Rural Missouri - March 2011 - (Page 10) To order a print of this photo, see page 14. Donald Graves and his family have preserved the legacy of this unique Ozark instrument for more than a century According to the family’s oral history, John father, this three-stringed, teardrop-style dulcimer Mawhee was a Cherokee Indian who fought for the called a “walking cane” is unique to the Missouri Union during the Civil War as a member of the third Ozarks, as is the method in which it is played. regiment of the Indian Home Guard. This volunDonald represents the fourth tary infantry regiment organized in Carthage. generation of his family to play the Accomplished as a fiddle player and luthiwalking cane dulcimer. For the past er before the war, Mawhee would entertain decade, the 68-year-old has followed in his fellow soldiers around the campfire in his father’s and great-grandfather’s footLebanon the evenings, singing the old songs of steps, building the instruments by hand • home and family. It was while in the at his home outside of Lebanon. Today, Army that he devised the pattern for he’s also teaching his grandchildren — the his dulcimer. His instrument’s design sixth generation of the family — how to was probably as much about necessity play the old-timey instrument. as it was acoustics, according to a tale Donald tells. “My dad, Bill Graves, played it ever since I can “While he was in the war, he got a horse shot remember,” says Donald, a member of Laclede out from under him, and it broke his right leg,” he Electric Cooperative. “He learned to play it from my says. “When he got it set, instead of getting it back grandmother, and she learned from her father, John together right, they missed it, leaving his right leg Mawhee, my great-grandfather. Dad played it for 75 about an inch shorter than the other one.” years. When he passed away, I picked it up myself.” With the deft hands of a skilled musician, Donald Graves of Lebanon gently strums the three strings of a “walking cane” dulcimer he crafted from wild cherry and yellow pine. by Jason Jenkins jjenkins@ruralmissouri.coop lone, the dulcimer has no life of its own. Hollow and empty, its wooden body is a cold form, its steel strings and frets are icy to the touch. By itself, it can produce no music, no love, no life. But in the hands of a musician, the dulcimer is transformed. As skilled fingers begin to play a tune from days gone by, frets and strings warm to the touch. Once empty, the dulcimer’s wooden body now erupts with music, spilling out into the room. The musician has made the dulcimer come alive — along with everyone who hears the catchy melody. No one can say for certain when the first dulcimers arrived in Missouri, but in Donald Graves’ home, a distinctive variant of the instrument has been a lifelong fixture. Crafted by his great-grand- A 10 WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - March 2011 Rural Missouri - March 2011 Contents Comments Columns Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer Out of the Way Eats Mail Bag The No-Dig (And Less Sweat) Gardening Alternative Grow a Delicious Landscape A Recycled Craft Hearth and Home News Briefs The Gainesville Gunner Marketplace Around Missouri Top Apps for Rural Missourians Neighbors Just4Kids Rural Missouri - March 2011 Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 10) Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 11) Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 10) Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 11) Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 10) Rural Missouri - March 2011 - Docent of the Walking Cane Dulcimer (Page 11) http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201806 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201805 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201804 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201803 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201802 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201801 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201712 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201711 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201710 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201709 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201708 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201707 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201706 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201705 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201704 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201703 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201702 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201701 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201612 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201611 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201610 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201609 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201608 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201607 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201606 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201605 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201604 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201603 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201602 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201601 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201512 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201511 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201510 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201509 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201508 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201507 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201506 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201505 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201504 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201503 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201502 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201501 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201412 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201411 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201410 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201409 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201408 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201407 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201406 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201405 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201404 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201403 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201402 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201401 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201312 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201311 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201310 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201309 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201308 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201307 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201306 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201305 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201304 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201303 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201302 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201301 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201212 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201211 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201210 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201209 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201208 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201207 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201206 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201205 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201204 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201203 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201202 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201201 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201112 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201111 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201110 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201109 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201108 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201107 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201106 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201105 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201104 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/videotest http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201103 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201102 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201101 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201012 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201011 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ruralmissouri/201010 http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com