Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-05-26
DEBORAH DRUM CORPS
HISTORY OF CHAMPIONS OF THE
WORLD. WHO SPREAD DE-
CORAH'S FAME FAR
AND WIDE.
Proposed Reunion of Famous Drum
Corps at the Home Coming in
August Makes History of
the Organization Inter-
esting Reading Now.
Continued from First Page.)

SIS. In speaking of the contest the
Chicago Inter Ocean says:
THE drum corps contest took
place Wednesday afternoon. There
were three entries-the DEBORAH
Corps, the LIST Infantry Chicago
Corps and the Dubuque Corps. The
DEBORAH Corps is made up of young
men evidently of excellent musical
taste and execution. They rendered
most beautifully, What Shall the
Harvest Be-" and other airs, and a
few military calls. They have pic
colos, snare and bass drums. They
are really musical body, and, judg-
ed from standpoint of the days of
the war, when such instruments
composed drum corps, it would be
hard to find a finer corps anywhere.
Our corps came on the ground
next, and the boys did excellently.
Their maneuvering was superb and
they played nearly all the calls, and
surprised their antagonists, the De-
buquers, who Immediately withdrew
from the field. The contest was not
fair one to our boys if it rested
upon musical standpoint, and it
was unfair to the DEBORAH boys, if
simply judged from a military
standpoint"
While the Decorahis were playing
the Dubuque corps silently sneaked
away and failed to play.
After remaining in camp ten days,
having good time, the boys left for
home on Friday and were met at
Calmar by a delegation of DEBORAH
people, who requested them to re-
main at Calmar until the evening
train, SO that arrangements could be
made for their reception, and hand
ed the writer a bill which read as
follows:
Drum Corps Reception-The De-
corah Drum Corps were duly award
ed first prize as a Drum Corps, and
have been elected Honorary Mem
bers of the Porter Rifles of Mem
phis, Tenn. They will arrive home
on the Sis train this afternoon.
They will be met at the depot by the
military, firemen and broom brigade
and be escorted to the front of the
Winneshiek house where d public re-
ception and speech will be made by
Hon. e. e. Cooley. By order of Com
-aaittee."
The Home Reception.
On arriving home, despite the driz-
cling rain, they were met at the
depot by the military, fire depart
ment and large crowd of citizens
on foot and in carriages. The march
from the depot was amid cheers and
the booming of cannon. At Main
street they were met by the broom
brigade, composed of fifty young
ladies, commanded by Capitola Finn,
who escorted them to the opera
house where they were addressed by
Hon. E. e. Cooley. who thanked
them for gaining a national fame
for the beautiful city of DEBORAH.
The corps then broke ranks and
sought their homes, tired, but know
ing they had gained what they had
tried so hard to gain-the champion
ship of the United States.
&. With X. T. at Cedar Rapids.
After week of rest the boys left
home for Waterloo to accompany
Ascalon Commandery, No. %, K.
t., to their encampment held at
Cedar Rapids. While there they re-
cefved an invitation to attend a re-
ception ball given by the Indepen-
dence band in honor of the CORPS
recent victory. They left for indie
pendence on Saturday. 1t was an
enjoyable affair for they were royal
ly treated by the band and citizens
who met them at the depot and es-
corted them to the hotel After a
hearty meal, which the boys were in
need of, they sernaded the citizens
and then marched to the opera house
where the reception was held, and
there met a number of old friends.
The next day the band secured car
riages and gave the boys a pleasant
drive visiting the insane asylum and
all points OF interest. They left In
dependence Sunday afternoon for
Waterloo, where they remained un-
til Monday and then returned home.
The next day the boys left for
Waukon to attend the fair, having
been hired by the association to
play for them, staying four days and
coming home well satisfied with the
summers campaign.
With the Odd Fellows.
Noting of consequence occurred
NAtAA <APiAig 1000, WnCl lncy WtHl 10
Mason City to attend the Odd Eel
lows encampment. They remained
three days and enjoyed themselves.
On returning home they received
letter from their old friend, General
G. s. Bentley, inviting them to at
tend the international drill to be
held at Nashville, Tennessee.
international Drill at Nashville.
From this time on until the I'd of
May, they practiced constantly, when
they left home for the south, under
the command of f. NJ Coleman. Ar
irving at Dubuque at the Lorimer
house and there remained until
Monday morning, when they were
given car and were soon whirling
away
Nothing occurred to mar the trip,
except that our cook, Elias Blunt, had
no room to cook in, consequently
the boys had cold victuals all the
way. At Cairo, ILL.,, they encounter
ed a washout and were compelled to
wait on the Kentucky shore of the
Ohio river for several hours, which
was a pleasure for the boys had a
chance to rest, after their ride.
Arriving at the Nashville camp