"Shorty" Griggs
By Jonnie Miller
Shorty stood 6 feet 6 inches in his stocking feet. His given name was Wesley W. but he'd been called "Shorty" at least since he showed his full growth. Shorty played his fiddle just about anywhere he happened to be at the time. He often said "he'd rather fiddle than eat" and as lanky as he was that was must have been most of the time. Time was when you might find him sitting on a bench on the courthouse square or over at Arch Slaydon's barbershop entertaining a crowd. He always drew a crowd when he played such old time favorites as "Leather Britches" or "Tennessee Wagner." Shorty was a permanent fixture in Newton for many years. He was born on January 22, 1883 and he died on April 20, 1958 at the ripe old age of 75
He was a "bear" for old fiddler's contests and he never missed one he could get to. He played regularly in Deridder, La. And dreamed of going to Athens, TX where the cream of the crop of fiddlers gathered for contests.
Shorty won plenty of money in fiddle contests in his day. He never could read a note but played his music by ear-such tunes as "Red Wing" and "Buffalo Girl Are You Comin' Out Tonight" at hoedowns and barn dances. He often voiced his disgust over the fact that "folks aren't as interested in that type of entertainment as they were in years past.
--Jonnie Miller