davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Nogales international., 1930-01-07


EETZRONK, kronk," doomed the
K bullfrog under Nain Street
~ bridge.
"Whar-r-r whar-r-r-, whar-r-r-e."
Abby Sloan feeling for "a" Fat On
his cornet. Band practice!
Without a word Us Fcllers scut-
tied, like a pack Of skinny little
shadows down alleys, over fences,
through soft, new-spaded gardens,
to bring up painting before the city
hall. Stealthily we sifted into the
dark and narrow stairway. Breath
lessly we progressed, step by step,
till we emerged, a row of wide
eyed, solemn, staring heads above
the wooden stair rail.
The bullfrog might sound the
clarion Of spring for the rest Of the
world. But in Anyville it was
never officially spring till the first
band practice.
Our young souls stirred to the
thrill of music? Well-maybe. Dut
as I recall those first band prac-
tices, they weren't music. Per-
Gonally, it was the aim Of ny life
to be on hand for the first band
practice to see Axel Egge don his
helicon. "Spuds" Kelley sWore
on the carcass Of a departed cat
that Axels horn was naturally
straight, and that he himself had
seen Axel wind it in that supple
curve about his neck, wind it slow
~ and deXterously as a snake
charmer winds her snakes. "Spuds"
was likewise authority for the state
ment that a good trombonist actu-
ally swallowed his trombone when
he pulled it up short to make q
high note. And he also fathered
the astonishing information that if
Us Fellers lined up before the band
boys and sucked lemons their in
etruments would stick to their
mouths and they wouldn't be able
to get them loose. We tried that.
The music did stop, and somewhat
abruptly. To man, the band boys
dropped their instruments, and put
US out. And thereafter attending
band practice had it's perils. We
stayed only until Abby sloan spied
our row Of heads above the wooden
balustrade. Whereupon we left,
fast and without ceremony.
Band concert night began in mid
afternoon at our house, when one
Of us piped up, "lIa, kin we go
downtown tonight to hear the band
playT Breathless suspense while
mother looked undecided, broken
by a chorus Of "Please, Ma, please,
kin we?"
"Well," began Ma, uncertainty,
ais the wo0dbox filed? And the
beans weeded? And the parlor
busted? And your clothes all hung
up?" We leaped into action. We
honestly believed that if we weren't
"good'' mother wouldn't take us
up town to hear the band play,
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

story: "Well pay you, sure, come
harvest"
Band Concert Night was no fiesta
for Dad. To Dad the first band
practice meant just one thing-the
annual visitation Of the commit
tee" making it's rounds to ask him
what he would do for the band this
year. To Dad the horns of spring
made their music on the cash
register. He always hedged little,
trying to find out how much Oppie
Smith Of the Quality Grocery had
given this year. But in the end he
always paid.
And Mother always protested.
"What dc yol always have to do
nate to the band for, Papa? You
never get to hear it play"
II know" said Dad, 'but you and
the children enjoy it."
"Not ten dollars WORTH" shifted
Mother.
ooh, well! The band brings the
farmers in. 1t is good for business.
And I don't know but what it il
k-Gd or GooQ 10r the soul OF ANY
VILE"
"Kind Of good for the soul ci
Anyville !"
Probably no cne in Anyville
would have understood exactly
what Dad meant. And yet each of
the business men who, every spring,
dug down into their pockets to keep
the band playing, must have sensed
that there was something in its
music that was good for the soul OF
Anyville.
Towns want bands. Maybe they
want them for the same reason
they want Rotary clubs and cement
sidewalks - because other towns
have them and they want to lock
progressive, too. Church chcirs.
singing societies, afternoon music
study clubs and private orchestras
are all very good. But to the bust
ness man, music mesns BAND. A
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

1t recognized music as an essen
tial to the civic and spiritual life
Of a community, as essential as
good schools, good sewers, good
pavementS and good police protec-
ton.
Main Street is the backbone of
municipal music here in America.
The culture clubs, the afternoon
musicales, the ccnservatories, bring
the highest type Of music to the
highest types Of people. But it is
the little old home town band that
gives music to the strata beneath
this intellectual upper crust-to the
folks who don't go in for symphony.
There is no accurate census Of
the town bands in the smaller cities
of the country. But it is safe to
cay that seventy-1ve per cent Of
t,lcm are supported wholly or in
part by the business men OF their
town. In concentrated little
patch Of the Middle West adjacent
20 Chicago, the Conn Music Center
made a study Of the bands and
land needs of almost 100 towns
varying in size from $4,000 to- 300
in population. The investigators
found that twenty-six Of them had
town bands. And eighteen of these
were being supported by the busl-
ness mems organizations Of their
cities.
Do the business men like it? They
do not. But, like Dad, they feel
that their town needs music, and
they know Of no other way Of pro-
Yiding it. =
1t was a disgruntled band man
out in Iowa who found another
way.
For more than forty years Major
George w. Landers has been or
ganizing and directing bands out
in Iowa. 1t was he who organized
the Page County Farmers Band,
which has taken first hOnOrs, year
after year, at Middle West state
fairs. He has fathered the Com
munity Band Of Pleasant Ridge, the
Ladies' Band of Shambaugh, a band
Of grown-ups and a junior band in
Clarinda, his home town. He is
probably the best known band man
in the Middle West.
But it was always the same story.
The band had to be an object Of
public charity. Major Landers
watched this annual roundup to
get money enough to keep the or
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

nurses, and personal safety through
police and fire protection. A town
ought to be allowed to levy a tax
for municipal music, just as it is
for the other things it's people
| wanted and needed
Major Landers began talking
''band tax more than ten years
ago. Bandsmen were all for the
idea. But they didn't believe any
legislature would ever pass such
a law. Nor would the towns be
willing to be taxed for music. The
hat-passers were more optimistic.
But no one seemed to be willing to
get behind the idea and push.
At the close of the war Major
Landers took his idea and his fight
to the state capitol at Des Moines,
and, practically single handed, put
through a campaign for Band Tax
in Iowa. The idea "took" and the
law, practically as Major Landers
framed it, was passed and signed
by the governor on March II, 1921.
Nine days later Clarinda, Major
Landers' home town, voted the
/ Band Tax. Landers himself took
the stump in behalf Of municipal
bands, and at the end of two years
| seventy Iowa towns had voted the
tax and organized municipal bands.
| Today one hundred and twenty-five
Iowa towns and cities have NUM-
cipal bands supported by taxation.
The Iowa Band Tax Law is as
simple as legislation can be. It
| gives to towns under 10000 the
privilege of levying tax not to
exceed two mills per dollar Of as
sessed valuation for the purpose
of maintaining a band. A petition,
signed by ten per cent Of the voters
at the last municipal election, puts
this question on the ballot: "Shall
a tax of - mills be levied each
year for the purpose Of furnishing
a band fundW A majority Of the
votes cast at that election is re-
Quired to carry it, and once car
ried city ordinance puts music
on the tax budget.
''NVe set a limit Of two mills ar
bitrarily," explains Major Land
| ers. "If there was no limit set,
conservatives would hesitate to
vote the tax for fear at some fu-
ture time it would be increased. A
two-mill tax yields an income Of
20 cents per hundred dollars, or
$4,000 per million dollars of as
sessed valuation. Few towns are
/ II howe q YpnnnTtXy fI1Q a..
tion so low that a tWO-nlill tax is
not sufficient.
"We stipulated towns of not
more than 10000 population arbi-
| trarily, too, because here in Iowa
towns larger than that have a park
commission empowered to employ
a band"
The world must have been wait
ing for Major Landers' idea, for
almost at once other states took
the cue from Iowa. A poll 1aken
recently by the Conn Music Center
showed that nineteen states had
passed Band Tax Laws. varying in
detail, but practically all modelled
after that OF Iowa.
Arizona, California, Idaho, Illf-
ncis, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mon
tana, Nebraska, Nevada, Florida,
New York, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Texas and West Virginia
have already passed band tax laws,
and several other states are consid-
cring similar legislation.
| The Rand Tax Law. as devised
by Major Landers and passed by
those nineteen pioneer states,
while simple and uniform, is still
elastic. AS Major Landers says, it
is local option in music. A town
can take as much or as little as 1t
wants.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

fic and getting by with it. Mother
in the crisp lavender print dress
which, as long as I live will al
ways spell gala day for me, push
ing the baby buggy, visiting" busily
J5loh everyone, but always keep
ing an eye On her young ones.
We looked with envy at the high
school boys in white coats, vending
ice cream cones; with scorn at the
Ligh school girls, in bevies nine
abreast, hurting through the slow
stepping crowd, leaving behind
them a wake Of CONSERVATION and
comment, and an echo of heeting
laughter. Through this shadowy
picture, Us FelIers, darting like
r.innoWs, clutching in our grubby
lnits our precious, hard-earned
quarters, making the rounds from
band stand to peanut stand, from
"dOg' wagon to Dads store, on the
faint chance that a ''touch" for a
dime might work; darting under
the wheels Of cars and the feet of
horses, 1eaping over whole, startled
families to get in on a dog fight
before the bowling subsided. And,
clinging wistfully in my memory
is always the glimpse Of Dad, his
shoulders dropping a bit wearily,
chuttling back and forth behind his
counter, scooping up sugar and
Topping off bananas, and listening
patiently to that ever recurrent
Nogales international., 1930-01-07
LOCALS
MISS SAMPSON RECOVERING

Mr.. and Mrs. L. r. Gambee have
returned from Los Angeles where
they spent several days visiting
friends including Miss Bernice
Sampson of Nogales who has for a
long time been undergoing treat
ment for a tubercular condition of
the bones. They report that she has
made most remarkable recovery
and from her present appearance
it is difficult to appreciate her for
mer helpless condition. Miss Sam
pson is now a member of the An
gelus Temple of which Aimee Sem
pie Mcpherson is the pastor and to
whom she extends a large share of
the credit for her recovery.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

ganization going. He built up ex-
cellent bands, only to see them
disintegrate because of lack Of
money.
"This hat-passing habit was al
ways uncertain" says Major Lam
ders. "But worse than that, it
was unfair for the small group Of
the generous to give and give and
give that their townfolk might
have music. I thought it was high
time for Iowa to put music on a
sound, systematic, and financial
footing, as it had had done read
ing through it's public libraries,
health through it's public health
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

c. E. Mayse of Tucson, who op-
crates flying school in that city,
expects to make a trip within the
next ten days to Los MochiS, Sin
aloa, where he will arrange to
handle transportation of passeng-
ars, via airplane, in the Los Mo-
;his district. He will be away from
Arizona about three weeks.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07
THE WEATHER

Maximum temperature the past
ieveral days was 73 degrees Satur-
lay, and minimum, 30, on Thurs
lay and Friday.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

Mrs. Lew Levin has been con-
fined to home at 224 Terrace ave-
nue. for several days suffering from
a. severe cold.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

Florense -75-ton plant being in
stalled at Silver Bell Mine near
here by Glenidick Mines Corpora
ton.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

Coldwater Plans underway for
erection of store building for Cold
water Commercial Company to be
occupied by Bayless stores.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

If your little one 70 out-of.scxAGL
won't play, seems sick, languiA. NOT
natural-suspect the bowels. A tea
spoonful of delicious "Cslifoynia Fig
Syrup" given anytime swsetens the
stomach and soon moves the sour fer.
mentations, gases, poisOns and indi.
gestible matter right out Of the bowels
and you have q well. playful child
again.
Millions of mothers depend upon
This gentle, harmless laxative. It never
cramps or overacts. Contains no mar
cotics or soothing drugs. Say "Cai.
fornia" to your druggist and avoid
counterfeits. Insist upon genuine
California Fig Syrup" which has di.
rections for babies and children Of all
ages plainly printed on bottlA
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

church choir is fine for Easter, but
it doesn't do Sc well for the Fourth
of July celebration. The symphony
orchestra is not much help in drum
ming up crowd ON election day,
and an afternoon music study group
doesn't bring the farmers bowling
in from the trim farms of the corn
and cow country.
The state Of Iowa bowed its head
in recognition of the fact that the
band sis kind of good for the soul
of Anyville," when, in 1921, it
passed law permitting it's cities
to levy a tax for the maintenance
of municipal band. This first
Band Tax Law marked the begin
ming of the passing Of the pass
ing c. the hat to give music to
the people Of the smaller towns
and cities Of the United States.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

in this city in Grand Theater build
ing on Monroe Street.
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

SUnUUIuGQ yCuAS5LSISs WIZ SIOOA
in wide-eyed wonder, star
ing at the fascinating, colorful pa
rade of TOWN.
Families strolled lcisurely from
the four corners Of the town to
spread OFT comfortably on news
ncDcrs c2l soft pillows il the cool
~r'c-s Of tie Town He'll Square,
talking the pleasant, aimless talk
Of buoy people released suddenly
from the pressure Of work into the
unaccust0mcd leisure.
Old "Cap" Austin, town photog-
raphcr and justice of the peace,
weaving in among the crowd,
drunmed uD business among the
young folks sitting two and two
among tie densest shades; "Gram-
ra" Storker, darting in and out in
her agile wheel chair, defying traf-
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

Buckeye - Buckeye Food and
Produce Company opened new store
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

I was years older before theN
truth dawned on me: Mother
would rather have missed her
morning coffee than a band con-
cert.
All the band concert nights Of
my childhood are woven into
one composite memory: the
band wagon drawn up in state
before the City Hall; +; Abby Sloan
with his mouth full of tacks,
tacking up the rents in it's flap
ping mantle of bunting; AEel
Egge murmuring solemn Nor
wegian noises into his French
horn; Old Man Hennaberry
who, every morning, went out
in his yard and hollered at
himself to see if he had gone any
dcafcr since yesterday, coming
across the square Juggling his
battered old cllice chair, setting
it down almost under the wheels
Of the bandwagon and cooking
up his ear trumpet to catch
every dulcet note.
YelloW-Wheeled buggies and
dust-bitten flivvers vending il
from the prairie farms, unload
ing endless supplies Of solemn,
Nogales international., 1930-01-07

BY J. F. BOYER
E(T/RONK, kronk," doomed the
bullfrog under 1Lain Street
~ bridge.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

conversations with the parents and observations
in the home. Economic necessity was found to
be the true reason in only 159 cases; 121 girls
were Disconnected with school; rs wanted to
work 40 "just wanted to leave; in only 10
cases had there been q death of a parent; and
the remainder were working because their par
ents wished them to work, or they had stopped
to go to business school, or because OF illness in
the family or because their friends were work
ing.
It IS interesting however, to find that when
these girls were asked did you, at the time
you left school, want to stay in school longer?"
and would you, If you had the chance now,
20 back to school?" that their answers brought
out certain obvious facts Although 167 said
that they had not wanted to leave school, only
1l6 were willing to return if they had the
chance. Only % of the 333 girls who said that
they had wanted to leave school were sorry they
left or wanted to go back to school. Evil
IDENTIFY the necessity for their working had adj
mirably fitted in with their desire to leave
school.
A study among $50 children in Indiana as to
why they had left school TO go to work showed
that about 20 per cent gave economic neceS-
Sity as the reason; about IL per cent went to
work because of some illness or physical defect
in themselves o. among their families. In more
than half the cases where causes connected
WIFI OAC CGAOOl WcLC given dS Tile IcdSON IUE
being at work. the children said that they
went to work because they disliked school.
Parents of is per cent said they were unable
to afford the expense of meeting the social
demands of the school.
In Iowa so per cent of the children gave
dislike of school diffculty in doing the
school work as the reason for leaving
Though many children undoubtedly leave
school because of restlessnesS, impotence at
discipline and personal and family ignorance
of the value of continued school training, m
important cause of dissatisfaction with school
Is that despite improvements in recent years,
many school systems do not yet provide train
ing adapted to the needs of an industrial
society.
Much has been done over period of years.
particularly in the large cities. to individua1ize
the school program to meet the needs of chill
dren of different types, probably furnishing
one reason for the increase in the number of
years of school attendance in those localities
During the period 1905-28, during which
there was great activity in the operation OF
the compulsory attendance laws, there have
been great gains in school attendance In
1905 there were 15,788,598 pupils attending
public elementary schools and 679, TOP attending
public high schools. The latest available fig
ures. for 1923, show 2O,572 927 in public ele-
mentary schools and 3,911 ,279 pupils in public
high schools. During the time when the popu-
lation Of the United States increased as per
cent attendance at the public elementary
Continued or TsOenty-SecOnd Pace .g
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

parents are willing even anxious that they
should stay in school, but who prefer to go to
work. Sometimes they have brothers sisters
who are making money and they want to work.
too when there Is really no economic reason
why they should do so.
AN intensive inquiry into the causes OF
children leaving school for work in $40
cases In industrial centers located in
Rhode Island, Georgia, Alabama, South Caro-
lima and Pennsylvania, based on the family in
come for the preceding year, showed that 30
per cent of the children went to work because
OF family necessity.
A sincere effort was made to ascertain ex-
actly why 500 girls Of school age in Philadelphia
were working during the day and attending
continuation schools in accordance with the
school-attendance law. The girls were first
interviewed ut the continuation schools, and
the parents were subsequently interviewed in
their homes, and the answers checked UP by
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

discipline or because the system OF schools
does not offer them courses suited to their
peculiar needs
Many children stop school when they have
been graduated from grammar school because.
according to the tradition and custom Of their
families, school work Is finished at that time
They do not consider high school or college
education necessary and are too ignorant to
realize the advantages of such education. When
asked for their views they point to the man who
is successful in spite Of the fact that he has
not had an education and not because Of that
lack, or to the college man who Is failure.
OF course, there are other children whose
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07

!: : :; ::
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20
Above - Veneration and
prayer by the Wise Man OF
the East.
Below = The exquisite and
divine" body of Maurice
Hunter.

full models for artists and sculp-
tors, he has an international
reputation. But he is now en-
deavoring to make of posing an
original and creative art. He is
a pioneer in the field, trying to
make a new gift to the realm of
arts.
Hunter is full-blooded Negro
of South African parentage. Both
his mother and father were high
spirited, one hundred per cent
Bantus. AS such, Maurice is a
typically pure African.
One glance at him will quickly
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20

ing the last decade. Now there
are distinct signs of fresh bud
ding Negro geniuses who will no
doubt carve for themselves a
name within the next few years.
Of such Negro youths, Maurice
Hunter is one of the most prom
ising. AS one Of the most grace
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20

known to history.
The world has now recognized
the Negroes contributions in the
realms of music, the dance ana
rhythm. But he is trying to enter
other fields of creative thinking
and production. A beginning has
been well made in literature dur
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20

impress even a casual observer
that he is a cultured gentleman.
His is one of the most spiritual
lied faces I have met during my
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20
By H. C. MUDGAL

The Negro is vital factor in American civllizatlon IN
deed he has lent to it authentic color without winch
4 would be the drabbest and most unorgnal cVllzauon
Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-20

travels in three continents. His
face floods one Immediately With
Continued on Page Two
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-26
Mems National Doubles Net
Play Reaches Second Round

naval officers, Lieutenant G.. w.
Smith and Lieutenant R. M. Watt
Jr.
Big Bill Tilden's determination to
reach his eighth national doubles
final seems endangered by his hip
injury. Tilden li1nped badly Mon
day and was forced to let Hunter do
most of the court covering. Tilden
and Hunter, however, should have
little difficulty in disposing of
Henry L. johnson and Malcolm T.
Hill, their second-round opponents.
A f1rst-round match between Sid
ney B. Wood and Francis Shields,
and Dick Lusch and Keith Werner
was scheduled for today with the
winner to meet E. w. Feibleman and
j. B. Fenno.
Berkeley Bell and Gregory Man
gin played Arnold w. Jones and
James Van Allen.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-26
Buy
Bill Andrus;
Release Ryan

Bill Andrus, hard-hitting second
sacker with Selma in the South
eastern League, was purchased by
the Indians today, Secretary Clauer
announced. Selma is out in front
in the Glass B loop He is % and
was with Terre Haute last season,
where he batted .306
The youth is not likely to report
until next spring. for the South
eastern League schedule extends
into September.
Shortstop Blondy Ryan has been
ordered to return to the Chicago
White Sox, Clauer said. The tall
collegian from Holy Cross failed to
do much stick work with the Cor
rideniteS.