
the United States senate, died little
while ago at his home in Athens, Ala.
He was lawyer, and, besides being
senator, had been a representative IN
congress from the Eighth Alabama
district. Pryor used to like to tell
how, through his knowledge OF the
fiddle, he became started on his career
of prosperity and politics.
Sixty-five years ago. way down in
the Rreenbriar bottoms of Limestone
county, there nestled primitive vii
lage named Mooresville, in honor OF
the pioneer who first settled on the
slope above the Tennessee backwater.
This section was noted in those days
for rich soil, breakbone fever, green
briars and coons. In the village dwelt
in two-story house Capt. Gamble. the
richest man in the village, the head OF
the Mooresville aristocracy. There
also dwelt in the same village a poor
widow who was lef. to rear family
of children; good stock, but run down
to poverty through misfortune.
Among the children was red-headed,
freckle-faced 14-year-old boy named
Luke. He was q hustler, Industrious
and ambitious. and when night came
and he had stabbed his steers he sawed
on an old family fiddle until he at
tanned considerable skill. and was the
pride of his little sisters. But his
mother did not admire Luke's talent
or taste. The family lived in the regu-
lation log cabin with stick chimney.
Their pride of family position lost
made them keenly sensible to their
poverty. One November afternoon, rs
the good widow Pryor was sitting by
her fireside, the only carriage in the
village, owned by the society leader,
the rich Mrs. Gamble, drove up to the
bars in front of the house. Widow
Pryor was called out, with her hands
wrapped in her white cotton apron.
Mrs. Gamble said: MRS. Pryor. have
come to invite your son Luke to my
dance on Thursday night. SO fix him up
and let him come" The delighted
mother, sensitive to the compliment
paid to her red-headed boy. assured
the rich lady that Luke would be sure
to be there.
When Luke came in he was told of
the good fortune; that he was to go to
the big house. His bright eyes glis-
tened; Luke was happy. and so was
his honest mother. The next day she
spent her savings to buy Luke pair OF
trousers, and all the house was aglow
in fixing Luke for the feast. In the
afternoon Luke went up to the store,
where he met Capt. Gamble, the pro-
prietor of the house.
The captain said: Luke. Mrs. Gam
BILE invited you to the party, | be
lieve?'
"Yes." replied Luke; 81 thank her;
will be sure to come"
"Yes." replied Capt. Gamble. 81 don't
doubt you will come, but be sure to
bring your fiddle; can't dance without
a fiddle" The heart of poor Little
Luke dropped within him. He 'caught
on" and replied: captain, it was my
fiddle you wanted, not me, suppose
The night of the dance Luke played
| the fiddle, and when the dance was
over Mrs. Gamble not only fed him
sumptuously. but sent a great basket
| full by him for his family.
| In years after Pryor often said
"They wanted my fiddle. not me; bu
the use of my fiddle by my friends hal
fed me and my family, and we hav'