The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-26

were put at the head of the line-their
= first. Then we were to play alternately
f in the long march to the grove-they
! beginning.
, Not far from ten o'clock the bells il
the churches began to ring and one LOUD
, report of cannon was heard giving the
, agreed signal We hurried bIiskly tC
the green in front of the chief hotel. and
found the throng fast falling into line
according to the regulation custom in
those days. Our stand was soon taken.
1t was evident that the men in the other
band looked down upon us as set of
innocent but presumptuous country
Doors. But there was more than super
ciliousness in the eye of the leader Men
dali. He had no special spite against
us; but he was sore under sense of
outrage from the committee of arrange
ments. He had already passed some
violent words with them; and he came
now out to his task in no amiablc mood.
lie cast his glance up and down our
slender lines as if measuring us through
and through.
love to recall that beautiful picture
as the fair summer morning shOmc upon
us Just in the edge of the road. We took
an honest pride in our work We loved
the fame of the Mechanics Band. We
were neighbors and good friends at
home. 1t was natul5tl that we should
be eXhilarated when now for the first
tune we were to be registered as beside
the best organization in the country, led
by the most famous bugler in the world,
and when officers of the army were to be
IN our train. One quiet red spot was in
the cheek of Frank Slye; had seen it
hpfnrp in 81, I L.,
was excited. But otherwise he was
calm. And | see him now as he stands
there in the glow of youth, ambition,
blamelessness, integrity, and sinewy
strength!
The loud word of command was given,
and we moved forward. Instinctly |
grasped my right-hand stick to beat the
lirst few strokes; and | confess was
vcxed to find that the other drummers
on ahead were to do that part of the bust
ness till it came our turn.
Mendall chose bright military march:
oh! it was beautiful! know they played
it wonderfully. And tell you now that
II we had been asked any moment for
the first quarter of an hour our boys
would have clapped their hands with
generous and enthusiastic appreciation
OF Mendalrs Band. 1t was JOY to be
alongside of such music. Round they
came to the repeat, and Chandler tapped
ms Duglc with his fOrefinger and pointed
to Mendali, rs if to say-glorious! And
then through the turn OF the tune;
could hardly keep my hands still when
their snare-drums came in with such
crash of glory! And we marched on
with our heads mp and our nostrils ex..
pandcd; and we kept time with ring
of our heels on the pavement. Through
that exquisite music they went twice
clear to the end. There was no real
need of their going on for the third time;
but the piece deserved it if ever piece
did.
But now they went through it fourth
time, and that was contrary to all rules.
And when they began on the opening
strain for the fifth, great sad surprise
was seen upon Frank Slye's face He
perceived the trick. Tn were not 60
ing to let us play at all! We were to be
marched in ingloIiOus silence clear to
the grove! That was the purpose; for
once Mendall turned half around and
signaled to his people to keep on
Frank SlyG faced about and gave us
such look! Then he TRANQUILITY put
his big instrument on the hook in his
belt, and took that L fiat bugle instead
which meant business. There went a
word all through our lines, "No. 2S"
Good that was drum all the way through,
none of your solos and silcnces: it had
made Bellingham streets ring more than
once from the Weeks place to the post
office. Now see whether it would give
Ed Mendall piece of Bollingham boys
mind! Still that march went on. Over
and over the bars of music the instru-
ments kept returning.
Suddenly that other band heard a
noise behind them! Yes; not the least
doubt of it; something that had the
semblance of another band; regular
noise, rhythm III it, a peal of trumpet
in it. a drum in it, George Alson's
ophicleide in it, Calvin Crewell's from
bone Swapping like Cymbals in it. Men
dali turned round to find out what it
was, | presume! There did not anybody
stop long enough to tell him. We left
him to draw an inference from what he
saw.
And what he saw-oh, nobody ever
saw 1t again!-was just one bright, firm
cOuntenance of a small slender man
playing an L flat bugle, and making all
Saratoga know he was the leader of a
Bellingham band which was not to be
treated in tins way.
| Then Mendall turned to his own band
We heard the "tut-tut'' for attention:
we dld not know the signs; but We per-
ceivcd instantly that they were leaving
the beautiful march they began with,
and passing into wild uprOar of n tune
IN another key. 1t became evident that
| they were going to resist us i'll PLAYING
| thnIn flnuu hNt nginsr
than ours, and by testing veteran endur-
ance clear to the end Frank, for one
instant, took his little bugle from his
lips and cast his eye back on us. Some
nodded; WingdOn Allen gestureG with
his left hand. for his trumpet had no
keys, and that hand was free: stopped
one stick and took off my hat. And the
dear old fellow touched the rim of his
in return.
And so when those other fellows came
down upon us we were ready for them.
They lost in making the change of tune
under such uproar; they lost by the
WEAKNESS of their previons exertion {;
they lost by the moral meanness of what
they had been trying to do. And soon
Mendall discovered that his players
would not stand by him. They fell
away one by one, till at last only his
own instrument seemed to be going.
And now it must be said that the final
victory in this part of the field belongs
where 1t was least expected. Bill Dan
forth had been unable TO keep out of the
fray under the high excitement. Usually.
as have intimated more than once. he
had the inexhaustible grace of consider
alton enough not to blow on that left
handed trumpet of his. In four years
do not believe any one had so much as
heard it whisper. But it was of no use
now to try to hold in. And he gave two
or three great sad blasts according to his
supreme ability.
Ihey say that in eXigenCies of awful
fear or need persons who have been
dumb Tor years not only speak, but speak
lntelligibly and grammatically. They
say that men and women suddenly
dashed overheard from wreck have
caught the knack of swimming. And il
would be delightful to record that Will
liam Daniorth evidenced himself a pro
iicient trumpetplayer on the instant,
when he entered the audible world.
But no; he said he had been 'playing'
all along, and that in the grand turmoil
and jargon no one had noticed it. But
when Mendall's Band lett their leader
alone, all in one wild instant that awful,
tunelcss, roaring bray of William Dan
forths instrument dashed in upon his
bewildercd hearing with such hurri-
cane of deplorable discord that he was
actually surprised ntO stopping abrupt
ly, as If something had broken loose
overhead.
We saw the Boston leader put his in