European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A whiff of Appalachia by Strat Douthat associated press Ranklin George sat on his porch in sink Grove . One recent evening and looked across the rolling Hills toward the dark Blue out line of the appalachians. He stared at the mountains for a moment the sent an Amber Stream of tobacco juice spurting into space. My Grandfather was the first White settler to Cross those mountains he said fastidiously wiping his Beard with the Back of his hand. That was about five greats ago sometime along about 1760." although More than 200 years have passed since those Hardy pioneers pushed across the mountains life does seem to have changed much in this Remote rolling Corner of Appalachia. In sinks Grove folks March to a Slowe drumbeat one that leaves time for sitting and talking. And for music of course. Music always has been an integral part of life in these parts where most folks Are unburdened by excessive material wealth. The Early settlers did t leave their descendants Many possessions but they did pass on an ancient musical tradition one that dates Back to those Long lost Days when the songs of roaming minstrels echoed in the Pagan Halls of Ireland and Scotland. In fact Franklin George appears to be a direct throw Back to those celebrated bards. I can t remember just when i started but i could play the Banjo by the time i was seven. I was nine before i could play the fiddle so you could recognize the tunes. I started playing piano at four. They had to put me up on books so i could reach the  George went inside the rambling Frame House and re turned holding a Small lovingly crafted Banjo with a burnished Copper face. My Grandfather mostly taught me to play but my father made this for me he said. He gave it to me before i was seven. We did t have to to interfere in those Days and my family would sit around playing music most evenings. My Grandfather would give me a nudge with his foot whenever i d make a  made fewer and fewer mistakes As the years went by. Today at age 49, he is generally recognized a being one of the finest Mountain musicians in the land a Man who s equally skilled with the Banjo fiddle dulcimer and even the bagpipes. He s also an accomplished musicologist. Asked what prompted him to take up the wailing pipes he replied crazy i guess. Most of the Early settlers around Here were Ulsten Nen transplanted from Scotland. Somewhere they lost the pipes but kept the tunes. Soa lot of appalachian fiddle tunes Are really old pipe tunes. That s the main  Franklin George is something of a main connection himself. On this particular evening he was teaching the dulcimer to Kathy Hinkle a Young schoolteacher from nearby Greenville. A Mon Kathy he said let s try cripple Creek one More  the tinkling tones of the dulcimer were interspersed with a chorus of soft clucks from the adjacent Henhouse. George was instructing his Young Friend under a five year old program run from the basement of the Library at nearby Union population 500. This subterranean location serves As the office of the Mountain heritage school run by Bob Mart in. A Friendly irishman and transplanted new englander Martin is helping to preserve the unique flavor of the a u an culture which is rapidly giving Way to the u.s.2r culture. At the moment we re being funded by the National arts endowment fund and by the West Virginia arts and humanities Council says Martin a former Boston musician who bought a Hillside farm three years ago. The classes Are free. Our purpose is to support the traditional arts that represent the skills and talents of our Community. Thereby strengthening our identity As  one such Mountain person is Tex Mcguire a fast talking 67-year-old sinus Grove resident who is credited with being one of the originators of Texas  i was born Here but hit the Road when i was 15," Mcguire said As he sat on his living room Couch showing a couple of neighbors the finer Points of the banker and the Dobro. I finally wound up playing on station Xera in Del Rio Tex for Doc Brinkley the Patent Medicine Man. I d play a tune every 15minutes, Between his pitches. Then after the pro Gram i d make deliveries on horseback. Of course i tune time John Homer Walker strums Banjo made from torque converter outside his Home. Page 10 the stars and stripes Tex Mcquire coaxes dulcimer like sounds from Dobro on his knee in session with Young Pupil. Sunday october 9, 1977