Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-20

Editor SUNDAY GlO6e.
Yesterdays GLOBE was one of the most
refreshing numbers issued since the estab.
ment Of the paper. The article on the
Rural Brass Band" was especially suited
to my taste, and brought up many old
memories Of the days Of our youth when we
struggled manfully with fiat cornet in
our little home band of nine members.
Words are not strong enough to describe
the pleasant emotions of enthusiasm that
filed our young heart when the band was
organized, the money collected and the in.
struments I'VE didn't call them horns them
sent for to Buffalo, N. Y, and we never can
forget the night that the horns arrived and
the crowd of tradesmen and others that
gathered around and about eagerly watch
ing the process of unpacking the boxes and
awaiting with boyish impatieuee and ex-
peCtancy the revelation that was to follow
when the horns were to see the light
confess 10 a similar weakness, and when
that new, bright and beautiful thick set sax
horn tuba had the silk paper wrapping that
surrounded it removed, I thought that it
was the prettest piece of musical mechan-
ism had ever seen.
The teacher was present at the grand
opening. He could play any one of the in
struments, and when he began to run over
the baritone" the shopmen in the imme-
diate neighborhood left their work and
crowded into the drug store to listen to the
welcome sounds.
We rehearsed in the schoolhouse, away
from the maddening crowd 50 that the
boys couldn't catch our tunes and be
whistling them on the streets before we
PLAYED them in public.
How we wrestled and sweat puffed and
snorted over the gigantic struggle with our
first piece, Am Not Fondly Thine Own?"
Well, it wasn't fondly ours for about two
long weeks, but we dug it out and then
tackled the Star Spangled Banner" and
Hail Columbia" and progressed so rapidly
that at the end of three months we played
Captain Shepards great quiCkstep, by
Grafiula, more than ordinarily we'll Every
band man knows Shepard's Quickstep for
it's good to-day.
We remained together four or five years
and played everything in sight, including
Anvil Chorus, Eclipse Polka, Lurline,
Combination Q. s., Wood Up Q. S,
Hunters Of Orleans" and several other
what we thought hard pieces. Ben Bolt,
Love Not, Little Pete Galop, Somnambula
.. S. and Ned Kendall's Reel were all con-
sidered easy and commonplace.
Ned Kendall at that time played on a
nine keyed copper bugle and was con-
sidered the greatest performer in the world
on that difficult instrument Arhuckle, of
Troy, n. Y, since, a celebrity, was the
greatest cOrneust in the country. Both are
dead
10 Green, of Boston, was good second to
two could play the fiddle fairly well, which,
no doubt, helped to make us more pro-
hcient than otherwise.
We organized in 1886 and continued until
the breaking out of the war.
Times were hard IN SO and I'll never for
get an expression of an old unappreciative
uncle of mine in this connection.
Talking Of hard times, " said he, there is
no such thing. Why here are lot of boys
that took into their heads to git up brass
band, They run round git hold of the
money, send of for a lot of horns and are
blowing h. and the devil out of every
thing
How / would love to hear the Marine
Band play some of our old pieces, particu-
larly the Maniac's March," or Captain
shepard Q, s. l like the Marine Band frst
rate if it we're not for the jerky, short stop,
backachey style of its music The great
trouble with big baud of that sort is the
vain effort Of the leader to essay great SEN
satiOnal effects, by quick slam bang, plain
tive twitters, with a wheedle wheedle here
and a tootle tootle there, and a Jim jam
yondeT, with a round up whack, and a sort
of lame hop. step and jump style when
playing the simplest old march or walse
that is almost exasperating. fellow once
said THAT when one of these housekeeping
bands undertake to play a piece like
Washington's Grand March, the tune
is so distorted with AipAaps and new
touches of broken time in the way of
andante and allegro movements that when
the piece is finished il looks as if il had
been struck with lightning and then run
over by the band wagon. That fellow, like
myself wants the band TO keep up its regu-
lar swing from start to finish. How long
would public orator keep an audience if
he were TO employ the same tactics in his
delivery II is to be hoped that Santleman
will read this sketch and govern himself
accordingly when catering to the public in
the parks during the coming summer. The
leader Of band should be highly educated
outside Of his musical ability.
One anecdote of many that occurred
shows whether we didn't have fun while
we remained together as an organization.
We had a tailor among us who was a tall
slim, angular fellow, and he was always
rubbing his instrument with a silk hand
kerchief when not playing His instru-
ment was a tenor horn with large mouth
piece. By reason of his slimness and ex-
tremely nervous temperament he was
dubbed Julie" hair-lipped fiddler in
town named Ambrose Haight had breath.
the reputation of which was celebrated for
the power II had to emit a smell that re-
sembled the concentrated essence Of every
known effluvia from dead horse to a piece
Of limburger cheese. In fact, that breath
had taken the premium at every county
fair for twenty odd years for its unapproach-
able richness in the line OF its work.
Ambrose used to hang round the band
room occasionally to hear the music.
One evening a Dutchman baritone player
brought piece Of limburger to the baud
room
Julie happened 70 be called out for short
time, and while absent the boys took a
small portion Of the limburger and deftly