La Junta tribune., 1915-05-22
BAND CONCERT TOMORROW.

Cheraw Rand Of Forty Pieces VIII
Give = Sacred Concert Sunday
All Free-NO Collection.
La Junta will not be deprived of
band concerts during the coming
summer. In fact. the band concert
season will open In La Junta tomor-
row in the court house park with a
free concert by the Cneraw band Of
forty pieces. There will probably
be more Of them during the summer.
and the concerts will not cost the
people Of La Junta one red cent.
Some different. from previous sum-
mers. mayhap. but 1t will be dif-
ference that will be appreciated.
Just think this over for minute.
Cheraw. a burg OF one-thirtieth part
OF the population OF La Junta, has a
band Of forty pieces. and II has only
been organized since last December.
All OF the instruments are OF stand
ard make and finished In silver and
gold. The Instrumentation is COM
plete. from the tiny piccolo to the
monster bass. and II has the proper
number Of reeds. This set OF In
struments is worth $1,000. and they
were bought for cash and paid for
by individual members Of the band.
The members Of the band never ask
ed for nor received one cent for the
purchase Of the instruments. and In
addition bought and paid for their
own uniforms. costing $500. They
even pay their own band room rent.
which amounts TO SO per month.
and In addition TO that pay their own
teacher. Besides that they give
free concerts once q month. aud do
not even take up 4 collection. Some
local patriotism. that. surely, and
well worthy OF emulation, also imi-
tation.
In times past the towns of the
Arkansas Valley have contested for
high honors. and among the ideals
sought for WAS the best band. While
other towns were playing t0g Of
war. n little unknown town was saw
Ing wood and saying no. 4 word. A
hand vas orGsnised and dFhleoss In
|miiit1fy tSetics:S ana incsdestaiiy .
small item appeared In Denver pa-
per. You probably remember that
Emerson once said that II even q
shoemaker developed into genius
In his particular line Of cndeavor the
world would make u beaten track to
his door-even II he lived Ia La Jun
In. So II happened In this instance.
as relates 10 the Chcraw band. The
motto Of this band il. III you want
help. first help yourself"
Colonel Davis. Of the Second Reg
iment of the National Guard Of Colo
RADIO. saw the little item In the Den
yer paper about the Chcraw hand.
lie nj once wrote 20 the leader Of the
hand. Prof. Luther ID. Armstrong.
and told him Of seeing the little Item
about the hand. and asked II the
hand would accept the honor Of be-
Ing the Second RcEimcntai Band Of
Colorado. The proposition was laid
before the band boys. and u few days
later the Colonel Was notified that
the boys would accept the honor u
they could stand the test.
The Colonel wAs Invited To visit
chcraw and banquet was given In
his honor. which was to be- served In
military style. All Of the boosters
IN chcraw attended the banquet. AZ.
ter the banquet the band played n
few selections. AT tho conclusion Of
which Colonel Davis made q brief ad-
dress. and then inausuratcd the
ceremony that made the cheraw Nil.
iiary Hand the Second Rcgimcntsi
hand Of Colorado. Then and there
was the coveted honor cinchcd.
Luther y. Armstrong. tho leader
and Instructor Of the chcrAw hand.
Il . genius along the line Of tnstsuc.
tion and oreanlsatios. lie II .
young Southerner. belas horn and
raised II Alabama. ~ On early sss
he became . member Of the Mitchell
Hand. of Alabama City. composed oi
cotton mill employees. AZ seventeen
he enlisted In the regular army. serv.
lag through the Spanish.Americau
var. sad also ID the PhiliDplnes and
China. ne rstlred Srom Tie sesvice
of the government n 1905.
The Chersw basd Will b In Il
lwnaa aSsnnpaM~s anA sas~ q ess~ ~s>a.