The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-03

Acting Post Commander" Browns OF
ders, and paying no attention at all to
Trumpeter Browns bugle calls. That
breach Of discipline being reported to
the war department, the disobedlent
soldier was banished to a Texas post,
and thus Trumpeter Brown was the
only man left to garrison Post Albu-
querque.
AS a reward for his fidelity in sound
ing bugle calls and as a compliment
for the able manner in which he had
discharged the duties of acting post
commander, Trumpeter Brown was
given by the war department an addi-
tional service stripe, raised to the rank
of principal musician" and given
music book containing a lot of brand
new bugle calls.
Although he was the only soldier at
the post, Trumpeter Brown never
omitted single bugle call; every Sun
day he appeared at dress parade, and
as acting post commander" he in
spected his clothing and Announcements.
and then he inspected the post prop
erty"-the bandstand, brass cannon.
fagpole and garrison fag-in due ac-
cordance with military regulations"
For over a year this state Of things
prevailed. and it appeared that the war
department had forgotten that "cay.
airy post existed at Old Albuquerque.
ana that its garrison consisted of only
principal musician" In fact,
Trumpeter Brown was forgotten by all.
except Providence, the residents of the
village ana an army paymaster. Every
TWO months, when making his rounds,
that official would stop at the post and
pay Trumpeter Brown his modest sti-
pend. When the paymaster was late
in making his rounds Trumpeter Brown
would stand off a Mexican grocer for
provisions. This grocer had an I'M
bounded faith in the honesty of man
KIND, besides he had an idea that the
federal government was responsible
Ter soldiers grocery bills, and he looked
upon the brass cannon, the bandstand
and the flagpole on the post parade
ground as assets subject to a lien in
case ITumpeter Brown repudiated his
grocery bill
Some months later the war depart
ment discovered that Trumpcter Brown
had reached the age limit and was en-
Titled to be put on the army retired
list. In accordance with military reg
ulations he was retired on half pay
and made custodian of the governr.e at
property at the post--a purely civil Of
flee. But Trumpeter Brown refused to
consider himself out of the military SER
vice; as he remained at the post, daily
raised and lowered the garrison flag,
loaded and fred the sunrise and sun
set gun and continued to sound all the
pngle cails-although there were no SOL
diers at the post and no prospect of
there ever being any, as the govern
ment had virtually abandoned it.
Finding the time heavy on his hands
between bugle calls and post inspec-
tons, Trumpeter Brown built a barber
shop and sleeping room underneath the
bandstand OIL the parade ground and
added to his warlilte profession the
more prosaic, but far bloodier, occupa-
tion of barber. This barber shop was
also run according to military regula-
TONS and only at certain hours would
he shave customers. The barber shop
was so small that it would only bold
one customer al a time and WHEN a
shaved customer emerged from one
door of the barber shop, Trumpeter
Brown would emerge from the other
door, bugle in one hand a razor in the