Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1927-02-17
Scott & BOVINE. Bloomfield, NJ. zs-4o

- ---==------- ---===zs--=-----=---=--
least he thought it was. ] think fid-
dies in those days were like Ford
engines-they were all good. Any
way nearly every fellow seemed
to think his was the best.
The care of the fiddle was some
little consideration and about the
best place many could find for safe
keeping was to tie string around
the neck and hang it up against
the wall But not so with the
dance fiddle. Having at times to
go for miles and often ride horse
back over rough roads, some kind
of box to- carry the instrument in
was an almost indispensable ad-
junct These fiddle boxes were
not much like the neat, light, and
compact cases we see today. My
recollection of fathers outfit is that
it was rather large and cumbersome
having plenty of room for the in
strument, all accessories and then
some Oftentimes this case was
one that was dug out of solid log
but (now don't SMILEY even at that
it was comparatively light and was
marvel of skill and workmanship.
My father usually kept his fiddle
! in grandmother room" on L
/ shelf of cheese cupboard" which
no longer served its purpose. but
was used as a kind of a "catch-all. .
! But the box, when not in use, was
| kept, high up in plain view on top
of this same old cupboard. My!
How the hearts of us youngsters
would beat for JOY when, in the
evenings, father would get out the
, fiddle tune up and play. We think
his favorite piece must have been
Opera Reel" as he would usually
open up with that and after going
through his repertoire would end
up with Pop Goes The Weasel or
the Devils Dream"
At that time we had a little sis
ter, eighteen months old that was
taken seriously i'll. Father was ap-
prehensiye; worry and concern
characterized his demeanor. But in
our minds eye we can see mother
hour after hour bending over, do
ing everything possible to relieve
the little sufferer. Talk about
endurance tests" there is nothing
to compare with a good and true
mother nursing child through
siege of sickness doing everything
in her power to rescue her baby
from the jaws of death, But all in
vain. little India died. Prepar
alton was being made for the fun
eral but we We're too young to COM
prehend all. Changes were made in
the two living rooms of the house
and, with other things, the violin
box was put away OF of sight.
In those days about all the burial
caskets, or coffins as they were
called, were made in the community
by a carpenter Or cabinet maker.
The shape, style, finish etc, depend
ed largely upon the skill of the
workman. They were usually fin
ished up dark and somber and, to
our way of thinking, presented
rather a gruesome appearance.
During much Of the time of this
severe illness which only lasted a
few days and after the visit of the
Death Angel up to the hour set for
the funeral, grandmother rather
had charge of us. My youngest
brother was quite peevish and | was
mischievous. Evidently grandmoth-
er had her hands full and her pa
tience was being tried. 1t seemed
that we were kept as kind OF a
prisoner much of the time within
the confines of her room. Under
this new regime we must have got
ten somewhat restless and obstrep-
erous. We remember straddllng
around over the treadle of the
loom when We poked our head
up too high and broke some Of the
woolen threads that stretched from
a large roller to the woven fabric.
This was a serious thing, evidently
as grandmother well knew, and she
grabbed up an empty shuttle and
gave a demonstration of back and
to movement of the shuttle that
had nothing to do whatever with
the weaving of flannel. However,
as a dust remover it was fine.
The climax was reached when
we pulled off a stunt by piling
lot of corn-cobs on a dust-pan and
then gave the pan flip upward to
ceiling. One of the cobs took grand
mother a swipe back of the ear AMI
another struck the glass picture in
the lower panel of the door of
large clock that stood on the man
tel and demolished it; the rest of
the cobs went promiscuously over
the room, some alighting on grand
---------------- -@-------------------------