Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-07-18
The Music of Wagner.
by WILLIAM j. HAMPTON.

The curtain had gone down on the
first act of strenuous opera by Wag.
ner, and the man in the aisle seat
looked around to see what sort of a
neighbor he had. 1t was Il man, and
a sad-eyed one, with Indications of
the rural rooster In his plans and
specifications. He was disposed to
talk, too, and with an Introductory
cough or two he began.
Wagner" he said, pronouncipg 1t
the way 1t looks in print, and speak.
Ing in the key of "Iark from the
Tombs," kinder makes me feel like
sheddin' tears. 'Tain't snilly style
of music, neither" he added.
"Not exactly" ventured the man
on the aisle. Probably it Is because
you are of an emotional tempera-
ment," he ventured still further and
rashly.
"Mebbe that's got something to do
with it," admitted the sad one, "but ]
guess it's more from recollections.
Madame de Stael once said that
music revives the recollections it
would appease,' ventured the man
again.
kind of case of the hair Of the
dog bein' good for the bite?" respond.
ed the sad one, not quite certain
'But that amt it. know what does
it,"
"Ah?' in a distinct toue Of invita-.
tion to go on with the story.
Yes. You see 1t was this way:
When | was a young man | was lead
er of brass band in an Indiana town
an there was an opposition band in
TIE town across the river. Well, nat.
urally it was up to us to blow it off,
SO to speak, in band contest, an
after a good deal Of seesawin an
sparrin' for Joints, we challenged the
other band to blowout, as you
might say. They took us up, of
course, an for three months we prac-
ticed SO hard that the White Caps
threatened us, but we armed our
selves, an kept on BLOWN to beat
the band, as You might say, every
night in the week in town, an went
out in the country OH Sunday. Then
the match came off, an it was tho
biggest time in music circles YOU ever
see. The opposition had been putin
in as much hard labor as we had, an
it was battle of giants, so to speak.
We was nip an tuck right through
the programe, an the last piece was
to decide which was to win That
piece was one Of Wagnor's best, an
| give my boys notice to blow for all
they was worth, If it took lung,
You can't do justice to Wagner with
the soft pedal on, an he calls for
something besides hammy breezes
through horn. The other side
played first, an then our turn come.
We started right in on the jump, like
a Kansas cyclone broke loose, an
showed the wind in till it bulged the
horns, but it didn't do no good" And
the former leader sighed like hcarse
note from an oboe.
"What was the matter?" asked the
man on the aisle. Had your o2po-
nents bought up the judges"
"No, no; that wasn't it," And the
leader sighed again. you see, my
musicians was tryin' to do full justice
TO Wagner while they was knockin'
the waddin out of the opposition, an
dern my gizzard! If they didn't blow
their horns so full of pieces of lung
that the wind couldn't get through
them at all, an we lost out right on
the last turn. We busted our bass
drum besides. Six of the boys died
Of tuberculosis of the remains before
tho year was out, an l give up the
band an left the State. jest
couldn't stand it. Now, when | hear
Wag-
But the curtain went up, and the
ex-leader was too much of musician
to continue the conversation.-From
Judge.