Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1910 — DAD’S OL’ FIDDLE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DAD’S OL’ FIDDLE.

Tisn’t pulty, that ol’ Addle, hangirf there ag*ln the wall. But among my household treasures It’s the dearest of ’em all; It is scarred an’ scratched an’ battered, but I’ve got an idee it. If ol’ dad was here to work it, could perduce some music yit. He was just a country fiddler of the Rack-Back-Davy sort. Had no virtuoso trainin’, all come t® him as a forte, An’ among his rlppertory there was one inspirin’ tune That would start us all to dancin’; which was “Ol Zip Coon!” In tl\e evenin’ after supper, when the stock had all bln fed An’ the modest skies was blushin* at the sun a-goln’ to bed, Dad ’d set an’ tune “Ol’ Betsy,” scrap- 1 in at the strings, I swear, Till he’d start ol’ Towser howlin’ like a death was in the air! — Then he’d shet his eyes a minute a-re-flectin’ what to play, An’ would start with. "Camptown Races,” take a whirl at “Ol Dog Tray,” Us a-waitln’ with impatience, fur we knowed that purty soon • He would start the strings a-qulverin' with ‘ “Ol Zip Coon!”

At the big corn huskin’ dances In the country dad was there In hls Sunday-go-to-meetin’s, an’ with bear’s lie on his hair, An’ he’d git to jerkin’ music that ’d charm a eppycure, With hls cowhide boot a-beatin’ tc the measure on the floor, They would waltz an’ they would shottlsh, dance the “Ol’ Vlrginny Reel,” , Till they’d see him puttin’ “Betsy” Into extry careful tune, Then they’d pound the lumber llVely t« ' his : “ ' "Ol Zip Coon!” I He’s a-layin’ in the shadder of a wilier tree back there. Where the music of his Addle ust to 'lectrify the air, An’ the instrument a-hangln’ on the wall he left to me As a every-day reminder of his blessed memory. An’ I often git a-thlnkln’ if he had ‘‘Ol’ Betsy" now Up among his feller spirits there ’d be ajolly row! He’d forglt he was in heaven'an’ would git her Into tune. An’ would have the angels raggin’ t« his “Ol Zip r —-— Coon!* •—Denver Weekly News-Times.