The (o Fh Se sg t fons = fet gett a rm - - Ry ELMO SCOTT WATSON SHORT time ago a Mont. real newspaper printed an article under the title of “Our Canadian Folk-Dances” in which Kathleen Redman Strange, the author, sald: “If you ever have watched a group of country people engaged In a ‘square’ dance, you will readily understand why I re Bret the pass ime fa- vorites from the floors of our present. day country dance halls “As recently as ten years square or group tegral part of life. Today the modern tendency for azz is g of these old-t ago these an In- country dances were our western crowding old-time fiddler and the old-time dances, The old-time fi play the new dance mu he can play the old Irresi The that not only the fiddlers, the and the old rhymes themselves also the who know dance the figures are disappearing.” If this Canadian woman™ad crossed the boundary line into this country and visited various places in a number of different states she might have dis- covered that mourning over the “pass- ing of the old-time fiddler” is still a bit premature. If, for instance, she had gone Into the Catskills in New York she might have made an interest. mg discovery, as witness the following from the New York' Sun: Having explored the Catskills, Mary Elizabeth Osborn has record- ed In American Speech some of the results of her; observations on the square dance, The neighbors gather In the “front parlor,” the barn or, corrupting touch for the true antiquarian, In the garage. The fiddler calls the figures; he is dictator of the dance: he “has been known to stop fiddling and scold the dancers if the figure is not being performed quite swift. ly enough or evenly enough to meet his approval.” Whatever the dance may be, says this historian, there are Intrcdue- tory and closing steps that are al ways the same. The opening figure is ordered thus: “Head couples, Right and left, Half promenade Ladies change, Balance four, Allemand left, All promenade The closing figure 1s directed In this fashion by the master of festivi- ties: “Ladies to the right and swing, Balance to the next: Gents to the right and swing, Balance to the next; Allemand left, All promenade” In “Captaln Jinks” a favorite dance, the figures are performed with enthusiasm to these quatraing, the “flying lady” is frequently lifted bodily from the fisor and swung In the alr with right good will : “First lady swing with Captain Jinks: Now with the one that never drinks; Now with the one that carries the chinks, And now with the dude of the ballroom. First Seuitloman dance with lady so alr; Now gi the one with curls In her alr; Now with the one that flies In the alr, And now with belle of the ball room.” A typleal dance for four couples is expressed in these lines: two give right hands across, gk vith the left; Nn between side couples, And forward six, out the canno consequence is ‘callers,’ people Richmond, Va.—For the first time In Virginia's history the old lyrics of a forgotten day that came to America with the first colonists, are to be heard again, when the pictur. esque valleys and hollows of the Blue Ridge mountaing surrender their moun- tain bards, April 14 to 17, of this year for the first Virginia music festival, to be held at Charlottesville. Above is shown a group of the old fiddlers get. ting in a bit of practice for the com- ing festival, And back with the left: Join your partner, And balance four in a line: $ 1 to places And " This is an Catskills the promenade all aspect of life in the summer boarder does not know {mr author says that In the villages the square dances are falling off somewhat In popularity, are as greatly a generation Jazz leaves the guests apa- but on the farms th enjoyed Ago thetie. It was only a year or so ago that the Kansas City Star chronicled the fact that “ten old-time fiddlers, five from north Missour! and an equal number from the southern section of the state, will saw It out December 30 at Jefferson City for the state champion- ship. The winner will receive a large loving cup he contest is expected ta take all night™ And the Rolla (Mo.) Herald reported that “the Ozarks have radio and free rural mall delivery; they have automobiles and roads but refuse to abandon the old square dance where the fiddler plays the ‘Arkansas Traveller and ‘Turkey in the Straw’ and at the same time calls the dance figures in verse. A year or so ago a South Dakota editor, commenting upon the revival of the old-time dances in that state, was moved to the following reminis cence of an earlier day: In the spring of 1570, I witnessed my first frontier dance. A new store building was to be dedicated with a dance. There was room for three “sets” of four couples each to dance at once and the musician and ealler was Dume Evahs, Jpst what Dume was a contraction of I never knew. His music didn't appeal even to my unpracticed ear, but his unique and poetic Improvision as he “ealled” to his own fiddling impressed me more than the movement of the dancers, When the sets were full, Dume's fid- die and also his voice came into ae tion. He always sang In a droning monotone, keeping time also with his foot. The opening was always the same, “S'lute yer partners, “Jine hands and circle to th' left. “Right hand to yer partner an’ grab right and left.” By this time his eyes were closed and his voice had risen to a sort of rythmatic wall: “First couple lead to the couple on the right. “Lady In the center an’ three hands ‘round ; mind yer feet fellers, don’t tromp on her gown, “First lady swing out and second lady in; three jine hands and circle agin, “On to the next couple, hoe It down; three Jine hands and caper ‘round. ns they were “Third lady to the center: give your honey a whirl, lead to the next with your best girl. “Grab your honles, don't let ‘em an, shake your hoofs and balance “Ringtafl coons in the trees at play; grab your partners and run away.” Or there might be a variation after the grand ecircleto-theleft, something like this: - v “Buffalo gals are a comin’ out to- night ; first couple lead to the couple on the right; jaybird scoldin’ up in a tree; gents stand around and ladies yeller Jacket stand back and to the next and make them do-se; If you catch a let ‘er go; gents do-se-do, ladies mn do it some hides hit the to more cow floor, haw hay." Or it migh # sort of rem niscent a ! wonld eal “First right and watch yer step now, mind ace and swing left behind Yer pi yer hack to gnl, Yer. the gal 3 ral endurance appar inexhaustible as his Hour after mid sereech improvision id fiddle we * of the his foot Of fter hour the 1d drone on whi kept time without Intermission. course there « of irrigation, seemed to be effected by his potions, and when at last up it was near the hour of blushing morn, ore occasional periods though Dume never the dance broke Similarly a writer In the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal told of old-time dances and fiddlers In tha state as follows: Some of the old-time Kentucky fid- dlers had more of a variety of tune ful 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 couched In loose rhyme, and the variations that took a wide range occasioned muck merriment. Following iz a sample of one of the characteristics dance calls of the period: “S’lute yer pardner and let her go: Balance all and do-sedo. 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 bhomad, Form a basket and break away; Swing around and ail get gay. All gents left and balance all: Lift you hoofs and let ‘em fall, Swing yer opposite, swing again; Ketch the sagehens If you kin. Back to pardner, do-sedo: All Jine hands and off you go. Genta salute yer little sweots: Fitch and promenade to seats” The time-honored square dance, or quadrille, included other figures, one of them being called “bird-inthe cage.” Others were made up and interpolated, such as “Swing Yer Long Cornstalk,” which had fits origin In Arkansas. Usually the dance “caller” of other days had a foghorn volce and he contributed much to the “shindiga” 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 pot yet time to write "finis” to the old-time fAddler and his dance tunes. He will hold sway at the Virginia music festival at Charlottesville this month. accord: ing to the Information accompany the pleture shown above, and judging by reports of fiddlers’ contests In other the country which have ap- in the old-time yv Oui ing Bad Sidewalks Reflect Discredit on Owners SBldewalks, In a sense, are much like the “one-hoss” ehay, We never think much about them until the durn things break down, Many factors may cause a walk to fall Into disrepair. A vagrant tree root, for Instance, may press against the under side and eventually make the adjacent section of walk look like so much disturbed ple erust. What. ever the cause of failure, a bad walk can be an menace to safety and an eye- sore. Hence, walks In disrepair should be repaired or replaced as soon as pos- sible, In most cases where the municipal ity calls the owner's attention to his walks, reconstruction with concrete is Invariably recommended and, In most Instances, required, During recent years the vogue for color In walks has aroused consider able Interest In many localities. New Orleans, as one example, has departed somewhat gbruptly from the familiar gray concrete slab. In several ef the business sections tinted concrete has been used In vari ous shades of green and red. For private walks, especially, the idea has good possibilities. The home walks could easily be tinted to harmonize with the surroundings or the color of the house Itself, interesting Some achieved under the guidance of an ar dent sidewnlk- builder, Cities of Future to Be Both Town and Country? Never again nre to live as thickly In populations the cities as they The motor ear has set Real trend : esinte m jong the and wit heir city have wided the seeks Citles of the future he in mall state enor ng a and nocrat. iypes, the all, and same general purpose sam the Cities will recreation neres In extent The “olty™ ne part of of the huma- fe nnronce! to approach which It ra rus in urbe; and real estate will be r ! : ere it now Is considered In acres and less States Making Progress Oregon, in developing the highways, has locked fountains made bhenuly of natural springs its in In North Carolina a program of beautification has been preceded hy a survey of what is termed the “bill- board rash.” California has planted trees along 600 miles of highway. Oklahoma has planted 40 miles, and extensive pro grams are under way in Indiana. Con. necticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Michigan. In Pennsylvania, unauthorized signs lining the highways are removed In semi-annual cleanups which, on one occasion last year, netted more than 25,000 boards. Proper Care of Lawn A new lawn should be helped along in the beginning by weeding it until it becomes thick enough to crowd out the weeds. If you find bare spots, throw on more seed and keep the grass coming, as it Is the best insurance against weeds, Give the lawn liberal re-seed- ing at least the first season or two after establishing. Reseed until you have established a good thick turf. Conditions are not all equally favor able and some retard the growth, We might add that light sseapdings every year will keep a lawn in excellent con- dition, but if the lawn Is neglected sey- eral years and weeds get in, It I= hard to bring it back. Factors in Highways That accessibility by means of the highways should be an important fae. tor In the selection of state parks goes without question, Most of the people who visit these areas will expect to reach them by moter ear. Whatever may be the necessary considerations In setting aside the larger park areas, It seems plain enough that many smaller parks, If only of a few acres, can be established immediately adjacent to or conveniently near the roads that are most heavily traveled. Kansas City Times, Development Handicaps Roadside attractiveness stimulates sound development and increases land values, I heard recently of « sale of n $150,000 house which was stopped because there was a nearby gasoline station. Sand and gravel operations have stopped residential development within sight of them. More develop ment Is stopped ilirough fear of what the neighboring property will do than “Intention” in Bequest Held Sacred by Courts A copy of Bamuel Hoffengtein's “Poems in Pralse of Practieally Nothing” has been filed with Sur- rogate Hetherington of Queens. It contains the last will and testament, written in Ink on a fiyleaf, of Mrs, Elizabeth Nusabaum of Bayside. The wlil contains 36 words, is properly signed and witnessed by two fellow patients in the hospital where it was written and leaves all Mrs. Nuss baum’s property to her husband. In accordance with the law rule that the Intention of the testator must be observed, the will Is presumably valid for probate, lhe law is more solleltous for the substance than for the form of wills. The scrawl of a soldier fatally burt in batile, of a patient dying In hospital, with the mind clear, is sacred to the court. Odd willis have ever been much in use with the writers of fiction—none more odd, surely. than that which Rider Haggard described 44 years ago In “Mr. Meeson's Will." This Meeson, cast away on a desert is land without writing paper, tattooed his will on the back of a girl com- panion In shipwreck: and later it was good In an English court. Just will we this is an actual Meeson profess to know; where fiction But thousands do not one of wills as bated without York World. question. —New Plenty of Thrills in This Airplane Runaway Several years ago one heard of run away Todny we ran- away airplanes—at least at the Clam. pino’ airdrome, near Rome. A hug Caproni machine in when its me motor golr see the plane moving forward. A few tancy ¢ } flong the ground more ra idly, ered ! from the for the b tors foresaw horses, have wis basking en trial Ai had set the the sun, | set for a hanie, who r slowly, was surprised to seconds of awed hes hine began fos Incident, chat i lever ns cockpit Dr. Pierce's Pellets are bowels and One & laxative—three for a best for liver, little Pellet for Adv, stomach at hart catha Insanity Laid to Idlenecss The dominant causes of mar tal disorders 1 happy d relati ot attendant financial accord ing to mn survey presented to the As soci for and Mental Diseases at its held recently in New York. The that of cases studied, ilness caused in twenty-five instances ation Research In Nervous moetings 100 survey shows mental was by friction in family life and In fifteen cages by unemployment and loss of savings. Other included: death of relatives, nine; anxiety over heaith of family, sixteen, and emo tional stress of an unnamed type, seven, Dr. A. C. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers