Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-20
1900 BEAT TIME
To STRAINS Of
OLOF|DDLERS
Big Crowd at Auditorium Rocks
With Mirth as Tantalizin' Tunes
Move Staid AtIantans.


ly over the top OF his glasses, and
beloved that Red d-nccked" Jim Law
son, OF Milton, was the first fiddler on
the "programmy" down to the mo-
nent that the artistic soul Of "Shor-
ty Harper, of Monroe, Ga, by neck
moved him to Eallivant to the front
and shake his feet" his hands in ms
pockets and his face open until his
upper lip spoke to his eyebrows ana
his chin explored the nrst pocket OF
his vest, 40 homespun Kubellks' no
dlera ALL and nary vioiinist anons
them, held the hearts and souls OF
5000 grinning Atlantans In the noI-
low of their horny hands.
II was at the Auditorium Wednes-
day night, the opening night OF the
"Old Fiddlers' Contest which ~ belhs
staged under the auspices OF the
Daughters OF the Confederacy. Ihey
arc Going to do IL again To- night, and
to-morrow night and Saturday nlghL
provided the floor does not give way,
for the rhythm and swing and general
"potcha" qualities of the "Cackllng
Hen" "The Devils in the Wneat
Patch" and similar fiddlistic outoursts
are contagious. and they seem to go
20 the feet.
pattInp Feet snake buhu'hS'
when FiddHn' John Carson or vi
laRe Cut-up" Gid Tanner yanked thelr
fiddIes up to the side OF their heaos
ana hore down whole heartedly on
aThe DEVILS in the Wheat Patch. ana
"Eyerybody Works but Father tne
bnilding almost shook with the pat
ting of the feet, and those VINO mao
corns marked time with their heads,
and with their fingers on the backs OF
seats Ana everybody grinned. III
was a regular whale OF a show from
beginning to end.
was Colonel william Lawson Peel
who was one of the judges, and grim
ned and smiled and laughed from
start 20 finish, reaching such pitch
of enthusiasm that when Jerry Hud-
son, Of Jasper County f1ddied HOP
Light, Ladies'" he felt impeled TO can
the figures for the dance. ana, what =
more. he did 81!
And Judge Russell, OF the Court OF
Appeals. helped him. When Colonel
Peel yelled Swing cornersl 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 patung MS
feet when "Red Necked" Jim Law
son opened the show with "Joe Clark
He was still grinning and patting MS
feet when he got downtown Thursday
morning.
Staid Old Citizens Moved.
Uncle Jack Smith was therein
fact, he got there at o'clock. so he
could get front seat; and through
out the audience were scattered
Harry Schlesinger. George Napier DR.
w 81 EIkin 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 fiddlers that
they would be allowed three minutes
20 display their talents, and II they
weren't through at the end Of that
time he yanked them off the stage and
called loudly for the next. Red
Necked" Jim Lawson, with a post.
graduate degree in fiddlism, started
the ball rolling. That was when May
or Woodward started 20 grin
Then slim Ben" Day. a man with
q straight front face and the solemn
ity OF an owl. stepped forth, with his
straw beater." a man who taps the
neck OF the fiddle with stick, and
he played The Caekling Hen. q
wriEgiing, squirming, tigsaw sort OF
tune that started every foot in the
house TO patting and stamping.
Everybody kept time, and just as the
hen was giving a last triumphant
cacixle, down the aisle came an usher
and a late couple. stepping high and
keeping time to the music.
"Fiddline John" Stirs 'Em.
Then out pranced "Fiddling John"
Carson, of Blue Ridge. and he nd
died 'The DEVILS in the Wheat
Patch" with such effectiveness that
the grins broke out into a roar of
laughter and staid business men
jumped up and yelled. Wheel"
A Mr. White, n tall, gangling noun
tain youth plunked a banjo while Mr.,
Carson fddled-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 a
gale of laughter.
And when everybody had worn
themselves out laughing at "Fiddlin
John" and some of the rest. they had
to start in all over again. for there
was a mighty shout OF "Howdy.
folksl" and down the center aisle
came "Blondy' Jim Garner, with
cob pipe IN his mouth. his hat on the
tied about his neck, and great,
dumping boots on his feet.
Springs New contraption.
In one hand he carried suit case
for he had just got in, and was TAX
ing no chances with "city fellcrs," so
he brought his clothes right with him
In the other he carried a guitar and a
wonderful orcestral cOntraption by
which he could play bell and a tri-
angle with his feet, which he did later
as a member Of the "Simp- -foney' Or
chestra from Lick Skillet"
The crowd finally quieted down a
little, and Gid Tanner came on-and
of went the crowd again, Gid is
some fiddler, his ret piece being
Everybody Works but Father"
Somebody yelled. "Sing it," and he
did, breaking out with the most re-
markable voice that ever grew in
Georgia II sounded like a "goslin "
voice. but II was even mere so. Il
was q gymnast and contortionist.
il leaped from key 10 key with the
al