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partners again met; then a promenade. The above songs, we believe, are enough of the old folk play songs to give a fair view of the wonderful plays the back country boys and girls used to enjoy.
At the singing of the last line every player tried to swing at once; each trying to swing his choice for a partner. Of course two boys failed to get partners, they became the Tuckers for the next round of playing. Shoot The Buffalo This was one of the most popular dance songs we had, I think mainly because its execution conformed so closely to the square dance.
This was also sung to as many varying verses as the song leaders could compose; and it often occurred that verses were repeated a number of times in order to continue the play. And then there was "Buffalo Girls". Sometimes used for a play song, and as often used for a "Break-down dance tune". Or a fiddle tune. The song:
Old Brass Wagon was another old play song, lively and quick, that was played after the same manner as Roxy Ann, given above. It was sung thru as many verses as there are parts to a wagon. The song begun:
Then a verse for – A wheel flew off the old brass wagon. -- 97 -- And — The tongue broke out of the old brass wagon And — The seat lost off the old brass wagon. And so a verse to each lost part of the old brass wagon so long as the jovial players needed verses to continue their play. Fence Posts, Barbed Wire and Lawlessness All this country was different then, In the period during the Civil War and for more than a decade thereafter, a period of lawlessness developed that: was a great annoyance to the settlers who would be respected law abiding citizens. The first outstanding character who became a menace to the peace of the settlements was one Frank Harko. He refused to take service with soldiers going into the war, or with the rangers going to protect the frontier. He began marauding on the settlements, stealing horses and cattle. The settlers began trying to capture him. He moved into the west and built a cabin near one of the ranches where he aligned himself with a small band of Indians. A party of rangers of which Alfred Kerby was a member, located him near this cabin. He mounted his horse and rode for the brush, and made his escape. Alfred Kerby gave chase, but, riding a horse he had unhitched from the plow a few days before, was unable to get in gunshot of the outlaw. In 1865 a scout on Kings Mountain observed a thin blue column of smoke rising, out of the timber on a branch to the east. The scout worked his way near enough to the camp to identify Frank Harko and his Indian confederates. The scout immediately reported to Sheriff -- 98 -- |
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