The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-07-19
KENTUCKIAN
LIKED MUSIC
CWashington Post.l

when 1 was with Remenyi." said
a Washingtonian, who many years ago
was the press agent for the eminent
Hungarian violin virtuoso, Il used
j often TO be diverted by the amazing
surprises he was fond of springing on
/ persons who, not being aware of his
identity, were of course unfamiliar
with his almost incredible proficiency
with his instrument Remenyi was
very fond of America and Americans,
and lad a remarka bic knowledge of
American history for man of his ma
I tivity and training, and liked to visit
American spots OF historic interest.
! "One afternoon down IN Kentucky we
/ drove TO visit Ashland, Henry Clays
old home. Remenyi had no engage
ment TO play that evening and SO we
made the return trip an easy drive.
Along toward dark we passed a little
tumble-dOwn cabin. in front of which,
seated on rough hewn bench. a gaunt
man was fiddlin'-I say fddlin' advis-
eddy.
Pull up said Remenyi to mel
was driving-'and we viii listen.
so / stopped the pair in the road in
front of the cabin and Remenyi cooked
his head sidewise so as to catch the
/ music a queer smile of amusement
| pickering around the corners of his
mouth The gaunt man didn't appear
to take any notice whatever of our
stopping in front of his cabin, but went
right ahead with his weird rendition
of old Zip Coon
That is a first-rate instrument he
is playing on said Remenyi to me in
his peculiar Magyar accent, but the
music!' and he chuckIed quietly.
% ffpr rIaH-ino old Yin Coon n hofff
fifteen times without once stopping, the
gaunt man on the bench swung into
Little Brown Jug which he performed
about the same number of times, to
the enormous delight of the six young
ones, all apparently of the same APP
prOximate age. and his corncob-smol-
ing wife, who emerged from the cabin
and gathered around the bench as he
sawed away.
When he had finally wound up his
Little Brown jug performance and
rested the violin and bow on his knee,
Remenyi climbed out of the carriage
and advanced toward the cabin and
hitching the horses to a roadside tree,
] followed him.
"Remenyi had been cordially received
by the gaunt man, and was examining
the violin when I reached the cabin.
This violin is a genuine Jacobus
Steiner, and a good one. Remenyi was
saying to the owner of the instrument
Have you had it long?'
q" 1t has been kickin' round these
yere pahts FIR nigh onto hundred
year, reckon, stranger, was the gaunt
mans reply. My great-granddad. I
know he all had it an played on it. an
! don't know who all done had it fore
my great-granddad. Middlin good fid-
die, 1 reckon. stranger
A beautiful instrument replied
Remenyi, enthusiastically, as he
thrummed the strings
'Yo' all do any fiddlin'?' inquired
the gaunt man.
Occasionally I play some replied
Remenyi, and he adjusted the instru-
ment under his chubby chin, picked up
the bow and swept the strings with a
noble, crashing chord. Then he started
in to play Hungarian rhapsody. filed
With weird minor czarda movements.
of dazzling difficulty and beauty.
The gaunt man gazed at the short
stocky Hungarian with an expression
of utter, overwhelming amazement in
his eyes for a moment. Then he
leaned back on the bench, crossed his
legs and. with a dropping Jaw and
closed eyes, he listened. The wife
Knocked the ashes out of her corncOb
and pumped herself on the ground.
cross-legged. The young ones with
their fingers in their mouths. leaned
against saplings beside the cabin. their
bright eyes filled with wonder. After
a tremendous finale TO the Hungarian
rhapsody Remenyi-whO wasn't aware
Of much that was going on around him
when he got into the spirit of perform
ance-glided into the tender little Swiss
'Berceuse' that sounded like the muir
muir Of a distant cascade. The gaunt
man still leaned back on the rough
hewn bench. with closed ewes Re
menyi played three or four more pieces. /
all of them marked by his phenomenal
technique and tone. and then he re-
moved the violin from beneath his chin
and gazed about him with a queer
smile. as of a man awakening.
The music had ceased for fully half
a minute before the gaunt man opened
his eyes. Then. without a word. he got
up from the bench and went into the
cabin. In a moment he emerged from
the cabin. carrying in his hands an
old. bell-crowned beaver hat OF the
vintage Of the thirties or forties. He
placed the Old bell-crOwned beaver on
the ground. brim downward, right in
front of the puzzled Remenyi. and then
he stood up. cleared his throat, looked
sduarely at Remenyi and said:
Stranger. times hev bin middlin'
hahd with me 70 some yeahs beck. an !
as yo' all kin see I hain't got much. !
hain't got ary thing that mounts to
anythin' 'ceDtin' that Of high hat yo'
All see on the vearth in front o. vo'. |
That hat used f be worn on tn haid O.
Henry Clay. an nv folks hev owned
an treasured an cherished that hat fr
n good many year. But stranger and /
here the mans voice became hoarse /
with feeling. 20 all sub. kin take vo' /
two fet an jes' jump on that hat that |
once kivered tn haid o. Henry CLAW. an |
yo' ais welcome L do IL as tn dav is
1Our sinh -"