I wasn't there for the Smelser session, Art. That was the year of my first "heart episode" and I was groundeed. Lee went out to Indiana with Henry Felt, a student on a work project from Goddard College, and Dunford took them to meet and record Vern Smelser. They didn't get a lot of songs, but there are a few more in the "archive." Isn't he a dandy singer? And you are so right about old Joe Estey. Unfortunately, it's he "was" a fine singer. Those tapes were made some thirty-seven years ago!

Wait until you hear some of the great songs I got from William Harrison Burnett in Fayetteville, Arkansas! That will have to wait for volume two, I fear, but I'm assembling some of the material in my head right now. If the response is decent to this first volume, I'll get to work on the second as soon as I can wrap up several projects that simply have to come first. Got to balance these labors of love with a few that actually sell!

Speaking of "Broken Token" ballads, did you see Paul Stamlers comment when he played "That's the Ticket" on his radio show last week? He said he was waiting for the version in which the fellow returns, saying "Rejoice! Here's your long lost love!" And she says "Let's see now, were you the bracelet or the ring?"

Irene (Kossoy) Saletan always introduced the ballads in which the wayfaring fellow disguises himself to test the gal's loyalty after all the years he's been away by saying "This isn't a murder ballad, but it ought to be!" Sandy