The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-14
A BLAINE cAMPAIeNsToRY
The Band Did Not Disturb the Speak
er in the Least.


er in the Least.
"one Of the most miserable moments
of my life," said a Maine bandmaster.
was at a county convention where my
band unintentionally broke into a
speech made by the late James G..
Blaine. Mr.. Blaine was the speaker of
the day. The stage also held Seth L.
Milliken, a congressman from Ohio
whose name 1 have forgotten, and
many prominent republicans of the
county. Two other bands were. pres
ent, and the three put in their best
ticks. Our band was asked to furnish
one or two selections between the
speeches. AS leader, I gave out the
next number, and charged every man
to be on the alert for the signal and
to do his level best.
All know how political conventions
drag along. The pTeliminaries wore
everybody out before the speaker OF
the day was introduced. Our boys had
ridden twenty miles in the early morn
ing over a rough country road, had
marched for two solid hours in the fore
noon, to say nothing of pumping wind
enough into twenty or more brass in
struments to run all the windmiils in
the state. By the time Mr.. Blaine step
ped down to the footlights the men who
carried the big brass horns we're dog
tired
The selection I had made opened
with solo by the e fiat, and I eau
toned the player to be ready the mo-
ment Mr.. Blaine took his seat to play
at a glance from me. The great states
man spoke with his usual impressive
ness, and, after getting warmed up, he
began to lay down an array of facts
and figures which should furnish the
local orators with timber for many a
triumphant argument during the cam
paign. He was laying the liquidation
for his address-one of those lengthy
texts which meant so much to the
nearer before the argument was COM
plete. 1t was dry to tired, non-political
band men. Cheers were not yet in
order
Presently Mr.. Blaine paused for his
words to take root while he took a
swallow of water. glanced around a.
the boys, and noticed that the big bass
was slowly slipping from the knees OF
it's operator. Pat was asleep. wfnked
at the B fiat to punch him before that
$50 instrument got a dent. The poke
in the ribs was fatal Pat opened his
eyes and / was looking at him. The
speaker was quiet. There was only one
conclusion for Pat Like a flash up
came the horn, and before could give
a warning shake of the head the big
bass beloved out the first measure of
the solo, C e G G E C F.
Every person in the han started and
stared. There were Interrogation
points in Mr.. Blaines eyes. The rival
bands snickered and snoFted. I nearly
tainted, but gave the signal for band
cheers instead, and the boys responded
without a break Mr.. Blaine may or
may not have appreciated the situation
to musician; I do not know what his
musical inclinations We're, but he came
to the rescue in a way that won the
solid vote of our band then and there.
He smiled broadly. and said:
THAT is right, boys; give us an
other and wake us upH
Il waved my hand at the other bands
and we Joined in, such band cheer as
that old hall will never hear again.
Next day 1 wrote a letter Of ex-
PLANTATION and apology to Mr.. Blaine,
and received a characteristic letter
from the statesman. as follows:
My congratulations to the boys.
| They did nobly
Il wish political speakers could dc
no worse than the break you mention
hope to meet your band at other
places where the good work is going
on. Sincerely,
James G. Blaine"
| Boston Journal