Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1897-07-09
4 BENEF1CENT BAND.
gths Good Work Of a Kentucky
Musical Organization. :.
p14e Rough Lumbermen Get Together
Al. with Their Instruments and Bring &
49,. Peace to q Turbulent
> Community.

emusic hath charms to soethe a
savage, to rend a rock and burst cab
bage," quoted the hotel clerk to the
guest from the mountain region OF Ken
lucky, as that individual dropped a
nickel in the tin cup of la bella ltal-
ianna-organ-grindera,
"Wel," he laughed, there's cab
bage it can bust every time it hits 1T;
and I'm glad of it. I'm a great believer
in music and it's power over the tutored
and untutored mind. Of course, there
Is margin of poetry in it, but its prac-
tical workings are no, less. AS an IN
stance, let me tell you my experience:
am, as you know, in the lumber ousl~
ness in the mountain region OF Ken
lucky, and, as you are also aware, that
particular SECTION is not entirely in
habited by Quaksrs. I had employed at
my mill about a dozen men who were
fair average. That is to say, as long as
they were not drinking they were, not
shooting. but when the wine was in the
pistols were out and civilization was not
greatly advanced by the subsequent pro-
feelings. Among my men were two
VIC played the fiddle and it occurred
10 me after reading about what Prof.
Somebody had done in the Chicago
Sums with music to try it on my peo-
pile So called them up and talked to
them on the subject, suggesting as
kind of inducement that the company
would pay for the instruments it they
would organize and hire a teacher for
}, brass band.'
The clerk put his hands up to his ears.
ooh, that's all right" laughed the
imbe11nan; II know that a brass band
,racticing isn't much for pleasure, but
rs q good deal safer and more agreea-
Die than shooting chunks of lead around
own and our brass band was intro
luced as a public soother, so to speak.
At first our musicians were disposed to
shoot up the town because some in
discreet person made remarks about
What a brass band sounded like, but I
out the wickedest man of the lot at
Ehe head of the band, for he was a
sail1er wherever he was and told him
pow necessary discipline was.
HE caught on at once and all the
Young fellows, were afraid of him. He
ISOOn ldO u1le1l/RaSt1ucO cS SO1Sl1SAo % In
rEeacl1-r was a city man of courage and
q gentleman as we'll and his influence
helped, too, so that within six months
YOU wouldn't have known my people
Or our little town. They worked near
.iy every night till nine o'clock at their
music and as soon as they could play
!. piece fairly we'll they went on exbibi-
#.i,,r, with it. and when summer came I
furnished the material and they built
! public music stand where they played
every night for an hour or more. |
never saw such an improvement in men
and it extended to their friends and the
whole community.
s'After time they were playing well
enough to 60 to the neighboring places
lie play at local celebrations, and once
they played three days at a county fair
Ind made quite little sum of money.
sssThen they went away on these trips,
which were not numerous enough to
interfere with their work, their conduct
was something to be proud of, and they
would as soon have thought OF getting
drunk Or raising a row as they would OF
throwing their instruments in the river.
''They stopped their nightly gam
4oling and saved their money, and after
swo years of that band wouldn't have
parted with it for a Is per cent. divi-
aend Of our company.'-Washington