State

Роде Six THE STATE October 10, 1936 Kidder Cole and Felix Alley COMPARATIVELY few North Carolinians know that our well known superior court jurist was the author of one of the most famous lianjo ballads ever written. B«; JOHN A. PARRIS, JR. IDDER COLE was the hello of the mountains. A mountain bov scribbled a sontr about her to soothe a burning heart. It became the most famous banjo ballad in all the land. She’s a grandmother now and he’s a superior court jurist. "Kidder Cole" has been heard from Maine to Texas. A ballad like ‘‘Kidder Cole" never does grow old. I heard it first when my father strummed it on his banjo. When Felix Eugene Alley, Sr., wrote that ballad, little did he think that some day it would l*e broadcast over the air, phonograph records made of it, and thousands of copies printed. Ho only wrote it because he let another mountain youth beat his time. Sixteen stanzas soothed his burning heart. Wherever banjos are strummed and the caller yells “swing your partner!" “Kidder Cole" is known. Felix Alley was only 16 at the time, lie lived in the shadow of old White- sides Mountain in Cashiers Valley at the headwaters of the Tuckaseegee. Daughter of a Merchant Now Kidder Cole was the daughter of a merchant, a man of sterling qual¬ ity who later was sheriff of his county. Felix Alley lived nearby. For a long time he had had his eye on Kidder Cole. Everybody said she was the beauty of the mountains. And just about young Felix’s age, too. An all-night dance at the home of au Englishman by the name of Grimshaw inspired the ballad. Felix bad been going to some of the mountain dances and had danced with Kidder Cole. Although he had no en¬ gagement, Felix had planned in his own mind he would dunce with her the whole night long. He was late in getting to the dance, however, and when lie arrived it was in full swing. Through the doorway he saw, to his bitter disappointment, that his cousin, Charley Wright, already had claimed Kidder Cole as a partner. And Charley Wright danced with her the whole night through. It was early fall and Kidder Cole left a few days later for school in An¬ derson, S. C. Young Felix then began planning how he was going to beat Charley Wright’s time. She came back the following spring and Felix made his banjo ring. At a Fourth of July celebration when the speaking was over there was a dance. Felix Alley had his opportunity then. He made peace with Kidder Cole and beat Charley Wright. An hour later Charley came in, saw Felix with Kidder, and “turned to go back to his home with a saddened soul." Hut neither Felix Alley nor Charley Wright married Kidder Cole. Both married, however, later on. An Heroic Deed Charley Wright was killed a few years ago in an automobile aecident. OLD THINGS ARE BEAUTIFUL Old Ihingx lire beautiful. The worn threads Of a knitted shawl Musty nd 1 1 the years. Or a mud handled album Filled with pictures Of almost forgotten Friends and sweethearts. The gnarled limbs Of an ancient sycamore Silhouetted against Л twilight sky. . . . The shapely carved figure Of an old piano Covered with yellow copies Of Annie Laurie And Old Mack Joe. — Old things are beautiful. Frank L. Alderman. Although he didn’t win the girl, he did win a Carnegie medal worth $2,000 and also $2.000 in gold for bravery 12 or 1-1 years ago. He rescued a itian who had fallen down to the brink of a preci¬ pice; a sheer drop of 1,400 feet on Whitesides Mountain. Had the man rolled another inch he would have plunged into the yawning ravine below and been dashed to pieces on the jagged rock. Charley Wright climbed down there by some means, that even the old mountaineers cannot un¬ derstand. He managed to push the limp body of the man with his own head up to the shelf of the precipice, from where he was rescued with the aid of others. I have heard it said that even a wildcat could not cling to that precipice. Kidder Cole and Felix Alley are still living. Numerous verses for “Kidder Cole” have sprung up, but these are the origi¬ nal as Felix Alley scribbled them to soothe a burning heart : “My name is Felix Eugene Alley, My best girl livps in Cashiers Valley; She’s the joy of my soul And her name is Kidder Cole. “1 don't know — it must have been chance, 'Way last fall when I went to a dance. I was to dance with Kidder — the live¬ long night But got my time beat by Charley Wright. “If I ever have to have a fight I hope it will be with Charley Wright ; For he was the ruin of my soul When he beat my time with Kidder Cole. “When the dance was over I went away To bide my time till another day, When I could cause trouble and pain and blight To sadden the soul of Charley Wright. “I thought ray race was almost run When Kidder went off to Anderson; (' Continued on page sixteen)