St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-02-18
GREEDY BANDMASTER
How He Was Taken Down q Peg or
Two by Gen. Lawton.
Compelled to Play Classic Msssc for
the Dedication 0s the lNcgimenlal
Mules In . Frontier Post
corral.
Especial Washington Let,er.l

L
| city cue may meet with the leading Of
fiecrx Of both branches OF cur wa.
| power, and The stories they tell OF
| camp. field and sea would daily fill vol
umes.
Que of the officers on the staff of Gen.
Niles told a number OF anecdotes ofiife
On the frontier this afternoon. und one
CT the best was about Gen. Lawion. the
soldier whose prompt advance with the
regulars at San Juan last July saved
| the rough riders aud other volunteers
who had been ambushed by the Span
iards.
Gen. Lawton's Indian-fghting ex-
perieure have often been told about
| since the beginning Of the war with
spain. but these narrations present the
man simply from the point Of view OF
a care-weighted, stern. har.l-campaign- n
ing officer. They do not reveal much CT
his human, everyday nature. and il is
from this viewpoint that enlisted men
whose estimate of an officer is, after
Gil. perhaps the most to be relied upon
figure out the merits or lemerits OF
their superiors.
The passing generation of regular
army soldiers still tell Of how Lawton
once had his resimental band spend q
cay playing high grade music for the
Gelcctation Of the regimental mules in
the corral.
Lawtou was in command of one Of
the far western regimental posts. II
was n post that was much visited by the
society people of an adjoining city. and
post hops were given on two or three
nights week. The regimental band
furnished the music for these hops. The
hand was under the direction Of a for
eign-b born bandmaster. who possessed
considerable contempt for enlisted
men. although his knuckling affection
for the men with the shoulder straps
was notorious. In the army man pos
sessed OF these characteristics is called
dog robber." Gen. Lawton had a
Getestation for a dog robber. He en-
dured his bandmaster. but he never
gave him any the best of ii over any of
the members of the band. The band
master was obsequious in his attend.
ance upon the musical demands of the
posts officers.
One day the enlisted men of the post
decided to give a hop themselves. A
committee Of the soldiers approached
the bandmaster to ascertain ii he would
be willing to furnish the music. The
bardmaster at first declined to listen
tn any sort Of a proposition. but finally
consented TO give the services of the
band for nights dancing for the sum
o! $40.
That's whole LOT O. money. my
wind d-iamming FRIEND" said the soldier
who was at The head of the musical
committee. 81 am free to say that
think you could take heap of . reef in
iha, figure. What's your idea. any how.
in soaking it TO us fellows SO hard. when
you play all night for the officers a
couple y times week for nothing?"
..But you ain'd officers, alretty." re-
piled the bandnasier. "iou are not
ling but buck privates, ain'd il? Well,
! sharges Sou What blease. Fordy toll
lars"
"All right, bunkic," replied the SOL
Gier, "if you think you can make hit
in this layout by putting it onto us this
way, it's up 10 you 10 make it stick.
Well pay you the $40, because we've
got TO. seein' that there's no juniper
tcivilian) band around this camp. But
] think you're making bad break all
the same"
"Fordy tollars." answered the band
master. and that was the end Of it. He
had the bulge, and he worked ii.
The soldier who had done the inter
viewing with the bandmaster was an
o:dtime noncommissioned officer who