The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-04-10
EXPENSIVE BRASS BANDS.
Over Ten Thousand Dollars fer JeHelIed
Ccrnet.


Cornet.
The writer was recently accorded the
privilege Of a peep into the museum at
tached to the factory of one Of tne
largest firms of brass instrument maxi
ers in London. Here are to be seen
types, fac-similes and models of every
kind of musical instrument that The
mind of man has ever devised, invented
or produced.
In one corner is a duplicate Of what
is believed to be the most costly pre-
sentation cornet ever produced. It was
made to the order Of the late Car Of
Russia, and is OF sterling silver, richly
craven with various devices, among
which the arms of the imperial house
of Romanoff figure conspicuously. The
whole of the ornamentation is of beaten
gold flligree work, and the belI' Of
the instrument is thickly incrusted with
rubies and emeralds. Its net value is a
trihe over 1900 guineas.
A melancholy interest attaches to q
battered and blood-stained bugle which
was picked up on the field of Isandl-
wana. In adduLon to the dark patches
which were once splashes of wet
blood-sundry fragments OF woody hair
were adhering to the bell OF the instru-
ment when first found, a pretty oonclu-
sive indication that the gallant owner
had used it in last desperate effort to
to,+ - 20 !, i~ ,o1o-, tIo-z. f1oc II nav ba
some ebony-skinned Zulu still wanders
about with an indentation in his skull
whom it would be difficult to convince
that music hath charms
Near to this interesting relic is fac
simile of set OF drums which We're
made for the new Rhodesia Horse. The
popularity lies in the fact that the
cases are of aluminium, a precaution
rendered necessary by the number Of
white ants that infest that country.
The other instruments are of brass,
silyer-plated, and the whole band cost
some 1850
The above is. of course, a compare
lively modest turnout. For the real
gorgeousness in brass bands it is neces-
sary to inspect some of the costly and
magnificent sets of Instruments turned
ont for eastern potentates. The bands
of even the smartest of our crack cay
airy corps are absolutely not in it, so
far as elegance Of appearance is con-
cerned, with the private bands of some
of our Indian tributary princes, al
though probably the latter would have
to give the former several points if 1t
came to q musical contest between
! them.
The private band of the Rao of Clutch,
for instance, cost originally $780, ald
renews most of the instruments every
four or five years. The tiger skin used
by the Rao's big drummer, which was
sent over here to be prepared and
mounted. was taken from an animal
killed by his highness, and measured
over seven feet in length. 1t is lined
throughout with heavy corded crimson
silk, and the brute's eyes are simulated
by a pair of big yellow diamonds.
Another very fine band was made
I three years ago to the order Of the late
| Shah of Persia. All the instruments
were of pure silver-which, by the way,
does not give forth SO good a sound as
| brass, besides being far heavier 10
handle-inlaid with gold The total
cost of this band q luxe was a tribe
under 5000 guineas. A very different
/ kind of band was that made last year.
/ by the same firm. for the Mimkish In
/ dams. a tribe OF sayages living near
Alert Bay, in British Columbia. The
/ band is nearly all drum, and the mouth
/ pieces of the few brass instruments arc
tipped with india rubber. to obviate the
! inconvenience Of applying metal to tbs
/ iips in a temperature Of some 80 or AZ
7 degrees below zero
A curious order was received a short
time ago from the Emperor Of Morocco
/ Il was for eighty clarionets for one
/ band. AS the instruments in question
were all in one key, it is probable that
/ they were TO be played in unison. The
effect upon an average man of eighty
band clarionets blown simultaneously
would probably be to create in him ;
wild desire to take to the woods and be
come an aborigine. Even to imagin,
such an ear-piercine combination set
ones tympauum uivering.-Londor
Answers.