The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-02-08
BENTON. LOUISIANA THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 8. 1900.

be had looked happy he would have
been entitled to great Zeal of credit, |
for his pale, sunken cheeks and hollow |
eyes must have been oceasioned either
by famine or sickness. I. was positive
relief to the onlooker when he began to |
blow and inflated his face into some
semblance OF health and prosperity.
Then, too, his shoes were gaping at the
joints and the turned-up collar of his
coat was pitiful evidence that the coat
was insufficient to keep its wearer
warm. When man is II clad and i'll
fed it is hard for him to appear con-
tented with his lot The cornet PLAYER
was also pale and gloomy. He was as
tall as the leader was short, and his
coarse, black hair struggled down in
uneven lengths over his shoulders.
The fourth and last of them was mere
boy-a growing boy. too. judging by
the interval of blue yarn sock apparent
between his boot top and trouser bot
tom. He blew horn and to all appear
ances wished that he was doing some
thing else instead.
The quartet ranged themselves in as
much of circle as they could compass
and struck up popular ''rag-time" air,
whereupon the barber. came out of his
| shop. two doors down the street, and
stood with his hands under his white
apron, listening appreciatively, Tony
Baicek, the little Bohemian butcher,
had TO come out, too. and he was so en-
| tranced by the melody that customer
had to ask him what chickens were
worth twice before he would pay any
attention.
It was remarkable that while the lit
tie girls in the crowd seemed to en-
| joy the music to certain extent, they
were not nearly as enthusiastic as they
were when the Italian came around
/ with his organ. The boys, on the other
hand, touched by the virile tones of the
big horns, formed in serted columns,
four or five strong, and strutted up and
down or else staggered singly about
the sidewalk, whereas they stood aloof
in an attitude of dignified superiority
when the trivial feminine element.
danced to the ripping allegro of the
mechanical piano. It is certain, too,
that neither the barber, the butcher nor
the grocer would have taken any mo-
tice of the organ, they would have
tolerated it and that is all.
4 Fifteen cents more, assuming that the
three people who contributed to the
hat carried around by the discontented
boy who blew the horn-25 cents in all
for 90 minutes work! The band holds
another consultation over this and evil
IDENTIFY decides that this corner is not a
remunerative one, for they swing
around and march down Arbor street,
followed by large majority of their
juvenile audience. As they march along
the leader looks at the windows right
and left. He is evidently sizing up the
!. probabilities with an experienced eye,
for he walks steadily on without a sign
of stopping until he comes to Spruckel-
meyers saloon. There he stops and
faces about, bringing his bit battered
instrument into position.
It must have been the magic of the
Teutonic name that induced the leader
to stop and try the effect of 'Ich Liebs
Dich, Mein Schatze," for he passed Hal
loran's place without faltering, and
Halloran's place is a palace te
.Spruck's,'' inside and out. AT some
time or another Spruckelmeyer must
have been seized with brief decorative
: fever, for in. front of the dingy curtair
screening one of the windows is lith
r ograph of an inebriated goat caperiMl
on top of barrel, stained and spotted
g with age and the visitations OF flies
!. There is also dusty plaster cast OF ;
: bibnlous gnome and q forgotten pla,
3 bill in German of a comedy performed
at neighboring society hall two years
8 before. The other window is bare O
e adornment, although above the curtain
: the chandelier holding the two kerosen'
J, lamps can be seen wrapped about witt
: red. white and blue paper frilllng.
+ It is evidently poor day for musica
+ art. The band plays die Wacht an
Rhein,'' and certainly that ought 7
J. bring out every German susceptible t
+ sentimental recollections, but the sa
i, loon is unresponsive. Mrs. Schultze i
e pattering about in her back yard, but
D she hears the band she makes no sign
+ She is not sentimental woman, how
lever, in spite of her fat, and her milo
s blue eyes. How Mr.. Bauer would hav
8 been affected is, Of course. matter Q
speculation. 1t is quite probable tha
3 he would have been good for dime, a
Y least, bat he started down to Clarl
= street for his dinner 20 minutes befor
/. the band began to play in Green street
n There are plenty of people who ord
III narily would be willing to pay for a
d most any form of entertainment, to
It stinginess is not an Arbor street yics
d hut the day is raw and chilly and n
i one seems to feel like abandonin
d themselves to the pleasure Of listenin
5 more than minute or two.
nj So the band continues to play and th
. players look more dismal than eve
Il 4 -