New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-17
GlLMORE's FIRST JUBILEE.
A Pare from New Orleans History.


GlLNORE;S FIRST JUBILEE.
Page from New Orleans History.
1t may not be generally known that some
years before the versatile Gilmore eiectri.
! fled the musical world by the roar and TIL.
| mul: Of the monster jubilee in Boston, he
had perpetra.ed something very similar in
the musical line. though on sonlewha:
| smaller scale, in the distant city of New
Orleans. During the winter Of 1861, the
Cresceu: City. then under the control Of
| General Bsnks, was fairly crowded with
people IRON ali the cities o; the North. and
life there was one continuous round OF
gaiety. The immense disbursements made
| by the government, and the vas: sums
| realized by the hundreds OF bold soecula.
tors who had tiocked thither from a.:
plentiful as whisky. During tEa: sea.
son, existence was but one IN.
ceasing carnival for thousands who
made their temporary homes in that tas.
cinating Creole city, where all winter long
the skies are soft and hazy and ehe sun
shines with genial warmth. The theatres
were crowded nightly, the saloons and Gates
never reaped richer harvest even in the
old ante.bellum days. Canal etreet never
presented more brilliant throng of passers-
by. and St. Charles street or the shell road
never witnessed a more snowy succession
Of equipages than daily rolled over them
during the gay days Of that memorable
winter. There were reviews OF troops, pre-
cessicns innumerable, fete ehampettes. oc.
casionally a State reception by General
Banks at the Opera House; in short. it was
alas! il The budding spring, 70 be followed
by death anu disaster u the Red river
country.
But so iorg as rhe jig is played. it's not
in human nature to refuse to dance, and ali
New Orleans, rich or poor, danced more or
less 70 the strains of that yoluptuous mu.
sic. Fog Banks, to give eclcs to the Sc
ies.iy .ties. had sent to Boston tor Gilmore
and Lis. even then, celebrated band. Dawn
they cane by the next steamer. a company
; 9: fifty or So. with bugles. and cornets. and
saxe.horne, aud base drums. and the gay
(, and festive Gilmore at their head. No one
! enjoyed it more then he. and soon. indeed,
he became one ot the lions of the nour. No
/, colonel with eagles, or brigadier with single
star on his shoulder, appeared NOR. sou.n Mt
after in the ball room that was the great
| impressaric, in his faultless. full-dres- suit
; of black. LIS white kids, and his suav.ty o.:
| manner. which made him everywhere a IA
vorite.
1t was il the whirl of this giddy. butter.
! fly existence that it occurred 20 Gilmore &c
; organize for the pleasure-loving people OF
| that community a monster musical enter
! tain;nent. which. in the number and variety
OF performers. shoGld far exceed anvthin z
ever recorded up 20 tha, time in America
nay. perhaps the world. The occasion was
! no. lacking. a Governor had Just been
! elected for Louisiana (which. az that time.
me ant but little more than New Orleans \,
ana his inaugura ton was already fixed Tor
day eariv in February. Certainly there
| could be NO better opportunity to- grand
rendering Of TIE national airs than tina:
which marked the nrs. returning Southern
State TO the Union. So Gilmore went to
work with vim. All the brass bands and
drum corps and musical societies. civil and
military, We're put in active training. La.
fayette square, situated opposite tie City
Hall. and in the very heart OF tie town,
was chosen as the scene of the grea: event.
and from that point electric wires we're
connected with every church bel! in :he
city. Then the artillery and infantry were
daily drilled in volley firing, the streets re.
echoed for days and days with snatches O.:
the promised melodies, and, in short. every
one was in tumult of expectancy.
At last the eventful day came. Long be.
fore tie appointed hour the houses, roofs
;.nd streets around the square were decsely
packed with such crowd Of ,ha. moreIv
character, as regards complexion and La
tiOnaiity. which no city OF the Cuion can
Curu OuU save new or1chuSs N!lnfn CGe
square. which was guarded at all points by
policemen, everything was as systematic as
clockwork. Urde: the shade trees. at one
end stood the long line of regulars, their
equipments and gun barrels glistening in
Tie sheen Of 'he morning sun. In front OF
then. stood the park Of howitzers. ready 20
sing their deepes. base: a: one side was the
elecrrica! apparatus. so arranged as to play
the bells and the cannon by system Of
pedals and keys like those OF piano: and
a: the opposite side of the square, were
massed the brass bands, comprising small
army of players. probably five hundred in
all. On q smal! stand, centrally located.
stood the maste: spirit OF it ali, Gilmore.
smiling and cool as ever. awaiting ths
signal TO begin. It came-ani then what
an outburst OF melody there was, drowning
even Its own echoes, and all nu: startling
those who heard il.
Many national airs were played. The
Star Spangled Banner, Hail Columbia. Hal!
to the Chief. and Yankee Doonle. in turn.
reminded rebel ears of their lost allegiance.
But It was when the closing air. My Coun.
try. lis Of Thee was reached that the din
and the popular enthusiasm reached their
hignes. pitch. Then it was that simultane.
ously bells, cannon, musketry and brass
bands sent forth in measured cadence their
united voices. raising an anthem which
swept out in great waves Of sound over the
eiCy's housetops, and carried far and wide
the ;oyfuf strain. "Bang! bang: bang:'
wen. the cannon; rat tat tat tat" ratified
the musketry; '.dong! dong! dong:' rang
the bells. in. harmony with the crash OF
trumpets and the rattle OF drums, until
suddenly the song ended, the music ceased,
and amid a cheering which made the welkin
ring. Gilmore stepped down from his plat.
form. and his first jubilee was endel.-.Wc