The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1940-08-22
No Representation at Duluth
Convention In 1884 Stirs
Ely Post to Action.

The State American Legion conven-
ton in Duluth in 1884 at which repre-
sentation from Ely was as inconspicuous
as a corporal in room full of generals
was responsible for the organization of
the Legion drum and bugle corps of
post No. 248.
The corps climaxed its six-year en-
deavor TO put Ely on the publicity map
of the state conclave by winning the
1910 title
| In between those two notable years
there was a long struggle for perfection
n the art Of bugling and drumming,
for excellence in drilling and maneuver-
ing, for ability to keep cadence between
128 and 132 steps per minute without
| actually counting each stride, and for
| finances to keep the corps alive and
active
Since the corps made its first ap-
pearance at Albert Lea in 1895, it has
always been the show corps of the
convention, but showmanship does not
always win titles as easily as ap-
plause. The 1899 national convention
at Chicago, at which the corps got to
see the country's best units in action in
competitive competition, did much to
put them on the track to the Minnesota
state title
Harold j. Dillon, one of he organi-
zers of the Ely unit, and its manager
since its inception, appeared as a
| drummer with the Mankato corps at
Duluth. Some of the Ely Legionnaires
who were at the convention and saw
| the parade, got in huddle with Dillon
Immediately after coming home and on
Monday, Aug. 20, 1884, they organized
the local unit.
Albert j. McMahan was elected
president and for a time served as di-
rector of music; Ernest Anderson, vice
president; Joe Gerzin, Jr., treasurer,
and Edwin Toms secretary, post that
he still holds. Dillon, experienced in
drum corps work and organizer of the
Mankato unit, was selected as manager.
A finance committee composed of
Walter c. Carlson, John Rikhus, and A.
O. Knutson was selected and the or
ganization machinery got into high
gear.
After weeks of intensive practice dur
ing which men who didn't know the
difference between musical staff and
birch rod were taught the fundamentals
Of bugle blowing. the corps entered
Class B competition at Albert Lea in
1885, but alas, the boys were disquali-
fed because they couldn't lock the
valves on their bugles, as the regula-
tons required, and still produce music
They hadn't practiced without using
the valves.
But their trip was not failure-f8
from it. They won the parade prize
as the best marching unit, and were
the first unit, either band or drum
corps, to include majorettes in their
outfit Since then every organization
has had majorettes, some as many as
Jack Anderson of Tower, and Miss
Helen Roiko were with the corps at
Albert Lea.
Next year, however, the corps solved
the locked valve problem very nicely
and in so doing introduced a new style
of bugling which for several years
marked all competitive competition at
the state conclave
Peter Moroni, who succeeded Nc
Mahan as music director, got the idea
that if half of the bugles had the
valves locked down and the other half
open, the corps could still cover the
note range desired and comply With the
regulations This regulation, first made
to put bugles with valves on a level
with those without, was abandoned
after the 1899 conclave.
So all arrangements for the 1886
meet at Brainerd were written for the
new bugle setup, and the corps, baby