Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1909-01-21
W AsTAsU All.

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M AAfs -------.-.-.--..a- In N
Solicitor F. A. Linnney, answer
ing an article that appeared In
the Industrial News OF the 9Th,
has written the following to that
paper and kindly furnished us a.
copy for publication. Addressing
himself to the editor Mr.. Linney
says:
1 have noticed in your issue Of
the 9Th an article which con-
tains I he following statement:
IN. L. Mast, Of Cove Creek,
Watauga county, has recently
purchased and had delivered o
new .np-to-date piano which is
said to be the first piano ever
seen in Wataugh county"
The import ofthe article isthat
this inst rument marks the stan !
dard Of culture Of q people. It
intends to convey the idea that
its absence here denotes q low
standard OF culture and refine
ment among our mountain peo-
pie. THIS is said OF a county that
has given to the State within the
last twelve years two judges and
q member OF c Congress-the home
county Of George Nathaniel Folk
and Major H. Bingham, two OF
the ablest lawyers the State has
produced in halfa century. This
[is said OF a county in which Mo.
SEES H. Cone delighted to spend
his summer days and where, by
his special request, his remains
found their last resting place.
This county furnished soldiers
to John Severe's army as he cross
ed the Blue Ridge to join Ben.
|Clevelnnd, and by their cour-
age and valor helped gain t h 9
victory at King 'sMountain. The
Confederate and Federal armies
both received brave. recruits from
this country. The good fighter is
the great lover Of music. There
is everything about US to make
US lovers OF the vibrating chord
Our grass-clad mountains, our
4 clear, crystal streams, our eli
mate that can't be surpassed in
the world, and our forests filed
with the Wild flowers that lend n
fragrance to the multitude ol
song that pours like a'torrent
from the throats Of The sweet
mountain warblers, have al
taught the mountain people to
Hove music. And they have but
one piano in the county? Whv.
there is not a boy born in the
moutains, who wears a toe shirt
and lives on rye bread and buck
wheat cakes who can't m a k {
} more music on q 'jeYs harp
than your informant. can get out
of his "high class piano But We
have only one piano in the coun.
Ity? What a llel 1t was such q
lgreat prevarication, and / knew
so well that the county was az
well supplied as any Of the coun'
J ties in the sand hills, that l went
: down to the little rock pile that
! marks the place where Daniel
Boone's cabin stood to see If
could not find a relic. OF a piano
used by him.
| Your informant further says
after paying compliment to tht
county in ether respects, ''mod'
lern musical instruments are com
fparatively unknown except in tht
hotels and summer homes at
Blowing Rock" isstatement
entities your informant to first
place in Teddy's Annauias Club,
l can sit in my own home. and
hear the music of at least ter
"high class pianos IN the sparce'
lily settled town Of Boone. And o.
all modern stringed Instruments
we have them in abundance.
suppose the violin is not too an
tiquated to be classed with tn,
modern musical instruments. Tn
y greatest violinists that live o.
have lived from time immemoria