Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-01-29
RANDOLPH BANDS.
Sketch Of the Musical Organizations
of the Village.

of the Village.
As early as 1855 or Z, this village, which
was even then toddling about in a preco-
cious way that betokened rapid growth
and development, felt the need of a brass
| band, and the old West Randolph Cornet
| band was organized with the late Franklin
Salisbury as leader.
Those early musicians, so far as can be
learned, were Royal and Jonathan Lam
son, Charles Badger, III. f. Sharpe, f. A.
Hobart, G. w. A. Putnam, Henry Newton,
Erastus and James Hebard, c. +. Wyman,
| Archibald Murphy, Henry Ford, Alonzo
Truell, Edward Barnes and Henry Corey.
Mr.. Salisbury led the band for the first
two years, and then his place was taken
| by Charles Badger, who retained the
! leadership until he left this part of the
/ country to go West. Very soon Granville
/ W. Barnes became the tenor drummer and
| later w. +. Lamson joined the organiza-
tion, both continuing to play as long as
the band remained in existence. Others
who swelled the numbers at various times
were Jack Thayer, Aaron Morse, Charles
/ Hubbard, j. ID. Wheeler, Leonard Wheel
er, S. V. Holman and Dexter l.. Chatteld.
| When the Civil war broke out, Archi-
| bald Murphy, Granville Barnes, ID. l..
Chatfield, G. w. A. Putnam, James He
bard and Royal hanson enlisted, and Mr..
Chatfield and Mr.. Putnam became mem
After the war the Cornet band contin-
ued under the leadership of Mr.. Chatfieid
with naturally some changes in its MEM
bership, old members dropping out and
new ones coming in, and il continued also
to discourse music of the high order
which made il popular.
At first a cap and sash were the only
distinguishing articles Of apparel the
bandmen wore, but in the height of its
prosperity handsome uniforms were pur-
chased BY the organization, and % pieces
made music to which the feet of the most
sedate Involuntary kept time.
Among its many engagements the band
played for the G. A. X. reunions at Rut-
land and Brattleboro, and was entertained
4 for a week one summer by j. ID. Wheeler
at Caspian lake.
After a quarter of century of success
! full organization, changes and new inter
ests worked to the disadvantage of the
old band enthusiasm waned and rehear-
sails became infrequent. Finally quartet
OF musicians, compos OF +. A. Phillips,
! c. W. A. Putnam, Fred II. Beedle and
I Leroy rilson, began to practice together
/ for their own amusement. In time a dis
agreement arose with the old band, and
with this quartet as nucleus Mechanics
band Was organized October 9, 1882, with
! r. A. Phillips leader, G. w. A. Putnam
secretary and treasurer and the following
members Fred and Harry Beedle, {. w.
Hayward. +. Swan, ID. &. Woodward,
Leroy Tilson, Alfred House, r. w. Allen,
j. r. Bacon, j. Dodge, Moses Bagley,
I George Slack, o. f. Noyes aud Levi john
son.
Alas two bands, though they might
furnish enhancing music, could not play
/ in the same village without causing
grievous discord, and feeling ran high, as
many can remember.
Friends of the new band planned and
carried to triumphant conclusion a great
| levee Jan. %, 1883, in Dubois & Gays hall,
which was crowded with people, who
] bought recklessly OF fancy articles, ate ice
cream and cake immediately, guessed
wildly on the number OF beans in a jar or
seeds in a pumpkin and voted early and
late on stuffed furniture, hanging lamps
and silk bedquilts, clearing by all these
means 800 for Mechanics band.
Then the supporters OF the old band
awoke and girded themselves for action.
A second leyee was held the 18th OF the
following March and another monster
gathering bought, ate, guessed and voted
TO such good purpose that s165 represented
the ret profits. At this juncture the
editor of the HERALD AND NEWS lifted up
his voice and cried aloud for harmony in
the following terms:-"Both bands have
had levee and been generously patron
lied by the public. Now let them lay
aside all personal feeling and unite, and
let us have a band second to none in the
state. We have been requested by several
OF the leading citizens OF the place to urge
this course upon the members OF the two
organizations. Now Is the time to lay
aside all bitterness and unite.o
This moving appeal, however, was bar
rem OF results, and the two bands were the
subjects OF more or less violent partisan
ship in the village for five or six years
longer In 1883 or 9 the Cornet band voted
to disband, and in August, 1891, Mechan-
ics' band did likewise, leaving the dis
posal of its property to T. w. Allen, +. A.
Phillips and G. w. Hayward.
As nearly as can be ascertained, at the
close OF its career the Cornet band was
composed OF ID. l.. Chatfield, leader, w. f.
Lamson, w. II. Curtis, q. W. Barnes, W.
l.. Hebard, Lemuel Richmond, j. ID.
Wheeler, ID. G. Torrey and Charles Lam
son.
Besides the original members OF Me
chanics' band, those playing at different
times were Albert and Frank Hastings,
Clarence Il. Moulton, Fred Bradish, Gill
man Wheeler, j. Harlow, {. e. Beedle,
Henry and Ed. Bagey and +. w. Allen.
This band played for two fairs at Brad
ford, for the muster at Newport and for
the one at Randolph in SO.
From November, 1893, to September, 1895,
Excelsior band fiourished with this corps
of musicians -. A. Phillips, piccolo; Err
nest Manchester, clarinet; Chas. Putnam,
cornet; X. A. Smith. cornet; II. III. Cham
berlin, cornet; VIII Hayes, cornet; Henry
Tobey, alto; Guy Tobey, alto; +. Z. Wy