Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-01-14
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THEY WERE COMRADES.
Drummer and FIfer of War Days
Meet by Chance in = Guard
Armory.


q 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
armory was wide open.
Capt. Barney entertained guests when
not engaged with business in his pri-
vate apartments on the first floor. Thir-
ty OF forty men and boys were congre-
gated in the small armory close by,
while hundred or more people watched
the drill 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 rnul-
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
nlah;iwearing light slouch hat and
cape ulster. He was a stranger to 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-
ger 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 aG
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 fifer, Sc
Letting a patriotic though difficult
piece, played it through severa! times.
When the fifer dropped his arms the
crowd applauded and asked for more.
81 used to play, boys, but I'm a little
rusty now," said he, 'but Ike it all
tie same"
you're all right, stranger" shouted
man in the rear ranks; give us some
more"
At this the crowd announced its ap-
proval and the fifer played on. He
played Yankee Doodle" The Girl 1
Left Behind Me" and all sorts of popu-
lar airs. The people came down from
the drill hall and crowded around the
strange fifer.
who is he ." was the word.
Nobody knew.
AS he played it was noticed that an
other middle-aged man stood close by
and was taking a deep interest in the
performance. He wore a stiff hat and a
winter overcoat, with collar turned up.
Like the fifer, 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 straightway the best
fife and drum music ever heard in the
Auburn armory was in progress. 1t had
been good with the stranger fifer and
the regular infantry drummer, but with
the stranger fifer and stranger drum.
nIer 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 W ere vet.
Grams at this music. Thirty years age
they had played together time and time
again, and yet they stood there in the
armory 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