Lawsville Cornet Band

The Lawsville Cornet Band was organized April 4, 1899. The original officers were Fred B. Travis, President; George W. Meeker, Secretary, Ethan Russell, Treasurer, and Burt L. Bailey, the Director. The Band furnished music for ice cream socials, picnics, reunions and fairs.

Dora Bailey, wife of Fred Bailey, composed a poem describing the players, their instruments and in some instance their occupation or girlfriend.

O we've a band at Lawsville Town
A brass band it is too;
The instruments are made of brass,
The plays they will do.
Burt L. Bailey our leader is
He's tall and slim and fair
The way he plays a cornet
Would made a wash-tub stare.
He owns a farm, and deals in pigs,
And chickens too, I guess.
He keeps a dog of great renown
For eating more or less.
And then Fred Knapp, a bachelor
Who lives all by himself.
And all the bread and cheese he gets
He masticates for health.
He sometimes plays the Clarinet
Also the Slide Trombone
His careworn look does plainly show
No man would live alone.
F.H. Southworth plays the snare drum
He's the merchant of our town
He'll trust you but he'd rather you
Would pay the cash right down.
And F.B. Travis, he's the man
That plays the Piccolo
He is quite tall and has black hair
And swaps sometimes, you know.
And Wesley Luce the Trombone plays
With quite a little vim,
And if to Georgia he should go
We'd like to go with him.
Ethan Russell the Alto plays
He lives upon the hill
He is a man quite tall and slim
And always keeps quite still.
And Meeker, George the tuba plays
The biggest of the horns
He dares to show a vicious horse
But is afraid of corns.
And then there's Charlie Southworth, he
Can play the drum
The way he hammers out the time,
Just seems to make things hum.
George Mitchell, he the tenor plays
A bachelor is he
We hope hope he'll find some pretty girl
With whom he can agree.
H.O. Bullard pays the cornet
We're sorry for to say
He don't get out to practice much
He lives too far away.
And Archie Southworth's getting bald
And he plays the Cornet
His upper story is quite full,
He has no room to let.
Earl D. Bailey the Cymbals plays
The girls, they like him much
But he is cold to all their smiles
His heart they cannot touch.
And then Ben Luce the Alto plays
And he's quite fond of fun
Of all the flowers that he likes
The Daisy is the one.
And Bailey, Fred, a farmer is
But doesn't raise much corn
He lives too far away.
And plays the Alto horn.

From: Susquehanna County 1810 - 1860

Introduction |Gay's West Auburn Band |Brooklyn's Prize Band |Hamlin E. Cogswell |Great Bend Cornet Band |Harford Bands |Harford Soldiers' Orphan School |Kingsley Cornet Band |Canawacta Band |Lawsville Cornet Band |Gibson Cornet Band |The South Gibson Band |Montrose Band |Taylor's Band |The New Milford Cornet Band |Rush Cornet Band |Springville Silver Cornet Band |Erie Band Of Susquehanna

---

Return to Exhibits

Return to Main Page