Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-15
Buckley & Goodrich, " s@2 200
OLD TIME MUSICIANS,
Veteran Geo. F. TowIe of Auburn Re-
calls Memories of the Past,
Relates Interesting "reminiscences O.
kennebec County Artists.

George f. Towle, Auburn's veteran
| Violinist, was recently interviewed by
the Lewiston Journal concerning the
| music and the musicians of long ago
| Among other things, MIR. Towle said
the following in reply to a question as
to the number of different band and
orchestra organizations in which he
has played during his long and busy
life which will be read with interest by
many of the older citizens of Augusta
and vicinity:
We'll" laughed Mr. Towle, Il guess
| all of them put together would make
pretty long string. About the first
playing l ever did in any organization
was in the old Hallowell Brass band.
| although Gardiner was my native
| town. Prof. Fales of Waterville who
! died about a year ago and who used
| to come over here to Lewiston and play
| so often with Horace Johnson in his
| band, was our teacher. He was as
wonderful a solo alto player as he was
good story teller and all around good
| fellow. Prof. Fales was employed at
the time that we had him for teacher
| of our old Hallowell band, as band
| teacher of the old Augusta band. He
| was an extraordinarily fine violin plays
| er ana fine arranger. have one of
| Prof. Fales' QuadriIles of his own COM
| position and arranging slowed away
| somewhere in my music trunks. 1t is
| full of business and one of the kind
that they will always encore when they
Gance to il.
Thomas Cogswell vas the organizer
| Of TJu1ln x-nlI
brass band away back in "a. In the
band was one Jesse Tuck and John aud
Frank Howe. When we were only six
weeks old, our business manager, who
was very enterprising FELLOW as well
| as optimiSt, took an engagement to
| furnish music for launching L never
/ saw a vessel leave the ways any slicller
| than she did and 1 have always thought
| that it was because of the horrible
noises We made, that she picked her
self up and dusteo so rapidly We got
$1,000 for that job: but we never would
have pulled through III the world if IT
hadn't been for Prof. Fales' fine in
struction. and his personal assistance
i on the solo alto part.
| "Oh, l must tell you of Wenddenberg
Of Augusta. He was a schooled violin
list. Often he used to take trins across
the water to his old home in Germany.
once he brought back lot Ct fine new
nIgic. Shortly after ne returned Prof.
Tales invited Kim to one of the re-
hea1sals of the Augusta band. He
bro uSht large roll of the new must:
from Germany with him. During in
PERMISSION, Prof Fales began to look it
ever and seeing that all the parts We're
| = fI,,, .-t al
ana quietly picking up his alto horn
announced to the boys that they would
read it through, just for the fun of it.
Well, you know, it was the most diff
cult sort of standard classical music,
new and hard arrangements of stand
ara overtures and all that. one by one
the boys kept dropping out on their
parts. But Prof. Fales kept sailing
right along. Finally on the last three
or four pages, he was the only man Lett
to read it through just for the fun Of
it. Well, sir, Wenddenberg said after
!, wards that he never saw man do
such trick at sight reading as did
Prof. FaleS on that new music. His
eyes stood right out, he was so aston
ishcd and when Pref. Falcs put down
his instrument after executing the last
difficult finale, Wenddenbarg SPOKE
, right up before all the band boys in his
broken English. Mr.. Fales,' said he 1
am astoonshed; you must accept dat
moosic from me ais mineete!
THAT Wenddennerg was a great fell
low. He built dance hall in his
block On Water street, in Augusta, that
| beat any hall l ever was in for dancing
purposes. Underneath the floor were
six elliptical springs so that when You
Ganced on the floor, whether along the
edges or up and down the center, the
: boards sprung under your feet just as
if you were dancing on air. L played
there once for ball with the Backus
Brothers of Bath. There was a re-
markable team of orchestra players fof
you. Joe. Dan and George Backus, all
left handed musicians. Joe and Dan
PLAYED the violin and cornet and it
cidn't make any difference which one
of the two mad the violin. George was
violoncel:ist. | remember the first
winter our second Maine Cavalry band
was stationed in Augusta, Dan Backus
: helped us play the hornpipes for bali
with his f fat cornet and l tell you
: he made old Chorus Jig and Cummings
I Hornpipe move up lively
who was the leader of the Au-
: gusta brass band at the time you refer
to-"
Fem G. Barker" responded Mr.
Towle Immediately. He was a grea'
reader whether with the violin or the
E fiat cornet with which he always
conducted He is living now at Lead
vile. Col. 1 believe. He was an ex-
cellent conductor and shortly after ths
war he led the Bath Concert banC
with much success. Arthur Locke wa