On February 10, 1900, the Dallas Morning News published this list of 107 tunes played on banjo and fiddle at a fiddlin' convention at Brenham. This may be the most extensive list of tunes played by traditional fiddlers to have appeared print before the 20th century – at a time when scholars had barely discovered fiddle music in the Appalachians. So a list from Texas is doubly interesting. The Civil War had ended only 35 years earlier, so many of the titles must date back that far or farther. Many are still familiar, but many familiar favorites are conspicuously absent – “Old Joe Clark” and “Durang's Hornpipe,” for example. Of course, titles like Stephen Foster’s “Oh! Susanna” (1848), “Camptown Races” (1850), and “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853) are also missing. (Foster was the composer of “Old Folks at Home” – or “Swanee River” – [1851] and “Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground” [1853], both on the list.) I've alphabetized the titles. All Jine Hands Arkansas Traveler Big Sis Billy in the Low Ground Black Cat’s Foot Black Eyed Susie Black Jack Grove Black Satin Bonaparte's Retreat Bonnie Blue Flag Brannigan’s Pup Brindle Steer Buffalo Girls Bulldog’s Eye Bull-Frog's Eye De Cackling Hen Campbell's are Coming Catfish and Minnow Cat Slept in the Shavings Cheatem Chicken in the Bread Tray Cinda [sic], Fare You Well Clear the Track College Hornpipe Coonie on the Ground Cotton Eyed Joe Dan Tucker Dat Gal is So Deceivin’ Devilish Mary Devil’s Dream Dixie Land Dog Eat a Rye Straw Downfall of Paris Drunken Hiccoughs Eighth of January Farewell Whisky Faulkey Dear [i.e., “Forked Deer” Fine Time at Our House Fisher’s Hornpipe Forked Ear [i.e., “Forked Deer”] Fuss in the Family Gal on the Log Getting Upstairs Get Up in the Cool Give the Fiddler a Dram God Speed the Plow Gray Eagle Green Brier Hell Broke Loose in Georgia Hog-Eyed Man Hop Light Ladies Irish Washwoman Jennie on the Railroad Jennie Put the Kettle On John’s Got a New House Killy Crankie Kitty is the Gal for Me Leather Breeches Little More Cider Liza Jane Lost Indian Massa’s in the Cold, Cold Ground Methodist Preacher Miss Sawyer Mollie Put the Kettle On Molly Hare Money Musk Nancy Roland Natchez Under the Hill N----r in the Woodpile Off to Georgia Old Gray Horse Old Hen Cackle Old Muse and Pups Old Straw Bonnet Old Uncle Ned One Eyed Riley Pop Goes the Weasel Possum Up the Gum Stump Pretty Polly Ann Rare Back, Davy Ricker’s [sic] Hornpipe Ringtail Coon Rocky Road to Dublin Ryan’s Buck Scrap Rye Straw Saddle Old Spike Sallie Hamilton Sally Gooden Sally Johnson Sandy Land Shoo Fly Soap Suds Over the Fence Soldiers' Joy Stump Tail Dog Sugar in the Coffee Sugar in the Gourd Suwanee River Tailor in the Loft Tom and Jerry Two-Eyed Jane Wagoner Walk Along, Jawbone Walk Along, John Walls of Jericho Want to Go to Meetin’ but Got No Shoes Young Gal So Deceivin’
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