Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-09-25
HIKING VIOLNIST
VISITS AT HELENA
FRANK PICCRINNI, A WALKING
MUSICIAN, HAS REST AT
CAPITAL CITY
On Tour Of United States, Planning
to Visit Every State; at This Time
He Has Visited 20 States; WIN at
tempt to Organize Society.

Frank Piccininni Of Brooklyn,
N. Y, who is taking a longer walk
because of his love for music than
AL Smith ever t0Ok because of his
dislike for the New Deal, dropped
in at the offices of a Helena news
paper one morning recently for
short rest before reSuming a walk
ing tour which is taking him
through every one Of the as states
Of the union.
Right now he happens to be in his
2oth state and has covered roughly
1000 miles He hasn't shaved nor had
a haircut since starting out from Port
land, Me, with Portland, Ore, as his
destination and when he was seen at
the postoffice in the capital city seven
BARRIERS suffered strokes.
Real Ambition
But Mr.. Piccininni, who is 20 years
old and who for five years played the
violin with the Brooklyn Orchestra
society and who hopes some day to be
as great in musical circles as his
countryman, Toscannini, is not con-
Quoting an aimleSs tour around the
country.
Back of his long journey is an I'M
dying love of classical music which he
hopes to stimulate and revive to its
proper standard in this country. Right
musical organization similar to the old
Friends of Music group which passed
out of existence about 10 years ago.
He would like to see started a huge
symphony orchestra representative of
America and capable Of playing en-
gagements before thousands Of people
in the largest stadia in the country.
Incidentally, Piccininni, who has
studied for three years at New York
university, would ike to direct such
an organization.
But Piccininni realized long ago that
an organization of that kind didn't
iust grow. There had to be a guiding
genius behind it. The fact that he
himself lacked the money to do the
travelling necessary to interest the
proper people didn't deter him. He
took to the road with his dog, Judy,
and few blankets.
All Alone Now
But the blankets got too heavy to
carry so he discarded them. In North
Carolina Judy was run over by car.
Now Piccininni travels alone, sleeping
in hayStacks or barns or anyplace
where he can, and eating what and
when and where he can.
tits usually a feast or. famine, -
he says. But his face, what can be
seen of it through the beard, is tanned
and healthy and he looks as if his
life on the open road has been good.
It's a hard life, of course. He says
he's been arrested as many as three
times In some large cities and, be-
cause of the beard and the hair, there
are many who distrust him. Really,
he doesn't look like the sort OF chap
you'd hire to keep little Mary COM
pany or to guard the family Jewels
until he speaks.
Then you forget the beard and the
rough clothing and, under the spell
Of d beautifully modulated voice with
Just q touch Of the sun Of Italy Ia
It. and bright fires burning In his
dark eyes you think suddenly this lad
has something. And when he leaves
you It Is with the idea that perhaps,
II the breaks come right, Frank Pic
cininni some day win be "up there"
No Rides
plccininni arrived in Helena abosrt
1 o'clock IN the morning. He walked
only from winston because he had