The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1919-12-18
THE ARKANSAW
TRAVELLER

was ever written at all--DuC just play
ed, one fiddler learning it by ear from
another who had picked it up in the
same manner and thus passing it on
from one community to another and
from generation to generation. In
that case, who started it?
The answer has been sought fire.
quently and numerous Investigations
have been made, but, according to
Charles T. Davis in a copyrighted ar
ticle in the Arkansas Gazette, there is
no doubt in Arkansas as to who origi-
mated the tune or the story that goes
with it. Entire credit is given to Col.
Sanford c. Faulkner, who, while trav-
cling through the state in 1910, is said
to have stopped at the cabin of
mountain squatter, where he "passed
some banter" with the squatter and
later played the fiddle for him.
No less widely known than the
words and music is the picture of the
"Arkansaw Traveller" and concerning
the authorship of the picture there is
no dispute 1t is the work of Edward
Pavson Washburn and was painted
in 1858 at what was once Norristown,
in Pope County, Arkansas. The pic
ture which is now the property of
the artists niece, Mrs. George Black
of Russelville, Ark, shows the travel
er talking to the squatter, who is
seated on a whiskey barrel in front
of his cabin.
The native characters in the picture
are said to be types. The lank, quaint
mountain man crowned with his coon
skin cap and in his patriarchal beard,
as well as his equally lank and slat-
tern family could have been duplicated
without number in the "backwoods"
of Arkansas at that time. The trav-
eler is Colonel Faulkner. Whether
drawn from memory of the man, from
daguerrotypes, or from description it
is impossible to say, but it is believed
to be a good likeness.
The following dialogue is said to
have taken place between the traveller |
and the squatter:
Traveller Hello, stranger.
Squatter-Hello, yourself.
T.-Can l get to stay all night with
you?
S.-You can git to go to hell.
T.-Have you any spirits here?
S.-Lots of 'em. Sail saw one last
fIo{ al ha1lar !
gum, and it nearly skeered her to
death.
T.-You mistake my meaning, have
you any liquor?
S.-Had some yesterday, but Ole
Bose he got in and Tapped all of it
out'n the pot. =
T.-You don't understand me.
don't mean pot liquor. Pm wet and
cold and want some whiskey. Have
you got any?
S.-Oh, yes, 1 drank the LAST this
morning.
Tim hungry, haven't had thing
since morning. Can't you give me
something to eat?
SAINT DANCED thing in the
house Not mouthful of meat or
dust of meal here.
T.-Well, can't you give my horse
something?
Scot nothin' to feed him.
T.-How far is it to the next house?
ST. don't know. I've never been
thar.
T-Well, do you know who lives
here?
ST. do.
T.-As Pm bold, then, what might
your name be?
SIT might be Dick and it might !,
be Tom, but it lacks a DANCED sight
of it.
T.-Sir, will you tell me where this
road goes to?
SITS never been anywhar since
I've lived here. It's always been thar
when l git up in the morning. :.
T.-Well, how far is it to where it
forks?
SIT don't fork at all, but it splits
up like the devil.
T.-As I'm not likely to get to any !.
other house tonight, can't you let me /,
sleep in yours? I'll tie my horse to
a tree and do without anything to eat
or drink.
S.-My house leaks. Thar's only
one dry spot in it and me and Sal =
sleeps on it. And that thar tree is
the old woman's persimmon; you can't =
tie to it, cause she don't want 'em y
shuk off. She lows to make beer 7
out'n UNI.
T.-Why don't you finish covering
your house and stop the leaks?
SITS been raining all day.
T.-Well, why don't you do it in
dry weather? i
SIT don't leak then.