Memories of Ole Bull By W. H. Sanderson

 

William Henry Sanderson was born Nov 13 1837 in Mill Hall, Clinton County Pa.  I have not verified his genealogy, but others show him as the brother of George Sanderson, who owned Lochabar in Antes Fort Pa.  George Sanderson had quite the reputation as a practical joker, and is responsible for the Wii-Daagh Monument, which appears to be a bit of a hoax, in Antes Fort.  

 William Henry Sanderson gave a variety of "reminisces" to C.H. Rich, & "aged poet" John H. Chatham, & Henry Shoemaker., at Shoemaker's Restless Oaks estate in 1920.  Chatham was a notary republic, and the reminisces were all notarized so that "no doubts could ever be cast on the exactness of his statements".

Chatham and Shoemaker were two excellent folklorists and story tellers. They were not excellent historians.   Putting them in the room with the brother (if he was the brother) of George Sanderson, and adding a notary, feels like yet another prank, and makes it difficult to trust anything that was recorded that day.  But they are fun stories, and there is  at least some historical basis to all of them.  

In this story, Sanderson recalls Ole Bull's visit, and concert, in Jersey Shore Pa.  Ole, the famous Norwegian Violinist, was in this area of Pennsylvania.  He purchased land to start a new colony, "Little Norway".  Today the area is Ole Bull State Park.  There is a detailed story of his visit, and concert, in Williamsport.  Did he also give a concert in Jersey Shore?  Maybe.  There are other mentions of it, but I have not taken the time to check the accuracy.   I would have been more likely to assume it was true, BEFORE I read a story by Sanderson, recorded by Chatham and Shoemaker. Now I have my doubts.  :-)

Memories of Ole Bull 

By W. H. Sanderson 

The great Norwegian violinist was a wonder to me. I was a young fellow, about the year 1852, and was coming from the Jersey Shore high school in the afternoon, which was about four o'clock, towards our home on the river bank, which is now Alain Street, and as I and my companions came along we heard a horse coming back of us, and, turning around, we looked, and were then within twenty-five feet of my Uncle John's side door, and were going in, and we saw a man riding a horse, and he looked as if be had been on a day's journey.

The West Branch High School  in Jersey Shore was established in 1852 in the building abandoned by the Presbyterians. The School closed in 1884.

 It was Ole Bull, coming from Oleona, going to Philadelphia to see what he could do towards getting the titles straightened up for bis colonists and raise money, as it seems the party who gave the deeds did not have proper right to the land and the settlers were ordered out. 

Just then Uncle John Sanderson said : "Now, boys, look at that man." He knew he was coming and was going to give an entertainment at the High School that night, as he was a fine violinist. 

Ole Bull was riding the finest jet black horse I had ever seen in that day or this. It was an entire of about sixteen hands high and weighed thirteen or fourteen hundred pounds, but was quick and active, had a long mane and tail; was told that it was imported from Norway. 

Ole Bull wore a slouch hat and had an odd-looking coat, to me. He wore leather boots, with his trousers tucked inside of them. He was a large man and had a beard over his face, and combed his hair back over his ears, and had a florid complexion. On the back of his fine saddle he had a place made to keep his violin in, and belongings.

 He took his horse down to Reichard's Tavern and gave some instructions and the man at the barn rubbed the horse down and washed him off, and I remember a crowd had gathered in a very few minutes. The horse was as gentle as a cow. 

That evening Uncle John Sanderson told us that we were going to hear that man play the violin. He was introduced by A. H. Lackey, Principal of the Jersev Shore High School. He played mostly his own music as well as some of ours. It was the finest music I ever heard, and he played just as sweet music on one string as four. The building was crowded, and there was hardly standing room. When my Uncle John came from the entertainment I remember of his telling Aunt Mercy that he had never heard such wonderful music as that man played. 

This was Ole Bull's last trip from the Black Forest to Philadelphia, and he never returned to Oleona again. 

Ole went west for a few years, and returned to Norway in 1877