The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-20
SOLDIERS STILL
CARRY BULLETS
Member of Fiddling Troupe
Tells How He Came to
Enter Vaudeville.
GIVES UP INSURANCE
BUSINESS FOR STAGE
Evolves Idea While Assisting
COnfederacy Daughters in
Entertainment.

Evincing marked cordial,y. Colonel j.
4. Pattee. manager and director OF the
"OId Soldier Fiddcrs" at the Orphcum
this week. welcomed Tribune repre-
sentative Monday afternoon at his ho-
tel His smile WAS u welcome in itself
His steady bandshake was that OF a
man
We'll" said the colonel. three OF us
boys still have bullets In our bodies. but
aside from that we're all right. Yes.
were the same men and the same fight
Ing iiddlers that actually served in the
opposing armies from 1862 to 1865.
conceived the idea OF taking my COM
radcs into vaudeville about two years
ago. ] was in the insurance business
then. and by the way. that's a good
business.
While | WAS in Huntington. w. Va.
the Daughters OF the Confcderacy were
planning to give an entertainment. They
asked me TO assist them. The Idea APP
poaled to me. | Immediately took steps
10 put on contest and advertised wide
y for old soldier musicians To take part.
Fiddlcrs. nferG and drummerS came from
every direction. guess that at least
flfty contested for the prizes, An old
fiddler. 81 years old. won the FIRST prize.
a rocking chair. and he nearly rocked
himself 10 death while he Gddled.
Decides on Tour.
lniS entertainments n1aut sucn a MT
that ! decided to take two boys in blue
and two sons OF Dixie on a little tour.
We made many of the big towns In that
part Of the country; At Norfolk. Va.
interests called upon me. | was per
suaded TO get into vaudeville. Tho boys
were willing and we opened r"ht there
with six months contract. Before our
time was completed we were contracted
for Tor three years.
"One OF the old hddlers that took part
in the contest al Huntington was Cap
tain George +. Dlllan. who is with us
now. He is the biggest man in our little
company. He Is a rebel. 81 years young.
You should have seen him the day he
came down from the Virginia mountains
10 fiddle. Nobody ever dreamed that he
would he "a footight fayorite or a matt
nee idol, but he is just ask him. Cap
tain Dilllan served with the Thirty fourth
Virginia cavalry and is a Democrat.
I'm the two years that We have been
on the stage two OF the old iiddlers have
given out. They were sent to their
homes. where they passed into eternal
rest.
Big Waiting List.
Il have big waiting list and almost
every day receive letters from some old
soldier who desires To join us. There
never will bc any make believe veterans
in our act. We viii have the real thing
when Captain Frank Il. Turner
Joined us he didn't have Il beard. | suG-
gested that he grow one and he aston,
ishod us all by growing whskers that
look liko Sousa's You see. We now have
a Sousa OF our OWL Captain Turner
was with the First Connecticut cavalry
straight Republican ticket at Utica.
y. Y.
Corporal c.. A. W. Ford joined our
ranks at New Haven last summer. He
Is the man with the rattle bones. He
never can keep his feet still, either. He
is the oldest kid with us. being 10 years
of age. Corporal Ford served In the
infantry. From 1850 to 1860 he travelled
about the country with minstrel troupe.
They say he flirts.
Only Single Member.
Captain c. II. Bammcrslcy Is the
only one Of the fighting flddiers that
However. he has about as much fun as
any OF us. | wouldn't be bit surprised
10 have him tell me. after We leave here.
that he has been ali through the temple.
The number OF letters he gets from pref
" girls is amazing. Captain Hammer
sley served with "A Virginia regiment. He
comes from Appomatox Court House
81 could tell you more about the fid |
dlers but I want To talk to YOU now
about my relatives. | have relations in
every section Of
At this juncture Mrs Pattec. a charm
ing little woman. exclaimed: wait a |
minute until | tell you about mine!''
Colonel Pattee refused to continue the |
story OF the family tree. but he said.
with apparent pride. that ''Dr A. j. |
Hosmer OF Salt Lake Is a cousin OF |
mine.
Colonel Pattee was with the Twenty
fourth Michigan infantry and Rattcry B. |
Fourth United States artillery. Iron |
Brigade" which suffered the heaviest |
loss in the battle OF Gettysburg, The
violin on which he plays while directing
his comrades was given 10 him by his
mother. fifty-fivc ycArs ago, when he
was II years old.