The Harrison times., 1911-11-25
Arkansaw Travellers.
And the Turn Of the Tune. By Matthew
r. Williams.

citals of change and OF materlai ue'
yelopment in the countries he has
visited are ever received with live
attention.
Three wise men iourneyed to .Ieru-
salem. Wise people travel and tray
el adds to the stock OF the world $
wisdom.
The original Arkansas Traveller
he of the song and story of the same
name. early found the delights OF ex-
istence in his adopted state The
genius of an Arkansas citizen, Col
Sandy Faulkner, caught the most
.;.turesoue of his species and hXed
his place in literature. The story is
eamiliar one and classic OF its
lid 1t has been used in the past
asa symbol of the supposed unpro-
nressiyeness of the people OF ArKan-
sos Many columns OF newspaper
tvne have been used in an effort to
depIore its publication. But there
vas n dav when the idylic existence
n;ctured in the song and story was
~ Wild stretch of the imagination
Perhaps you have at some time
smiled indulgently at the naivete OF
The frontier hddler-the hero OF the
story. You must know that the
niece Of music which bears the name
pS"Arkansas Traveller has a turn
IN the tuue" This fiddler, as PIE
tured in the story, was unable to
nlav mast the turn in the tune
Our hero, when asked as to why
he did not repair the roof i,,,l OF his m
cabin, is quoted as saying "Wher
Il is dry it does not need repair anI
when i is raining, | cannot hS It,
when he was asked by Col FAUX
ner where the big road went to-
the broad highway of knowledge,
which passed his door, answered
1T has not gone anywhere since
have been here -,
Thus we have the pictured origin"
A,Lansas Traveller, The big road
had no appeals for him; never ma
he caught the glory of a sunset e..'' o
the mystery Of a lifting moon 'ro'
the mountain tops in whose shadoN
his cabin stood, He was content I
sit 6ddliug away, his cabin out
rcpair his roof falling in, his cor
"yaller" because he had planted Il
"yallcr" kind; splendid and maI
ni6cent picture of indifference to IS. su
roundings and of the future, hdd',,
away but never playing past u
turn in the tune
The frontier fiddler was n TYP
MANY of the crude wittieisms TO
in The story were early heard in Ne
York, New England, Virginia al
Indiana. The real Arkansas IRA
elers who yet exist are those WI
have not vet learned by explori'
tbe "bip road" that the origin
tyne now no more fingers with
The borders of Arkansas than IN a
other community OF this great Gov
try. rAA,
There is Il modern type OF Arkt
ans Traveller, however, who Is lou
everywhere, not alone in Arkons
but in every community; in the ~
ofleeislatiou, in the pulpit and p
lessious, in every walk of life
A town OF city which has not
abundance of pNrksand ploygrouI
is full of Arkansaw Travellers
Wherever men see disease, pove
and degradation about them
make no real, earnest endeavor
make such conditions impossi
their failure to act is because {
are Arkansaw Travellers
Disease breeding tenements
kept and permitted by Arkon'
Travellers None Of these trove
q are vet playing past the "turi
NJ the tune" The old order chang
New ideals of civic duty and resi-
sibilitv are everywhere being
ized, We have reached the "turI
the tune" in municipal corrupt
No longer is bribery n "eon
tional crime" Public olhe'als
coming to know that they are
"hired men" Of the whole pc,
The people have reached and
playing past the turn IN the II
The Arkansaw Traveller, sym
Of the growth and developmc'
this nation, you are coming
your own
In Arkansas, the turn i'll
tune" has been reached The
road" which passed che hd
door now leads TO great elue
winds along the banks OF the
tiul White River 1t leads thI
rice fields and beside cotton pl