Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-19
5000 BEAT TIME
To STRAINS Of
OLDF|DDLERS
Big Crowd at Auditorium Rocks
With Mirth as Tantalizin' Tunes
Move Staid ktIantans.


beloved that Red necked" Jim Law
son. Of Milton, was the first fiddler on
the "programmy" down to the mo-
Tnent that the artistic soul Of 'Shor-
~ Harper, Of Monroe Ca, by heck
moved him TO gallivsnt 10 the front
and "shake his feet" his hands in ms
pockets and his face open until mis-
upper lip spoke to his eyebrows ana
his chin explored the FIRST pocket Of
his vest. 40 homespun Kubeliks, no
dlers all and nary a violinist among
them, held the hearts and souls OF
5000 Erinning Atlantans In the mol
low Of their horny hands.
II was at the Auditorium Wednes-
day night. the opening night or the
"OId Fiddiers' Contest" which Is being
staged under the auspices Of the
Daughters Of the Confederacy. They
are going 10 DO Il again to- might, ahu
tomorrow night and Saturday night
provided the Moor does not give way,
for the rhythm and swing and general
''Kotcha" qualities OF the "Cackiing
Hen" THE Devils in the Wheat
Patch" and similar fddllstic outbursts
are contagious, and they seem TO go
10 the feet
Pattino Feet Shake Building.
When F1ddlin' John Carson or WI
lage Cut-up" Gid Tanner yanked their
fiddlee up to the side OF their heads
ana bore down whole -heartedly on
THE Devils in the Wheat Patch" and
nEverybody Works but Father the
building almost shook with the pat
ting of the feet, and those who had
corns marked time with their heads.
and with their fingers on the backs OF
seats. And everybody grinned, IL
was a regular whale OF show from
beginning to end
Everybody liked the fddlers. There
was Colonel William Lawson Peel,
who was one OF the judges and grim
ned and smiled and laughed from
start TO finish, reaching such pitcn
Of enthusiasm that when Jerry Hud-
son of Jasper County, fiddled Hop
Light Ladies'" he felt impelled TO call
the figures for the dance, and, what's
more he did i'll
And Judge Russell OF the Court OF
Apneals helped him. When Colonel
Peel yelled Swing corners! Judge
Russell chimed in with Balance all
And then there was Uncle Jim Wood
ward, esteemed Mayor OF Atlanta
who got as near the stage as he could
and began grinning and batting his
feet when "Red- Necked" Jim Law
son opened the show with ''Joe Clark.
He was still grinning and patting his
feet when he got downtown Thursday
morning.
Staid Old Cttizens MoNeu.
Uncle Jack Smith was therein
fact he got there at O'Clock. so he
could get front scat; and through
ont the audience were scattered
Harry Schiesinger. George Napier. DIR.
W. y. Ellsin and others. all grinning
and marking time with their feet or
hands or nodding their heads. Eu-
gene Haynes was there, too, and, OF
course. his feet were not still
Deacon Ludwig was master OF cere-
monies and very much the master,
too. He informed the fddlers that
they would be allowed three minutes
TO display their talents, and II they
weren't through al the end OF that
time he yanked them of the stage and
called loudly for the next. Red
Necked" Jim Lawson, with post
graduate degree In flddlism, started
the bali rolling. That was when May
or Woodward started to grin.
Then slim Ben" Day man with
a straight front face and the solemn
ity OF an owl, stepped forth, with his
straw beaten" a man who taps the
neck OF the flddie with stick, and
he played THE Caclxling Hen"
wriggiinG, squirming jigsaw sort OF
tune that started every foot In the
house 20 patting and stamping.
Everybody kept time, and tust as the
hen was giving a last triumphant
cacltle, down the aisle came an usher
ana a late couple, stepping nlgn anu
keeping time to the music.
"Fiddline John" Stirs EN-.
Then out pranoed "Fiddling John"
Carson, OF Blue Ridge. and he nd
died THE Devils In the Wheat
Patch" with such effectiveness that
tho grins broke out into a roar of
laughter. and staid business men
jumped up and yelled, Wheel"
A Mr.. White. tall, Eangling noun
tain youth. plunked a banjo while Mr.,
Carson fiddled--fiddled with his nd
die on his head. with his fiddle on his
shoulder and with his fiddle swing
ing like a pendulum. And then Mr..
Carson sang about the adventures OF
the devil IN a mixed choir sort Of
voice that filtered through his front
teeth and sent the audience into
gale of laughter.
And when everybody had worn
themselves out laughing at ''Ffddhn'
John" and some of the rest they had
to start in ell over again, for there
was a mighty shout OF ''Howdy
folksl" and down the center aisle
came 'Blondy" Jim Garner, with a
cob pipe IN his mouth. his hat on the
back OF his head, a red handkerchief
tied about his neck, and great
dumping boots on his feet.
Springs New contraption.
In one hand he carried a suit case,
for he had just got in, and was TAX
ing no chances with city tellers. SO
he brought his clothes right with him.
In the other he carried a guitar and
wonderful orcestral contraption by
which he could play a bell and tri-
angle with his feet. which he did later
as a member OF the "Simp- foney" Or
chestra from Lick Skillet"
The crowd finally quleted down
little, and Gid Tanner came on-and
on went the crowd again. Gid IS
some fiddler. his pet piece being
Everybody Works but Father"
Somebody yelled. Sing IL" and he
did, breaking out with the most re-
rnarlSAble voice that ever grew in
Georgia. II sounded like "goslin :"
voice. but Il was even more so. It
was a gymnast and contortionist
1t leaped from key to key with the
zest and eagerness OF a frolicsome
goat one minute II was a colora-