The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-01

fine old gentleman.
pipe tile) in the Fort Covington
Tavern, and 10 call the place home.
On his trading trips Old Billy
crimes frequently went as far over
the border as Huntingtonville Val
leyheld, and Cornwall. and took IN
most OF the smaller villages and
all or the rural neighborhoods OF
the northern part Of Franklin. Clin-
ton. and St Lawrence counties H.
was a genuine Uncle sam" in ap-
pearance. wearing a long-taiIed blue
oroadcloth coat with brass buttons
down the front. that he always kent
buttoned up summer and winter. an
old fuzzy "stovepipe," and a pair OF
tlght-htting trousers.
One OF his shrewd blue ewes had
cast that made II impossible 10
tell Just what he was looking at.
His nose was or the Roman variety.
long and hooked, and he wore a
little puff Of reddish-gray whiskers
on his chin and always had one
cheek bulged out with a wad of
fine-cut.
Grlmes was an inveterate story
teller and could get or n warn IN a
peculiarly dry and humorous man
her that was inimitabIe. He was
natural ventriloquist. his long and
prominent nose aiding him as no
SAID. In raising the high falsetto
tones he could produce with mouth
tightly closed. He was also a,
adept at tricks OF legerdemain and
parlor magic, and his Yankee no.
lions. his stories. and stunts made
MIN a welcome caller at the lonely
farm houses and the village taverns
where he swapped entertainment
LOT rood and lodging and pins and
pills for shillings and pence.
Old Grimes was a wonderful per
FORMER on that martial instrument
OF pioneer days that the Scotsmen
or Canada scorned as a Yankee
whustlin sthick." but which I'm the
hands OF old training dav musicians
SVuid De heard far and away be-
yond the skirtling OF the pipes-t6e
NE. wherever old Billy Crimes
went ne carried his little lockwood
NE. and by a popularity Of pinch
ing or half covering the holes he
could strike tones SO riercing and
shriIl as 20 fairly sting all the air
20 ne, and when he let loose with
Ola Dan Tucker or The Soldiers
JOY. his fife could be heard singing
an octave above all the fifers in one
81 tIe Old time training day bands
OF thlrty or forty drummers and
fifers. When he met up' with such
old players as Milo Chase. Tho
stockholm tfer, sam Curtis. the
WhlrlWind snare drummer. OF
Crarys Mills, and old Hezekiah
WinsIow, who pounded both heads
OF MS long barreled bass drum with
a SUCK IN either hand. Old Billy
crimes was IN his glory. and no
such martial music will probably
ever be heard again as those musi-
cans or bygOne day could evoke.
What became of Old Billy
crimes is not positively known. but
II is claimed that he died just about
AZ the outbreak Of the civil war
ana IS buried In a little country
graveyard in Franklin County. not
Tar from the Canadian line. All
mat is known in that locality re-
gardlng the close Of his career is
mat without a doubt Old Grimes
Now. the third Mr.. Grimes Is de-
scribed as follows. in an article in a
New England periodical:
Ephraim Grimes, or Old Grimes
TOT ne was better known by the lat
Ter sobriquet. was the son OF JospDh
and Sarah Grimes. and was born
IN eWksbury. Mass. about 1856.
lie moved 10 Hubbardston when
he was five years old, and certainly
put a different phase on doings OF
that town when he was at his tan
trums. He was lively in youth as
wei as IN old age, and his ma
neuvers will live while Hubbardston
has habitatiOns.
His parents were superstitious
and often excited their children
Win stories of COLLINS. fairies. In
dlans. elves. ghosts, and the like
and II Is thought these stories had
a tendency 20 weaken the mind OF
Eph. He was afraid 10 go home in
the dark, and at times was exceed
lngly timid, but Notwithstanding
was full OF FRANKS.
This quiet side Of his character
was little understood and he had the
reputation all through New Eng
land or being bright and witty, but
vicious and immoral. utterly regard
less of the law Many tales are
told Of how Old Grimes visited the
courts in Worcester and Keene and
committed acts for which he was
adJudged in contempt OF court.
AT the age Of forty-two he left
HubbaTdston and did not return I'M
III he was over eighty years of age.
lie was put In the town almshouse,
where he remained six years. until
MS son TOOK him out and cared for
him.
The famous song, old Grimes Is
Dead IS generally supposed 10 have
referred 10 Ephraim. Those who
have ever read or heard OF the Hub
bardston character connect him, at
any rate, with the familiar lines"
Albert Gorton Greene the author
OF the poem. was born in Provi-
dence. r. l., on February 10. 1902.
and died in Cleveland, Ohio. on jan
uary 4. 1858 He graduated at
Brown University in 1920, and was
admitted to the bar in 1923. He be-
came Judge In 1S4S. Besides "Old
Grimes, he wrote other well-known
poems. included among which are
The Militia Muster" "Adelheid."
The Baron's Last Banquet" and
"Canonchet."
Judge Greene was associated in
the founding OF the Providence. r.
l.. Athenaeum, and was president OF
the Rhode Island Historical Society
from 1854 10 the time OF his death.
He began collection OF American
poetry, which passed into the hands
of Caleb Fiske Harris. from whose
estate II was purchased by Henry r.
Anthony and bequeathed 20 Brown
University.