Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-01-19
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THEY WERE COMRADES.
Drummcr and TGfcr of War Days
Meet by Chance I'm Guard
ArmOry.

The Auburn armory was the scene of
a very interesting incident one evening
recently.
The soldier boys gathered there for
drill and couple of hundred citizens
were on hand to watch them. The
nrmory was wide open.
Capt. Barney entertained guests when
not engaged with business in his pri-
Vate apartments on the first floor, Thir-
~ or forty men and boys were congre-
gated in the small armory close by,
while hundred or more people watched
tie Grill in the drill hall on the floor
above. The music of the fife and drum
could be heard above the noise made
by the marching Of half hundred men
and the applause and cheers of the null
titude.
Finally at about nine o'clock the
drummer entered the small armory
with the intention of putting his drum
and fife into the locker. He was fol-
lowed into the room by middle-aged
man, wearing light SLOUGH hat and a
cape ulster. He was stranger 10 every
man in the party.
Before you put that fife into the
locker" said he to the drummer, "let
me try it. used to play little now
and then"
The drummer consenting, the stran-
Mer took the fife and placed it to mis- lips.
He blew into the instrument and ran
his fingers over the notes. Everybody
was all attention, for it was seen at
once that the stranger had played fife
before. He set the pace for the infan-
try's drummer, and away they went.
Keeping time with his foot, the iifer, ST
lCcting a patriotic though difficult
piece, played it through severd! times.
When the fifer dropped his arms the
crowd applauded and asked for more.
IL used to play, boys, but I'm little
rusty now" said he, "but / IKE it all
the same"
"You're all right, stranger" shouted
. man in the rear ranks; give us some
more"
At this the crowd announced its APP
proval and the fifer played on. He
played yankee Doodle" "The Girl l
Left Behind Me" and all sorts OF popu-
lar airy. The people came down from
the drill hall and crowded around the
strange flfer,
"Who is hep" was the word,
Nobody knew.
AS he played it was noticed that an
other middle-aged man stood close by
and was taking deep interest in the
performance. He wore stiff hat and a
winter overcoat, with collar turned up,
Like the ffer, he was a stranger TO
every man in the armory.
"Mr. Drummer" said he, as the drum
mer was about to put away the drum.
''before you lay the drum aside let me
try it. used to handle the sticks, but
haven't had pair in my hands for more
than ten years."
The stranger took the drum, the fifer
struck up, and strafghtway the best
fife and drum music ever heard in the
Auburn nrmory was in progress. 1t had
been good with the stranger ffer and
the regular infantry drummer, but with
the stranger fifer and stranger drum
mer it was perfection itself. What more
inspiring in days of war than the music
of the fife and the drum?
The fifer and the drummer we're vet
Grams at this music, Thirty years ago
they had played together time and time
again, and yet they stood there in the
aTmory face to face, strangers. 1t was
noticed that their playing was in per-
feet harmony, The drum kept up with
the fife, although the fife was extreme
ly lively and hard to follow Great en-
thusiasm was awakened by the wonder