The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-27
he comes ,Iu....

Bein / hold the posishun | do" an.
swered the squar, "bein I'm referred
to as the leadin man in Jericho, if the
band wanted to 90 down and see me
OIL or wanted to be there to welcome
me home don't reckon anybody would
find fault"
But Id want the same thing" said
EoeneZcr Scott. Il amt no Justice of
the peace, but my dairy is milkin 2S
cows this summer. and | feel I'm as
big as anybody. l go over to Dobbs
Ferry once in two weeks. ana | should
want that band to toot me off and toot
me home ag'in"
There may be pint" said the dea-
con as he scratched his ear. but |
don't skassly see it. Mebbe the squar
wants to say sunthin further about
liberty and Bunker Hill?"
I'm Sayin," replied the squar as he
heaved a long sigh, that patriotism
and love of country seems to be dead
er'n doornail in these United States.
Mebbe there's man in this crowd
aside from me who'd be willin to shed
his blood that our glorious republic
might be saved from ruin and desola-
shun, but if thar he | can't name him.
You might as well disperse to your
homes and tell your wives and chill
dren that Jericho is doomed"
by John, but what a p'int-what a
pint! whispered the deacon BE
fore we bust up and go to ruin, how
ever I'd like to hear from Reuben
White. Reubens bin as far west as
Detroit, and he ought to know what in
fuence a brass band has on a town"
The influence of brass band is ac-
cordtn to the leader" said Reuben.
"l've seen EN- where they jumped Il
town right to the front in four weeks.
and I've seen 'em where they killed
things dead in two. The leader wants
to he a pecoolar sort of man. He
wants to be born fur the place. same
as Washington was. He wants to be
ready to die at two minits' notice or to
live fur q hundred years"
And mebbe You think you're that
man. queried the squar as he pound
ed ON the counter with his fist.
Il do. | know | am. I'm the only
man in Jericho as kin lead a band to
success and make the town hump her
self I'm self sacrihcin critter. as
you all know, and if this meetin thinks
best
But the meetin shouted him down,
and it was five minitS before Deacon
Spooner could make his voice heard
and then he said:
There's more p'ints hobbin up here
than yOu kin shake a stick at, but we
might as well hev one more. S'posin
we hear from Lish Billings. He's the
only man in Jericho who kin play on
an accordion. What d'you say, Llsh 2"
There's mighty little to be said and
nuthin to bust up the country" an
swered Lish. DO any of you sons of
Bunker Hill know how much wind it
takes to blow brass horn?'
Nobody did, and hush fell upon the
crowd
ut takes ten pounds, reckoned by
lung tester" said Lish, and you'd
want an extra pound fur walkln up
hill There was a lung tester man in
town two weeks ago, and every son of
US handed over nickel and took
blow We blowed and strained and
blowed, and Rube White was one of
'em who blowed a sole off his boot,
and yit no man reached seven pounds.
Whar you goin to git your wind to
blow them hornsT"
There was painful silence while
you could count a hundred. and then
Deacon Spooner said:
"By John, but I'm goin home and
tell the old woman that | don't know
beans when the bags united, and the
rest of you'd better do the same
thlng, VI. QUAD.