Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-04-09
BY r. c. SMEDLEY.

Former Secretary Local Y. NJ. c. A.
Camp Hancock, Augusta, Ga,
March 23.-In the training of the
American soldier the inspiration of
martial music is used to its full eX-
tent From morning to night the
camp IS hardly ever free from mu-
sic Of some sort, and the musicians
are about the busiest men on the
grounds Let me give an idea of
the daily round of the musicians in
the army. for the program here is
largely typical of the life in all OF
the environments.
Early in the morning, at the time
when it is far nicer to lie in your
bed" the guard interrupts the
slumbers of the musicians, and the
buglers tumble out of their tents to
sound the first call" which is a
warning that something is going to
happen. In this case the some
thing" is the start of a new day
time to get up, in plain language.
BY the time first call has sounded
the bandmaster has herded his mu-
sicians into form and the band
starts marching up and down the
company streets, playing a loud
and lively air as it goes. Since this
parade is before daylight for a great
part of the year, the men have to
know their parts so well that no
notes are needed. In fact, I think
some of, them must start playing at
times almost with their eyes shut.
The purpose of the music is to ac-
celerate the rising of the soldiers.
They havE about fifteen minutes
after first call, when the band
plays, in which to make a hasty
toilet Then the band takes its
place for roll call, and the reveille
sounds, closely followed by the as
sembly call.
At assembly, the companies are
formed in the streets in front of
their tents for roll call and setting
up exercises All of this takes but
very little time, and in a surpris-
ingly few minutes that ever-wel-
come mess call is blown, and the
men, mess kits in hand, line up for
their breakfast. An army mess, by
the way, is the original cafeteria
The men march into the mess shack
at one door, hold out their cups
and plates as they pass the coun-
ter, and then pass on to the long
tables to eat what has been given
them, asking no questions. AS a
rule, there is no music with the
meals except the din of forks and
spoons clashing on aluminium
plates.
The next number on the musical
program comes after breakfast
when sick call is sounded Any
man who thinks he has something
the matter with him is at liberty
to tell his sergeant SO, and then he
is taken to the infirmary for medi-
cal attention.
At 8 o'clock the band of the One
Hundred Eleventh infantry takes
its place just above our building
and starts a march. The men of the
regiment are all lined up in their
streets, and when the band begins
to play they start for the drill
ground or the trenches or the rife
range, or wherever their work for
the morning may be, and they all
pass our door on the way. Often
the order is for double time, and
then the band plays a quickstep
that sets the mems feet to going at
full speed 81 Can Hear the Uku-
lele Calling Me" is a favorite for
such occasions. That Is a most
impertinent ragtime arrangement
of one of the classic airs, and il
hurt my musical temperament when
I first heard it, but now I am hard
70 Ct
enough when the men are trotting
out so that you hardly get the orig
inal idea Sousa MARCHES are ex-
ceedingly popular. also. and I have
heard more renditions Of Washing
ton Post" Liberty Belp' and other
old faycrites of John P.'s than in
long time before. They are used
because Of their fine marching
rhythm, suppose.
After the men have been played
out to drill for the morning, the
band has nothing in particular 10
do except to practice for two or
three hours. Sometimes they prac-
tice in our building when the
weather is not good. They work
hard at It. too. No wonder most of
them are big, vigorous looking fell
lows. Their lungs get enough ex-
ercise 10 make them so. And that
fs especially true when they play
on the march. as they often do.
At 1870 the bugle sounds recall,
and the band comes back to its
place by our building to play the
men back to quarters.
During the noon hour the horns