Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-07

be more fun than & little, but also
because they wish them good luck. And
how proud we all are of them when
the boys" turn out for the first time
in their new uniforms. Talk abou
Solomon in al his glory. L have seen
bandsmen that would make him look
as il he had overalls on. And the drum
major. If | could be Il drum major
for living, and look the part and
dress up like him and walk in front
of the band, tossing up my silver
knobbed baton and catching it again
the way he does. / wouldn't bother
my head about being president of the
United States. Not for n minute. J
can just see the bandstand on Main
street, or perhaps in the court house
yard, where on Saturday nights the
band gives concerts by torchlght and
plays "On Duty March" and "Helter
SHELTER Galop,' and maybe NO. % in
the Black Book while the farmers
listen, We'll paid for the long drive in
from the country ten or fifteen mics.
Fair time, political rallies, fremens
tournaments, ball games, Decoration
days, Fourth of July. | can see 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. Clayburn's body and led his rider
less horse behind the hearse it was
the band playing "Webster's Funeral
March with a handkerchief stuffed
between the snares of the tenor drum
to mufiie its sharp note that made all
seem so solemn, and who can forget
how lonesome sounded the melody of
taps ON one single cornet just before
the grave was filed in?
Inseparable from all our civic func-
lions, the band has in the country
town nearer and more neighborly as
sociations. For example, when Squire
Morgan and his wife celebrated their
silver wedding anniversary. Every
body thought the world and all of the
old Squire and Aunt Margaret, and
so, for IL surprise. when it got dark.
the boys slipped quietly into the front
yard and began to play when You and
were Young, Maggie" 1t is sweet
old tune. and we all stopped our chat
ter to listen. AS it tloated in on the
suclles something clutched at our
throats and made them ache.
But now we are aged and gray, Mag
gle,
The trials of life nearly done;
Let us sing of the days that are gone.
Maggie,
When you and l were young.
The two old people stood listening.
Their lips trembled, and the tears
stole into their eyes Their hands
sought and clasped each the others
When the notes ceased and the old
squire went out on the front porch to
thank the boys his voice broke and
he could only beckon to them. And
then they came tramping in, Charley
Rodehaver, Flank and Will Pettigrew
and Len Dysart and Henry Myrice and
Cliff Howard Gold Jim Howard's boy;
he's out in Kansas now, and the
whole posse of them, all laughing and
wishing many happy returns of the
day. And how those fellows did make
the ice cream and cake vanish! You
would have thought they We're hollow
to their heels. Regular cut-ups, all
of Them and Minnie de Wees put Cliffs
helmet on and tried to blow on the
tuba. Such a time
1 like to think that in every town
his "tooby" out in the barn with q
lantern--a tuba makes such a noise in
the house-and going "Poomp-poomp
-poompoompoompoo and that out
on the Melville road the tenor horn is