Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 275, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1916 — ALTON'S HORN BLOWER ROUTED BY BUSY BUGS [ARTICLE]

ALTON'S HORN BLOWER ROUTED BY BUSY BUGS

Tub* Player Mistake* ’Em for Notes— Hl* Blaat* Make Leader's _ Hair Rise. Alton, Ill—An army of bugs, which hi ve been uninvited guests at the concerts of the White Huesar Band' m Seminary Park, finally become so ■nappreciatlve of the efforts of the musicians they literally pestered the band into silence. As a result, the bugs now have the park to themselves —the band has reformed its bitten remants in Riverside Park. The band has been playing in a temporary stand on which the lights were barely above the heads of the musicians. Thousands of bugs, with ears for light music, were attracted to the stand and soon broke up the harmony. About the only instrument the bug* didn’t attempt to explore was the interior of the bass drum and the band master was much mortified whenever the French horn exuded a cloud of Insects, instead of sharps and flats. The climax was reached at the last concert when thw tuba player explained his inability to keep time or in the right key by saying he mistook the bugs, sitting on the music, for notes. Some notes that he belched forth are said to have made the conductor’s hair stand straight up like quills on an angry porcupine. A man had been hired to keep the bugs off the musicians, but the bugs made a counter-attack with re-en-forcements and the White Hussars naulecT down their colors, wrapped up bugs and notes and executed a strategic retreat to Riverside Park, where the future concerts will be given.