The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-07-26
Music In The Long Ago.


Lambertville more than three score
years ago, entitled the "Lambertville
aud New Hope String Band,n for
which was adopted the following Con-
stitution and Bylaws.
| CONSTITUTION.
We whose names are hereunto APP
pended, hereby form ourselves into a
society for the purpose of learning in
strumental music and will abide by
the following rules. regulations, &c.
Article LIST. The society or band
shall be called the "Lambel tville and
New Hope String Band" aud shall
consist of a President, Leader, Score.
tary and Treasurer and not TO exceed
twelve members.
y Article 2nd. The officers of the
Band" shall be elected semiannually
by majority OF the members.
| Article ARD The President ahall
preside over all meetings, preserve
order, put all motions fairly to vote,
and give casting vote in case of tie.
Article &th. The Leader shall make
it his duty to keep order while play
ing, announce the tunes to he played
and the time of starting, and in the
absence of the President TO perform
his several duties; each member obi
eating himself to obey implicitly.
Article 5th. The Secretary shall
also be Treasurer and his duties shall
be to keep all papers and monies be-
longing to the band, settle all bills
and keep correct account of the
same. subject TO the inspection of the
members.
Article 9Th. This Constitution may
be altered or amended at any time by
majority of the members.
BYLAWS.
Article ist. The meetings of the
"Band" shall be at such place and
hour as the majority shall decide.
Article end. No member shall be
allowed to indulge in any personal or
frivilous remarks or introduce any
subject uncon nected with the object
of the meeting
Article ord. All members absent
ing themselves from the regular
meetings of the Band" without Civ
ing sufficient excuse, shall be fined
twelve and half cents.
Article 4th. The Secretary shall
keep list of the members, noting
when any one il absent and collect
the fines.
Article 5th. The members of the
'.Band" shall bear an equal proper
ton OF all expenses, and hereby indi-
vidually pledge their honor 10 main.
tain the foregoing rules aud reguIa-
| tons.
The members were the following:
John A. Anderson.
Thos. Chattle,
]. M. Robinson,
A. II. Holcombe,
John A. Kohl,
Il. o. Parker,
Stephen b. Smith,
Henry J. Baker,
George Il. Person.
The record has no minutes of bust
ness meetings or of the names OF Off
GERS, excepting that IL appears that
the present writer was Secretary and
Treasurer. The first meeting of the
"Band" for work was the tenth of
February, 1S<9 and the last recorded
of the fourteen noted was on the
twenty first of April OF the same year
The teacher was John Sconcia, of
New York, who received for his SER
vices, for the time he gave, the sum
OF thirty-two dollars. The place of
meeting was in the Office of the Canal
Company, on Bridge Street, east of
the Feeder. where the Secretary
worked in the daytime at n
drawing board, around which the
"Band" gathered in the evening
The record shows that eleven fines Of
twelve and half cents were collect
cd. The coin valued at twelve and "A
half cents and then in common use,
was understood to be of Spanish orr
gin and reaching us through Mexico.
The writer has been unable To learn
more of this than what he heard in
his youth. This coin was then un-
derstood to be correctly an eleven
penny bit, " u name which. with as,
WAS abbreviated TO "levy." In some
parts OF our country it was known as
"bit" and in California, aud perhaps
elsewhere, a quarter of dollar was
known later as 1.-TWO bits"
A coin of half the value of the
Ievy" was Il give penny bit,
name which in common parlance was
cut down to "fp," with us, while
in portions OF the South IT was u ''pic
ayune", the latter name being latel
applied to our five cent piece, as til
writer found to be the case in Ne'
Orleans, when there some years ago
The "Band" got SO far along as +
stand outside one evening and pla
Days Of Absence" (Rosseau'
Dream Mr.. Sconcia left about tha
time and note by the writer is to tn
effect that CATER Sconeia left tb
Band died"
/ do not know who composed lh
Constitution and Bylaws, nor am
, aware that any member OF the BAN
was especially given to conduct or re
marks ont Of order, but the reade
will observe that the rules are yer.
particular to guard against anything
OF the kind.
] think that there are no member
living excepting Mr.. George Piersol
and myself. Mr.. Pierson joined abou
the middle of the term" aud remem
bers attending.
Charles Foulke was we'll know
pbysician Of New Hope, father to Di