The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
BARNUws FAMOUS DRUID BAND.
silas VI. Brooks the Sole Survivor of
the Band, Gives Its History.
FROM the Hartford Courant.


descendants of the Druids, he knew would
take and he decided to manufacture it.
He read books which described the music
al instruments OF the age under consid-
eration-alas, they were unlike anything
the world then had. The pictures repre-
sented them as being of all sizes from Is
inches in length to six feet. They had big
wind-boxes with keys like a concertina
and various shaped horns were arranged
on each side. Such Instruments, he soon
made up his mind were entirely foreign
70 those used by any living national
ity. They looked like gigantic fiatirons,
with something of an octopus aspect The
ingenious shoWmans success in other
schemes was nothing-it would not satisfy
him or quiet his unquenchable thirst for
Druid band. His dreams were haunted
by visions of a grotesquely costumed band
with horns that by the eternal fitness of
things could give out only such nasal tones
as are attained by a vigorous snorer.
Barnum went TO a celebrated musician,
who played horn and led band, and to
him he unfolded his plans. He then asked
him to try his hand at manufacturing
some horns. The musician, attracted by
gold and hopes of fame, undertook the
job. Long and earnestly he worked, at the
rate of $40 a week, and at the end of six
he had made the horns. When the invinci-
bic T. T. saw the Instruments, he may
have damned the torrent of words he was
tempted to utter, but il is doubted, for the
horns were suitable for an up-to-date con-
servatory of music, but not for a Druid
band. They We're mostly brass and had
fancy mouthpieces and engraved work in
abundance.
Somewhat discouraged with the time
lost and about 5000 gone to crafty a
fool, he thought of Shielding" his cher
ished scheme. But after some months,
during which time the scheme tried to
strangle itself, it again returned in a sub
dued spirit to people his brain with fresh
and agonizing ideas, which during the
days of grace had computed compound in
terest.
Meanwhile he had acquainted his man
ager, Botsford with his ambition to pro-
duce a Druid band. He explained the
matter to him carefully, giving it all the
festive details of his imagination. Bots
ford saw the failure his employer met with
and tearfully watched him dropping and
growing thin-like a 16-year-old girl for
an absent lover, when a dance is billed for
the tawn hall and no other fellow dared
to take her.
As Brooks tells the story, Botsford went
one day to Barnum and said: ''See here,
Barnum, there isn't any need of your wor-
thing. First you know you'll be sick and
die and all these fakes and freaks will be
set adrift on the world. If you want a
Druid band and a Druid band is all that
VIII keep you from languishing away, 1
can tell you where you'n find man that
VIII do the business for you in ship-shape
manner"
AS Botsford afterward told it, Barnum
gasped, leaped out of his chair and fran
ucally yelled, who is the man. and where
may he be found?"
The enterprising and shrewd manager
paused long enough to ask for a chew of
tobacco and raise Of pay and then con
tinued:
Well Barnum, you'll find your Aan I'D
in Forestville, Conn. Brooks was living
there at that time) If he can't do what
you want 1t is beyond the power Of the
living"
Tell me about him."
He's young fellow named Brooks
Silas M. Brooks, and he's a genius. You
plans"
P. T. asked whether Brooks could keep
his mouth shut and questioned Botsford
regarding various other accomplishments.
This is the way Botsford told the story
Of the beginning of the Druid band.
In June of the year 1913, Brooks was
called from his work by Botsford, who in
formed him. rSilas, gent out here wants
to Sc you"
Il went out" says Brooks land Bots
lord took me up to a nice team with a
gentleman in the wagon and introduced
me to p. I. Barnum. Wen, sir, YOU bet
ter think l was surprised. l had heard so
much about him that being a modest lad
my teeth chartered and my knees knock
ed together as bad as if the angel Gabriel
had called me to final reckoning Barnum
commanded me to jump into the carriage
and did so and was driven off with him
and his manager.
Think Of il! Riding with the great P.
T., and he driving for me! Well, l didn't
know what it all meant, and l was half
minded TO ask him if l was under arrest.
but l didn't, and we drove clear to Bris-
tol without my knowing what / was want
ed for or whether l was simply kidnapped
to be introduced as a freak before some
metropolitan audience. Barnum drove di-
rectly TO the South Side hotel, and hitch
ing the horse went with Botsford and n.y.
self into private room. There | was
enliGhtened-he told me everything and
showed me drawings of intruments such
as he wanted. l laughed at first and ex-
claimed, Want Il so a man can play on
eight or ten horns and play tunes!"
p. T. replied that that was what he
wanted, and he offered me SO a month in
case | made a success of 1t, and then he
turned to me and asked as earnestly as
though his life depended on it, win you
take the job? By this time had become
quite enthusiastic, and had begun to think
soberly, and l simply replied, I will try
We'll, now, you ought to have seen the
expression that came into his FACET was
such look OF relief as / never expect TO
see again His whole face seemed TO
say, Thank you; " you succeed, / owe
you everything and then the same old
thunder-clOud came back over his fea-
lures, and i knew he was thinking how
probable 1t was that l should fan. Soon
after his talk we drove back 60 Forest
vile, and both OF the showmen babe me
sood-by. l didn't rest long without taxi
ing active steps In the enterprise-fve
horns were wanted, and all of them were
different
IL went to Plainville and procured a lot
Of odd-shaped horns az a lanyard, and
went to work. was something of mu-
sieian, and an Ingenious young fellow. II
1 DO say a. but had an awful Job TO buck
up against George Brooks, my brother
helped me, and we had the hardest time
imaginable trying TO get horn that would
make a noise, while q tune seemed out OF
the question.
We'll you bet we were delighted boys
when We extracted the first note out OF the