by Henry Birchard
(1853 - 1937)
My first remembrance of bands in Montrose carries me back to about the time of the opening of the Civil War. Charles Webb, whose father, Henry Webb, then conducted a store on the east side of Public avenue, was the leader.
In later years the band was under the leadership of O.D. Beman, jeweler. Mr. Beman's son, Frank, the well-known church organ builder, of Binghamton, was then a "big" small boy, and a member of the band. All the boys envied Frank as a "tooter," and longed to be with him in the lime light at the head of the procession.
At the death of Mr. Beman, Theodore Smith, for many years foreman of the Independent Republican printing office, succeeded to the leadership of the band. Mr. Smith, before coming to Montrose, had been a member of the band in Scranton, where he formed what is now the Scranton Republican, in the fifties. He was a thorough musician and a gifted composer, arranging music for the band, and under his guidance the organization, although not noted for parading in gold braided uniforms, executed classical music creditably and in a manner pleasing to the conceded (sic), critical taste of Montrosers.
Leader Smith was of an unusually nervous, sensitive temperament, and the beating time and false notes of beginners were painful to one of his artistic nature, and he used emphatic language at times. I well remember that the late Edward Pickering was desirous of becoming a member of the band, and came to the band room one evening to make a start. Mr. Smith gave him the scales to practice, but his "scaly" execution was evidently not satisfactory, as Mr. Smith remarked:--"Damnation! What are you trying to play? You haven't anything like that on the sheet." Pickering's aspirations to become a second Arbuckle were squelched, and that was his first and last appearance in the hall of music.
Difficulty was oftentimes experienced in getting a full quota of members out to meetings. It was well-known that one of our most important members, Chas. S. Foster, who was an A-1 baritone player, was partial to pie and fried cakes, so it was arranged by the boys, in order to insure Charley's presence, to tack a pie, embellished with a fried cake upon the entrance door. Charles was a natural enemy of this class of decorations.
The band met in all sorts of cubby holes. First, in Smith's cabinet shop, sitting here and there upon stools, chairs, tables and "wooden shirts;" then, again, we "tooted" over M.S. Wilson's hardware store; next we regaled the people on the west of Public Avenue; then we escaped uninjured to Rogers' wagon shop, next to the Montrose House. But in spite of the tortured ears of the public, we still kept on the musical job, resulting in a band which ranked in excellence with the best in that section of the state.
In the seventies the band accompanied Rough & Ready Fire Co. No. 1, to Scranton, where the route covered over twelve miles. Edward Smith, who marched on the right of the writer that day, had a "lip" like a Kansas Cyclone. He was supposed to keep in step, but when my right foot was ascending, his left was descending. "Ed" could step in a mud hole, raise one foot in the air and shake it without interfering with his faultless execution of a tenor solo.
In that decade, the band accompanied the Methodist Sunday school to Springville on the occasion of their annual picnic. When it came time for the "eats," each member of the band was entertained by as many different families. It was my good fortune to be allotted to a family of five -- father, mother and three fair young daughters. I was bashful, at that time, but between bites was not slow in taking an inventory of the company, which proved very satisfactory.
A memorable engagement was a night political meeting and torch light procession in Tunkhannock. We arrived in the old town via the narrow gauge railroad, in good season, and helped warm up the political horizon with patriotic airs. After the meeting was over and the country was saved by the speakers, we pulled for the depot and embarked for home. The lilliputian engine puffed, wheezed and snorted; Conductor Walters pulled the rope and we were off. The "tea kettle limited" covered a little better than five miles and hour and pulled in at the terminal in Montrose at a late hour, full of nothing but politics.
The band filled an engagement one year at the annual encampment of the Veterans Organization of Susquehanna county, held on the Montrose fair grounds. Everything was harmonious until it came time for the "sham battle," when the band was required to march between the battle lines. During the conflict the old vets became excited and were shooting, not only blank cartridges, but wooden ramrods. One of the ramrods, in rapid transit, buzzed over the head of yours truly, and if he had been a little more elongated would have been shot right through the collar button. The members of the band, many of whom were not carrying life insurance, objected to taking further chances in this short route to the burial ground. The Vets had, apparently, forgotten that the Civil War was over and were imbued with the spirit of '64, when they were battling the "Johnnies." The battle became fierce, and many left the grounds in a fright.
Montrose Cornet Band
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
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