Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-03-06

to tell where a dance Is being held in
the country, for as one comes near q
farmhouse where a dance is going on.
instead of one lamp streaming out
like lighthouse signal, there Is the
shine OF Examinations from every win
dow. Then the rigs" are seen as
you approach, there may be glimpse
of two or three mistily deserted forms
on the porches. and then you will
hear the faint squeak of the fiddle. As
you pass, you may hear the shout OF
the caller" the distant tramp OF
flying feet, the echoes and unwritten
inscriptions that tell OF the gayety
within
The figures called" include not
only all the old ones which have been
handed down from the time OF the
log cabin and the timber wolf, but
new ones which the callers" have
figured out and perfected. The two
step, the schottische, the polka, and
the waltz have found scant favor in
real old-fashioned country dances, but
once in awhile they are danced, gem
orally to the scornful comment of
thing.
The younger boys like to hang
around where a dance is In progress,
and when the dance is short of men
folk they sometimes get chance to
| be pressed into service and learn
thing or two about the institution. An
awkward, haif-grown boy Topping and
floundering through the mazes of a
dance is always the signal for a good
deal of laughter on the part of por-
ton of the dancers. But II he is sent
into the sets" too often they are
quite likely to tire of his antics. To
reel a set of smoothly makes 1t nee
essary that all OF the participants be
possessed OF considerable skill; and
your seasoned dancer cannot abide to
be compelled to pull and haul "a
green,horn" here and there In order
to get through with the set" But
that is about the only way the boys
can learn, and II they are at all apt,
and anxious to excel, they soon be-
come acquainted with the simpler fig-
ures
We enjoyed the dances given at our
house fully as much as our neighbors
who gave them" Sometimes / took
my fiddle and spelled" the fiddler for
"set" or two, my knowledge of the
old-style tunes being part OF my
education, which came In handy just
then. There was never any trouble
whatever at our dances. 1t isn't al
ways smooth sailing at q country
| ~ 10 IN
make up their minds to bust up" q
dance, Just to see how 1t would feel.
But our neighbors we're all strong for
perfect good behavior. And in fact,
think that II any outsiders had
started trouble, at least three OF the
boys in our vicinity would have made
It interesting for them. These friends
Of ours would undoubtedly have insist
ed on peace, even II they had been
. compelled to disable few of the un
ruly. They were very strong and &C
, tive, and perfectly willing and anx
ious to sap" any disturber, and al
! this was generally known, we always
2 had a nice, quiet time.
Z The only financial question connect
!. ed with the dance is the remunera
! ton of the fiddler. He Is the works
/. whether he calls" or not. II h.
q calls" he is just so much more thu
!" entire thing" If he only plays. he Il
!. still Indispensable. No simon-purt
!. country fiddler plays by note. He cal
say with the rural bard:
/ my playin's only middlin', tunes
8 picked up when boy,
v The kind O. sort o. fddlin' the folk
l. calls corduroy
d The Old Fat GAL an Rye-StraW, an
L My Sailors On the Sea-
L Are the cowtlllions | saw on, whel
n the cbice Is left to me-"
g There is a charge for each set" 8
n much to each boy or man who Is Sc
e lected to take a place In the set.
II He pays one of the boys who has go
J. ten up the dance, and the projectors c
y the dance pay the fiddler. Sometime
C. there are two fiddlers, one to play
. second" to the other, or as 1t SONS
o times happens two fiddlers who hav
b, played together for years, and VIII
e. play SO evenly together that 1t sound
a like one instrument. Sometimes q
y organ Is used to accompany or CHORD
with the fiddle; and this accompan
ID ment makes a splendid contras
s. When an organ is used, howeve
t. there is rarely room in kitchen fc
,t it. But In the halls, it can be set on
le raised platform while the dancin
n goes on below the platform.
rs AS a dance proceeds into the NOR
III ing hours, the older people general
es trail OF, and maybe a couple or tN
ne who live a long ways of may folio
III suit, but for the most part the dew
es tees stay until long after dayligh
in We used TO slip away and retire, abo
one a. M, while the dance was at |
re height, and drift away to unconsciou
is ness to the thump, thump of the dan
by ers' feet, the hardly-heard calls"
IN the caller" and the reminisce
IN | ahrIetr of the violin II was 6omethil