The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-10


Institution in the Country
Town.
Harvey Sutherland thus describes il
AMslcc's Magazine tho glories ant
possibilities OF the village brass band
| "Oh, listen to the band
Oh, amt it something grand2"
" "IIow it may be in Europe | can
not pretend to say, but III this country
a town without brass band of it own
must be poor thing, shamcfully lack
ing III local pride and public spirit, a
town with no sgit-up' to it at all. do
not know that there are such. hope
not.
{" l like to think that everywhere in
my country they speak in an affcc-
uonate way of the musicians as the
band boys,' and brag about how much
better they can play than the MI. Vic
tory band. | like TO think that all the
merchants and storekecpcrs in town
helped out when the band was organ
lied and the fellows came around So
letting subscriptions for the first pay.
ment on the instruments, aud that
when the other installmcnts fall due
everybody buys tickets to the home
talent minstrel shows got up TO raise
the money, not only because there will
be more fun than a little, but also be-
cause they wish then. good luck. And
how proud we al are of them when
sthe boys turn out for the first time in
their new uniforms! Talk about Solo
mon in all his glory, l have seen
bandsmen that would make him look
as if he had ovcrals on. And the
drum majorl If l could be drum
Nd Or for living, and look the part
a dress up like him and walk in front
o the band, tossing up my silver
( kI obbed baton and catching it again
the way he does, L wouldn't bother my
head about being president of the
United States. Not for minute.
can just see the bandstand on Main
street, or perhaps in the courthouse
yard, where on Saturday nights the
band gives concerts by torchlight and
plays 'On Duty March and tIIeltcr-
Shelter Galop,' and maybe NO. 23 in
the Black Book while the farmers
listen, well paid for the long drive in
from the country 10 or Is miles. Fair
time, political rallies, fircmcn's tourna-
mcnts, ball games, Decoration days,
Fourth of July, l can sec the boys
swagger along in the middle of the
street and hear the drums roll; 'prrrrrr-
rompom!' before the tune strikes up.
When they brought home Col. Clay.
burns body and led his lidcrlcss horse
behind the hearse, it was the band
playing Wcbster's Funeral March with
handkerchief stuffed between the
snares of the tenor drum to munlc its
sharp note that made all seem 50
solemn, and who can forget how Lone
some sounded the melody of 'taps' on
one single cornet just before the grave
was filled in?
" Inscparable from all our civic func.
tions, the band has in the country
town nearer and more neighborly as
sociations. For example, when esquire
Morgan and his wife celebrated thcil
| silver wedding anniversary. Every.
old Squire and Aunt Margaret, and so
for surprise, when it got dark, the
band boys slipped quietly into the front
yard and began to play, when You
and Were Young, Maggie 1t ls a
sweet old tune, and we all stopped our
chatter to listen. AS il tloated in on
the warm June air scented with honey.
suckles, something clutched at our
throats and made them ache.
| But now we arc aged and gray, Maggie,
| The trials OF life nearly done:
/ J,ot II Of tba doye hat are rp;p Mac.
| When you and we're young
" The two old people stood listening
Their lips trcmblcd, and the tears stole
into their eyes. Their hands sough
and claspcd each the others. Whcl
the notes ceased and the old esquire
went out on the front porch to thanl
the boys his voice broke and he cOult
only bcckon to them. And then the,
came troCping in. Charley Rodchavcr
Frank and Will Pettigrcw and Lci
Dysart and Henry Myrlce and Cliff
Howard Gold jim Iloward's boy; he'
out in Kansas now0 and the whol
posse of them, all laughing and wish
ing many happy returns Of the day
And how those fellows did make tn
ice-cre and cake vanish! You woul,
/ have thought they were hollow to thci
heels. Regular cut-ups, all Of them
and Minnie dc Wees put Cliffs hclmc
OIL and tried to blow on the tuba. Sue
, tlmel
, "I like to think that in every tow
! in the land tonight somebody is prac
+ ticing on his 'tooby' out in the bar
= with a lantern-a tuba makes such
8 noise in the house--and going 'Poom
: ---poomp--poompoompooompoom
and that out on the Milvlllc road th
i tenor horn is slapping his foot on TIL
C floor for the accented beats and tootin
/. on the off beats: IIoof-ta, iIoof-t
h hoof-tatty-ta-ta;" that the alto hor
/. has his book on the kitchen tabl
n proppcd against the coffee pot, and h
II blowing. 'T a at a--Ah.ta-ta,' al
,s that the soprano cornet is working
h his part with his chest raised and
IS surprised and swelled-up look on Il
A. face. Each Of them from time to tin
m wipes bis mouthpiece and then
g, puffed lips and says to himself, ID