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Champion
Fiddler of Monroe County
Source:
The entertaining newspaper articles that follow are from the
collection of Don Duvall (donduvall@direcway.com).
Some articles are dated but the original newspaper titles are
unknown.
Dec
1921: “One of the largest audiences ever seen in a Paris theatre
sat Thursday evening through an hours fiddling by musicians of the
old school – men who have spent many a painstaking year in
laboriously picking out by ear, here a chord and there a little tune
on their instruments in order that the pleasure loving portion of
the neighborhood population might enjoy the relation and merriment
incident to an old fashioned “hoe down” or a country square
dance. This was a real
country contest – one in which men of elderly years and ancient
fiddlers were entered from all sections of rural Monroe County and
one to which partisans of the “sawdust artist musician” from all
parts of the country came.
Wood
Brown, a farmer living southwest of Paris, fiddled through the
contest to place as winner of the gold medal given by the theatre
management as first prize. Lute
Rigey (sic), also a farmer, of south of Madison, came in for second
and John Lewellen of Florida, took third.
Second prize was a gold meal and third a silver one.
The
setting arranged, as inside scene of a log cabin, with a fireplace,
drying skins, a musket and other articles with which our pioneer
ancestors were wont to adorn their dwellings, was an ideal one for
all the picturesque fiddlers as they sat grouped in a semi-circle
about an open fireplace or came forward one by one to raise their
fiddles to their shoulders and saw out “The Lost Indian” or
“The Arkansas Traveler,” furiously chewing their tobacco in
unison with the sounds of their instruments and the tap, tap, tap of
their feet beating out the time.
Brown,
winner of the contest, is 54 years old, a farmer and has been
fiddling for 46 years, since he was eight, learning to play on an
instrument made from a gourd. All
his playing, as was that of most of the other contestants, is by
ear. The instrument on
which Brown played is a Sweitzer, made in Switzerland, of which fact
he is very proud. It is
fifty years old. The
first tune he learned to play was “Negro on the Road to Kansas.”
The three selections which Brown played were “The Lost
Indian,” “The Arkansas Traveler,” and “Leather Breeches.”
The selection which brought down the house was “The Lost
Indian” played as only Brown can play it and interspersed here and
there with the call of a lost Indian brave.
Lute
Riley, was the winner of the gold medal given for second place in
the fiddlers contest held at the Paris Opera House last Thursday
evening. Lute is a
farmer, 45 years old and has been fiddling for 16 years.
He learned to play under singular circumstances.
During a period of convalescence following an attach of
sickness when he was 29, a neighbor brought over an old fiddle
telling him to while away his time picking out tunes on it.
From this beginning, Riley’s musical education has advanced
until now he is rated with the best fiddlers in the country.
Riley owns the oldest fiddle played in the contest, his
instrument being over 100 years old, with a history dating back
through his grandfathers time to an old darky from whom the latter
bought it and who did not its real age nor its make.
John
Lewellen, better known as “Uncle John,” from the little village
of Florida, was the oldest fiddler in the contest held at the Opera
House several weeks ago. Lewellen
in three score and ten, with grayed hair and eye-sight and hearing
slightly impaired. Lewellen
is yet among the first fiddlers of the county, and is still and
healthy, despite a life of hard work.
Lewellen, born in Hannibal, has been fiddling for 60 years
learning from an old violin maker in Hannibal.
The fiddle on which he played is over 40 years old and
Lewellen, after the death of his wife when he was 32, took up his
residence in a small house mounted on sled runners which he moved
from place to place as he wished, following his trade of carpenter
and “Jack of All Trades,” as a sign over his door post stated.
For the last 4 years he has lived in the little village of
Florida, just across the street from the house in which Mark Twain
was born, eking out a living by fashioning Mark Twain souvenirs from
bits of wood salvaged from a lean-to which was torn from the house
of Twain’s birth recently.”
Dec
27, 1921: “Old Time Fiddlers ‘Hit ‘Er Up’ On Forefathers
Tunes – Hundreds of Feet Thump Floor at Paris Open House –
‘Chaw’ of Tobacco Takes Place of Baton – Contestants’ Jaws
Keep Time – Winner Learned to Play Gourd – Another Was Papal of
Ole Ball.”
Special
to Monitor-Index.
Paris,
Mo., December 27. –
Who of you ever attended an old fiddlers’ contest and listened to
some of the old time “hit ‘er up” on the tunes your
forefathers delighted in? What
one of you is there who does not know the joy that comes in watching
and listening to an aggregation of men of the old school of
musicians as they struggle with “fiddle and bow” to prove to an
audience their prowess and skill?
The
largest audience ever seen in a Paris, Mo., theatre sat spellbound
Thursday evening through an hour’s fiddling by just such old time
musicians – men who have spent many a painstaking year in
laborious picking out by ear here a chord there a little tune on
their instruments in order that the pleasure loving portion of their
neighborhood population might enjoy relaxation and merriment
incident to an old fashioned “hoe down” or a community county
square dance.
Was
a Real Contest.
No
such contest as that held Thursday evening at the Opera House in
Paris had ever been held in Monroe County.
To be sure, there have been old fiddlers contest during
recent years but all have been township or community affairs and the
decision of the judges (had) in most cases depended on the previous
reputation the fiddlers have made for themselves.
This was a real county contest. One
is which men of elderly years and ancient fiddlers were entered from
all sections of our music loving little county, and one to which
partisans of the “sawdust artist musician” from every
neighborhood in the county came.
Never was there such a representative crowd from various
county neighborhoods assembled in one place in the county.
Wood
Brown Wins.
Wood
Brown, a farmer living southwest of Paris, fiddled through the
contest to a place as winner of the gold medal given by the theatre
management as first prize. Lute
Riley, also a farmer, of south of Madison, came in for second and
John Lewellen of Florida, sometimes called “Uncle John,” took
third. Second prize was
a gold medal and third prize a silver one.
Never was there such an aggregation of fiddling artists at
one place in Monroe county, all but one of the five entered being
veterans of many years standing and with reputations for fiddling
that would be heard to beat anywhere in Missouri.
The setting arranged, an inside scene of a log cabin with a
fireplace drying skins, a musket and other articles with which our
pioneer ancestors were wont to adorn their dwellings, was an ideal
one for the picturesque fiddlers as they sat grouped in a
semi-circle around a log fire or came forward one by one to raise
their fiddles to their should, and saw out “The Lost Indian” or
“The Arkansas Traveler,” furiously chewing their tobacco in
unison with the sound of their instruments and the tap, tap, tap of
their feet beating out the time.
Feet
Get Busy.
As
each one went to the front and took his seat or remained standing to
play, applause shook the building, and as the music progressed, a
rhythmical tap, tap, tap form hundreds of pairs of feet in the
audience, keeping time with that of the fiddler, vibrated through
the building from roof to foundation.
The audience sat forward on seat edges, straining to catch
and interpret ever least harmonious sound.
Old fiddlers strained toward the actor in an effort to get
the technique and interpret the touch that could ring out such music
as had never been heard from a local fiddle and bow before.
(rest of article missing)
1967:
“Surprise Birthday Supper”
“Neighbors
and friends gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wood Brown Sunday
night in honor of Uncle Wood’s 67th birthday, each
bringing lovely baskets of delicious food.
It was a complete surprise, but a very welcome one to Uncle
Wood. Those present
were: Harold Rouse and wife, E.S. Deaver, Clarence Robinson, wife
and son, Roy Maxey and wife, Mrs. Will Grimes, Ed Hill, Wilbur
Conley, wife and daughter, Tom Curtright and wife, Frank Young and
family, Raymond Young and wife, John Rouse and family, Mrs. Dennis
Young and family, Mrs. Ben Houchins and family, Harwood Willis, Bart
White, wife and son, Harry Brown, wife and daughter.
Everyone had a fine time and left wishing Uncle Wood many
more happy birthdays.”
“Wood
Brown Injured”
(Abt
1983): Wood Brown, 83 year old champion fiddler of southwest of
Paris, was taken for treatment to McCormick hospital in Moberly
Saturday, after his son, Bill, had a car from the garage and knocked
him down. Both Brown
and his son thought Mr. Brown was standing out of the way of the
backing vehicle. Six
ribs were fractured, but the car did not run over him, and he was
not otherwise injured. His
condition was reported as satisfactory.” |
