St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-01-09
St. JOhnsbury Band Smoke Talk.

| bnrY Band to ITS members ana invited
friends, Thursday evening, S. H. Kent
was asked to give historical sketch of
this organization, which was very
interesting, and which we give in part
"The first brass band was organized in
town about 1888 or 80, and while there
are no official records of this band it is
known that they played in the William
Henry Harrison campaign. Among
some of the earlier organized band
musicians were John H. Paddock, c.
J Harvey Clark, Franklin Fairbanks
Harvlin Paddock, Horace Knapp
Charles Knapp, Elec Thompson, Charles
Martin William Chaplin, 0. w. Baker,
James P. Carpenter, Merett Hazelton,
Daniel Thompson, Fred Carpenter and
Mr.. Mckenzie.
We may set John H. Paddock down
| perhaps as one of the best if not the most
| talented band leader that the St. Johns
bury band ever had. Thoroughly edu-
Gated in all classes of music an accom-
plished organ and piano player, he knew
the standard operas and oratorios by
heart. This wide knowledge gave him
the essential qualifications to make him
a grand director and instructor He
also played an E-fat bugle in an artistic
manner. He was severe disciplinarian,
always keeping his musicians under per-
feet control, and always insisting that
there could be but one leader in a band
of musicians; that even if his interpreta-
ton of piece of music was at fault, it
was better for the musicians to perform
a piece according to the one man theory,
than to have part of the band rendering
| the piece as he directed and the others
each having a style of their own. Let
me say that he was a student in music
up to within a short time of his death.
He kept in touch with the best musicians
and music, as much as he could.
think it would be very interesting to
us if we could sit down now and hear
his band playing the old Blaisdel Quick
step.
There was no cornet in the band when
it was first organized. The lead was
made up of two E-hat bugles and three
B-hat bugles, F and BASES, and so on,
no reeds until David Hartman came here
from Peacham.
Mr.. Paddock business interests took
him away from home after he had led
the band for term of years and Mr..
Hartman became the leader for few
years. think it was in the early
fifties that Mr.. Paddock became inter
ested in some copper mines in Canada
and in Littleton, which took him away
from town, and for a few years there
was no regular band organization, but
in 1857, Just so years ago, w. H. Her
rick, Arthur Worthen, Fred Carpenter,
M. H. Wilcox, and Others, reorganized
and most of this band went later to the
front with a band that many of the
older members of the present organiza-
ton have heard so much about.
Some time later the band was again
reorganized, and in 1869 and 10 Arch
Walker was the leader. l think Mr..
Herrick was the next leader and was
leading the band when | came here in
1876. This was the first time | had
ever heard the St. Johnsbury band.
After playing at the fair in 1876 the
band broke up and did not reorganize
until October or November, 1877, when
| received a letter from the late T. c.
Spencer to meet some OF the old mu-
sicians in a room in the Union Block, and
at that time the present band was Or
ganized which has had kicks and
praises, the censure and support of the
town for nearly 80 years, and is still
alive and in hourishing condition. W..
A. Bowen was the director for about a
year, and then w. H. Herrick was again
elected leader or director, and let me
| ba,-o +1o+ NJ uarr;o1y rod h,,,,
self to all musical people. He was a
thorough musician in his way, not so
much of performer as ]. H. Paddock,
but he had grand good knowledge and
ability for bringing out the fine points in
piece of music, and making the per-
formers under his baton fully understand
them. Probably no musical person has
been so much missed as Mr. Herrick
When his health failed Frank H. Blake
of Waltham was engaged to direct the
band; he was succeeded by Prot; Charles
Berry of Lawrence, who was followed
by W. A. harrington, Carl Beedle,
George c. Felch and J. H.. Moore, and
some time ago Mr. Felch was again
elected and is the efficient director today
Many funny things that have hap
pened, many witty things that have
been said, and many jokes that have
been played, could be told. could tell
of the hardships and struggles we have
had, and perhaps at some future time
may take up this phase of the bands
history, but on the whole the St. Johns
bury band has had successful career"
Mr. Kent had a long list of members
and ex-members of the band, which he
read