The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-03

1.-TWO months, more likely" came the
voice of his admirer near the fire
place.
Mr.. Ober was ambitious. Hs
played such favorites as ''Napoleon's
March of Triumph, ""Over the Rhine
and I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles"
He didn't pat his foot, but the audi
ence did.
Next came Leather Breeches,"
although the old gentleman beside
the fire confided the fact that he
couldn't tell it from "Pretty Mary
Ann" and that it all sounded like
Turkey in the Straw" to him.
Then "Dixie' and the Arkansas
Traveller" followed by cries from all
parts Of the house:
"Strawbeaters, give US the straw
beaters." So they came by teams.
A fiddler would seat himself on a
chair and another man, armed with
heavy straw, would seat himself
opposite. AS the fiddlers played the
strawbeater would strike the strings
of the fiddle with the straw in time
with the music. 1t sounded like a
little orchestra with fancy trap
drummer.
The strawbeaters were greeted
with great acclaim toward the end
Of their contest. Mr.. Myers sprang
to his feet and gave an example Of
buck and wing dancing. His white
head bobbed about IN the light. His
feet battered over the floor like a
lad, and, as he paused triumphant,
he said: "They say that dancing Is
a sin and I've got rheumatism, but
sin or no sin, I'll dance when the fid-
dies scrape"
When the prizes were announced
it was found that Mr.. Ober won for
men over fifty and Myers had won
a dancing prize. The team of Ober
and Sanderson won the prize for the
strawbeaters.
Similarly a writer In the Louisville
(Ky.) Courier-Journal told of old-time
dances and old-time fiddlers in that
state as follows:
Some of the old-time Kentucky fid.
dlers had more Of variety Of tune
full breakdown melodies in their rep
ertoire than others, but there was
one accomplishment in which fewer
excelled. That was the calling of the
dance figures, which some of them
could do in an original and novel
way.
The figures Of the old-time square
dances were called off in the quaint
vernacular coucned in loose rhyme,
and the variations that took a wide
range occasioned much merriment.
Following is sample Of one of the
chara dance calls Of the
period:
"Slute yer pardner and let her go.
Balance all and do-se-do.
Swing yer gal and run away:
Right and left and gents sashay.
Gents to right and swing or cheat:
On TO next gal and repeat.
Balance next and don't be shy;
Swing yer pard and swing her high.
Bunch the gals and circle round:
Whack yer feet until they bound.
Form a basket and break away;
Swing around and all get gay.
All gents left and balance all:
Lift you hoofs and let EN- fall.
Swing yer opposite. swing again;
Ketch the sagehens If you kin.
Back to pardner, do-se-do;
All jine hands and off you go.
Gents salute yer little sweets;
Hitch and promenade to seats"
The time-honored square dance, or
quadrille, included other figures. one
Of them being called 'bird-in-the-
cage" Others were made I'D and
interpolated. such as "Swing Yer
Long Cornstalk," which had its
origin in Arkansas. Usually the
dance "ca1ler" of other days had a
foghorn voice and he contributed
much to the ''shindigs" of the period
that often lasted until daylight be-
fore the final strains Of Home.
Sweet Home" broke up the party.
All Of which offers rather conclu-
sive evidence that it's not yet time TO
write "fnis' to the old-time fiddler
and his dance tunes. He will hold
sway at the Virginia music festival
at Charlottesville this month. accord
ing to the Information accompany the
picture shown above, and judging by
of folders contests in other
parts Of the country which have an
peared in the newspapers recently. it
seems likely that he win pursue his
calling for some time yet to come
&C by Western Newspaper Union.)