The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-03
THE BRASS BAND.
Pen Picture of a National Inxtftu-
tiOn I'm the Country Town.
"Oh, listen to the band:

Pen Picture of a National Inxtftu-
tion I'm the Country Town.
ooh, listen to the band:
Oh, aint it something grand?"
Popular Song.
'iFIow it may be in Europe I cannot
pretend to say. but in this country a town
without a brass band of its own must
be a poor thing. shamefully lacking In To-
cal pride and public spirit, town with
no 'git-up' to it at all. I do not know
that there are such. I hope not.
IT like to think that everywhere in my
country they speak in an anectionate way
of the musicians as the band boys and
brag about how much better they can play
than the Mount Victory band. like to
think that all the merchants and store
keepers in town helped out when the band
was organized and the boys came around
soliciting for the first payment on the
instruments, and that when the other
installments fall due everybody buys tick
cts to the home talent minstrel SHOWS
got up to raise tho money. not only be-
cause there will be more fun than a lit
tie, but also because they wish them good
luck. And how proud we all are or them
when the boys turn out for the first time
in their new uniforms! Talk about Solo
mon in all his glory. have seen bands
men that would make him look as IL ne
had overallS on. And the drum major!
If could be a drum major for a living
and look the part and dress up like him
and walk in front of the band, tossing
up my silver-knobbed baton and catch
ing 1T again the way he does, wouldn't
bother my head about being president OF
the United States, Not for minute. 1
can Just see the bandStand on Main
street, OF perhaps in the court house yard.
where on Saturday night the band gives
concerts by torchlight and plays ON Duty
March and 'Helter-Skelter Galop, ana
maybe No % in the Black Book while
the farmers listen, well paid for the long
drive in from the country ten or fifteen
miles. Fair time. political rallies. fire
mems tournaments. ball games, Decora-
ton days, Fourth of July, l can see the
boys swasser along in the middle of the
street and hear the drums roll: 'Prrrrrr-
rompom before the tune strikes up. When
they brought home Col. ClaNbCrn's body
and led his riderleSs horse behind tin
hearse, it was the band playing Web
sters Funeral March with handker-
chief stuffed between the SnareS of the
tenor drum to muffie it's sharp note that
made all seem So.emn, and who can
forget how lonesome sounded the melody
of taps on one single cornet just be-
fore the grave was filled in2
'.InSeparable from all our civic functions
the bard has in the country town nearer
and more neiEhborly associations For eN-
ample, when Squire Morgan and his wife
celebrated their silver wedding anniver-
sary. Everybody thought the world and
all of the old Squire and Aunt Margaret,
and so, for surprise. when 1t got dark
the band boys slipped quietly into the
front yard and began to ploy, When You
and 1 Were Young, Maggie 1t is sweet
old tune. and we all stopped our chatter
to listen. AS it tioated in all the warm
June air scented with honeysuckles,
something clutched at our throats and
made them acne.
But now we are aged and gray, Maggie,
r The trials Of life nearly done;
Let sing Of the days that are gone,
Maggie,
When you and / were young.
THE two old people stood listening.
Their lips trembled, and the. tears stole in
to 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 troopins in. Charley
Rodehaver, Frank and VIII Pettisrew
and Len Dysart and Henry Myrice and
Cliff Howard (old linn Towards boy; mes
cut i'll Kansas now. and the whole posse
of them all laughing and wishing many
happy returns of the day. An no" those
fellows did make the ice cream ana cake
vanish You would have thouS.i they
were hollow to their heels. Regular cut
ups, all of them. and Minnie de Wees put
Cliffs helmet on and tried to blow on the
the tuba. Such time
II like to think that in every town IN
the land tonight somebody is practicing
on his .teoby' out in the barn with Il IAN
tern-a tuba makes SUCH "A noise IN tne
house-and going 'Poomp-poOmp-p oOm-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and that out on
the Nlville road the tenor horn is slap
ping his foot the floor for the accent
ed beats aud footing on the off beats:
the alto horn has his book on the kitchen
table propped against the coffee pot and
is blowing: Observation-Disclosures. and
that the soprano cornet is working at his
part with his chest raised and a sur
prised and swelled-up look on his face.
Each of them from time to time wipes
his mouthpiece and then his pured lips
and saws to himself: Dad blame 1t!
Why can't I get that thing right?
81 like to think OF their regular prac-
tice night CTuesday, l think 1t Isl in the
upstairs of Hook and Ladder No. l. Each
fellow carries his instrument to the hall
done up in u bag, and before practice be
gins they all bleat away, each playing
over his part regardless Of what the
others are doing. BY and by comes the
sharp rattle of the leaders baton. and IN
the silence the chairs scrape and Sdueal
as they are hitched into sem-circle on
the bare floor. Now. We got new
piece says the leader; but, now, l guess
we better start in on No. 16. Now, boys,
quit your fooling. Attention. now. One,
two three, four. one, two, three. tat-ta-
rat-tat-taa, and away they Collar
vey Sutherland, in Ainslee'S.