Plymouth High School - Mayflower Yearbook (Plymouth, IN)

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 Right here, on the grounds where this school building now stands. something over forty years ago occurred a scries of among the greatest political debates in the history erf the United States Schuyler Colfax, several times elected a member of congress from this district, also speaker of the United States house of representatives, and later vice president of the senate of the United States from Indiana, sere the contestants for congressional honors No more brilliant display of forensic oratory was ever heard than was shown in these memorable joint political debates ‘The faint rumblit of the coming storm of the great rebellion was just then beginning to be heard in the southern horizon, and the ey es of the whole country were turned toward these political gladiators, the trend of the discussion being national in It bearing These debates became the most widely known, and have been the lowest remembered of any political discussions, excepting, always the never-lobe-forgotten debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas in Illinois In 1858 Here, also in these beautiful grounds and in sight of them, have been heard such superb Indiana orators as Gov. Ashbel P. Willard. Senator. Gov and Vice-Pres Thomas A. Hendricks; Gov Isaac P Gray. Gov James D Williams. Senators D W. Voorhees and Joseph E McDonald. Senator and Pres Benjamin Harrison. Stephen A Douglas. Ban) F Shively. Gen and Lieut- Gov M D Mar son. and the most polished orator of them all, William Jennings Bryan All can call to mind sublime oratorical efforts that almost moved the workl and became immortal As illustration I need only refer to Paul s Appeal to King Agnppa.' and In our own time to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. 1 which standi singly and alone as the ora lone a I gem of the age THE MOZART MUSICAL CLUB On the evening of September 13. IM. twenty ladies of Plymouth met at the home of Mrs James McDonald to organize a class in vocal music For a number of years the vocal chorus music of Plymouth had been in rather backward shape and the various church choir felt the effect in a marked decree A number of la krs had talked tht mutter over and this meeting w» held with a view to organize I society with the object of creating a sentiment in the city lha would encourage music of a high class and take the place of thi walled rag time trash that was rooting out all classica music The Mozart Musical Club was a success from the start Mrs Stella Drummood was the first president, serving until hei removal to South Bend Mrs Olive Soice then served a term o year and Mrs Eva L Underwood has since been at the head o the society Mrs James McDonald was the first Arector. am since then they have had Prof Franks, of South Bend, and Prof McHenry, and now Prof H W Owens, of Chicago, has jus commenced his fourth year with this club Each year since the organization the club has given one or twi concert , which have been well received by those who bean them No attempt has been made to amass money by these per for manors, the object only being to giv r to the public an exhibitus of the progress made and to bring m noted soloists who could bi heard here in no other way. When San Francisco was destroy» by earthquake this club sent the entire proceed of one concert ti the relief of the sufferers During these ears this club has given, among others, the Hoi; City. by Gaul; Roue Maiden. by Cowm. Messiah. b Handel and this year the work » Creation. by Haydn That thi club, started by a small company of laAes who were simply hen on self improvement and un earnest desire to elev ate the taste c the community for thr highest class of music, should succrssfull give Handel s Messiah. which is acknowledged to be one of th very best and most Afficult of the standard oratorios, speaks we for the individual membership and the directors they have hac Prof Owens, who drills the club once each week, has latel returned from England, where he went the past summer to gc what was new and useful for h» work, and under las supervisio the work on Creation is being enthusiastically pushed, an whrn the club is ready to give this oratorio it is expected to be th finest musical production the club has ever given For several years this club was composed entirely of ladies, bt now the gentlemen are taken into full membership, and the futur of the club looks very bright —22- PHS 1076-197

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THK OLD BRASS BAM) The first musical band in Marshall county was what was called The Plymouth Sax Horn Hand, which came into existence in the winter and spring of 1853 The member at the Ume of organization os near as can be remembered were William H. Salisbury , leader. IXamel and Platt McDonald. David Vinnedge. Rufus Brown. A C Capron, Thomas K Houghton. Rufus Mert Rrown There might have been two or three others in the original organisation, but if there were their names cannot now he m ailed Later on from time to time new members were admitted until the band consisted of about sixteen faeces, among whom were Alex Thompson. John McDonald and Charles H Reeve Mr Reeve was not a permanent member, but met with the boys frequently and was useful in writing music and in helping them to learn to play. “Old Joe Iherson. as he was familiarly called, who resided somewhere in l.aPartr county, was employed as teacher and bandmaster He had but one eye, the other having, in some way. heen put out He came at stated Intervals by stage from laiPorte to Plymouth, and generally remained two or three days He was not a very brilliant or accomplished musician but as a teacher, as rhe boy» used to put it, be was onto his job ' In those days there was no printed hand musicas now. and the music for the different instruments was all written with a quill pen on blank music puper by Old Jor He first selected the melody and then composed the accompaniments and various parts to fit the several instruments Among the pieces remembered are Wood-up Quickstep, Old Dog Tray. Lilly Dale.” Old Kentucky Home. Ben Bolt. TKd Uncle Ned. ‘Old Folks at Home. Number 14, and many mere that were popular in those days There was no foolishness about1 •« ld Joe. When the time came for practice every member was supposed to be on hand ready to do his part If he found a member particularly weak he would give him special attention until he was able to master the difficulties Then all the in- «(rumenLx would be started, and such music as was made in the beginning was not such as is said to have charms to soothe the wvaRt beast. to rend the rock, or split the knotted oak But it was not long before the members became quite proficient and • ere able to follow the score fairly well The leader of the band as William II. Salisbury, who was an accomplished cornetist. who had learned the mysteries of that instrument at La Porte before coming hrrr He was employed as bookkeeper for the firm erf Pomeroy. Houghton. Barber, the principal business firm in Plymouth at that time. He was a most pleasant, genial gen tlcman. and has many delightful memories clustering around his ife while a resident there The band began to play in the political campaign of 1854, but did vot get down to real business until the memorable presidential ampuign of 1856 and I860, and it played for moot of the local •ntcrtuinrnents and picnics, of which there were many in those lays, nearly always without money, or any thing else but thanks' Hiring the wartime the band went to pieces, many of those «•longing to it enlisting In some of the several companies nrruited in Plymouth the instruments, which belonged to the ndivukial members were sold or given away — at least none of hem have ever been seen since Stiver then many hands have wen organized, flourished for a time, and gone to pieces as their jredecessors have done In 1900 Bea M Seybold organized a band, vhich has developed into the best one Plymouth ever had Music is the grandest und most sublime of the sev en liberal arts ind sciences It u the only thing earthly of which there is any icrount of tn heaven Shakrxprarr put it none too strongly when w said: TT e man that hath no music in his soul And is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, la fit for treasons, stratagems and spoilt • The motions of his sptnt are dull as night And his affections dark m Erebus • let no such man be trusted '' Music is the only universal language in existence The con ounding of the languages at the tower I of Babel did not destroy PHS 1876-1976 the language of music It speaks the same language to every inhabitant of the earth that it did when the loud timbrels sounded the grand chorus o'er Egypt ’s dark seas The German who cannot understand a word of English will go into ccstacies over the playing of The Blue Danube or The Watch on the Rhine. and the Frenchmen in a strange land will weep tears rf )oy on hearing The Marseillaise Hymn, and our own American, when among peoples whose language he cannot understand, will shout for joy when he hears played America. The Star Spangled Banner. Hall Columbia. or Yankee Doodle, because they speak to him a language which he understands Life b motion, and motion, or vibration, is music. The whole world is full of music. The gentle zephyrs that stir the leaves of the trees; the tornado that fells the forests in its mad career; the roar of the ocean's waves as they dash against the rock-bound coast; the cannonading and rumble and crash of the thunder, the dashing of the raindrops on the roof; the continual hum of the great cities, all these In one b the basis and foundation of the music as we have it in its present form The universe b a magnificent operahouse in which the combined music of the earth and air is the grand anthem that b continually being heard by all the inhabitants of the world The standard keynote, the tonic on which all instruments are keyed, b derived from the basic sound of all thb music of nature and of the spheres ORATORY An orator b one who delivers an oration; or, one who b skilled in public speaking To a considerable extent it is a gift the gin of knowing what to say. and how to say it The orator must un- derstand thoroughly the science of rhetoric, for. as it has been well said, 'It teaches him to speak copiously and fluently on any subject, not merely with propriety alone, but with all the ad- vantages of force and elegance; wisely contriving (o captivate the hearer by strength of argument and beauty of expression whrthrr It be to entreat or exhort, to admonnh or applaud Closely allied with this b logic, without a thorough knowledge of which he can never expect to become an accomplished orator, because it teaches us to guide our inquiries after truth It consists of a regular train of argument. whence we infer, deduce and conclude, according to certain premises laid down, admitted or granted, and in it are employed the faculties of conceiving, judging, reasoning and disposing; all of which naturally leads on from one gradation to another until the point in question b finally deter- mined What constitutes genuine oratory has never yet been definitely determined Certain It b that it b not frantic gesticulations of the arms, head or body Marshall county has produced its average share of orators, who have been trained In the courts of justice, in the pulpit, and on the political rostrum Among those who have made their mark in these lima above their fellows may be mentioned C. H Reeve. M A O Packard. John G. Osborne, of the older practitioners, and later Samuel Parker. C. P Drummond, Charles Kell bon. and several others who are still with us. who. when warmed up to the siiiject. are considered more than ordinary speechmakers Henry G. Thayer, several years before hi death, was the first to bring the subject of oratory before the school authorities, by offering 850 in gold yearly as a reward of merit for the one who should be considered the best orator in a competitive contest This was continued a number of years, when for various reasons it was discontinued About 1903 an oratorical contest between picked pupils of the LaPorte and Plymouth high schools took place in the auditorium of the Plymouth high school building, which stood on the site of what was a beautiful grove in the early times where all the public political meetings of all parties were held, and where many noted orators had made the welkin ring with their eloquence The gentleman who was selected to preside over the meeting, on taking the chair, delivered a short address, in part as follows: Tlie entertainment provided for in the program of the evening b something new along educational lines here, and in the outset it b hoped that the results of this coming together may be the means of forming an association which shall embrace the northern port of the state —21—

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THE PLYMOUTH GLEE CLUB This wax a musical society which came into exigence in 1873. mainly lor the purpoor of giving entertainments for the benefits of the needy poor of Plymouth ami vicinity. It was composed of five gentlemen of some musical talent, residents of Plymouth The first entertainment under its management was given in Balcony hall. Plymouth. January I. 1873. The program embraced an opening address by the late Charte H Rrevr twelve vocal and instrumental srlrrtionv a charade. Wayward, and two recitations. Stamms O'Brian. the Brave Boy of GlingaU.'' and “Over the Hills to the Poorhouse. The opening quartet by the Glee Club took the Large audience by storm The music, was an arrangement of ’ Maryland. My Maryland, and the words by Mr Reeve They were so highly spoken of at the tune and were so appropriate to the objects of the entertainment that they are worthy of being perpetuated by being inserted here The words are as follows: Dread Winter spreads his icy pall. Chilling blasts around us roar. Before him Autumn's beauties fall— Earth’s green face is seen no more • frosts congeal the rolling tide. Disease and want move sJde by side. And desolation far and wide Face the weak and helpless poor. Health, strength and plenty on us wait. Peacefully our days go by; Shall those crushed down by hapless Pate. Vainly raise to us their cry? Shall thirst and hunger ceaseless crave, Shall death come near • beyond the grave - Shall we stand by with power to save. While the sick and needy die? No, no! The Lord has given us I m e And Faith and Hope' It must not be. Our Faith and Hope by works will prove Duily works of Charity. Haste then - bring forth fram out your store wiierrwith to clothe and feed the poor; Bring consolation to the door Of distitute humanity. Two entertainments were given during that winter, the net proceeds of which were $142.32. This was distributed to the deserving needy by a committee of one selected from each of the church organizations then existing in the city. PLYMOUTH SILVER CORNET BAND This band was organized in lMM under the control of the republican party, the money for the purchase of the imtmments t»nng contributed by that party It was. however refunded by the members o! the band about the end of the campaign of IMft It was composed of twelve members originally, but soon fell to ten. hich kept it going about ten years Those who composed the band after the reorganization in the ’70s were: Charles Hasianger, Frank Smith, Charles Chapman. Edward Quivey, Wm W Davenport. Daniel B Armstrong. James M Confer. H B Miller. Thomas No», William Moore. The present Plymouth band was organized out of the remnants a former band, which had been organized out of still another wnd Under the leadership of Ben M Srybdd it is considered one jf the best band organizations In northern Indiana In an interview not long ago with the only survivor of the Migmal members of the old band he said: In my time I have ward many world famous bands, such as ‘The Washington Marine Band.” “Sousa's Great Chicago Band. “Pat Gilmore’s EJand. “The German Prussian Band, “The French Band, The Mexican Military Band of seventy five pieces And yet. PHS 1876 1 976 he said, in the language of our own Hoosier port, slightly changed to fit the occasion. T want to hear the old band play! “Such tunes as ’John Brown's Body' and 'Sweet Alice.' don't you know. And The Camels is A-comin',and John Anderson. My Joe,' And a dozent others of 'em - 'Number Nine’ and 'Number Levem' Was favorites that faUt) made a feller dream o'heaven .And when the boys ’u’d serenade I've laid so still in tied I've even heerd the locus blossoms droppin' on the shed When 'Lilly Dale,' or 'Hazel Dell' had sobbed and died away • I want to hear the Old Band play THE OLD TIME FIDDLERS In the beginning of the formation of society tn Marshall county, there was nothing that was more conducive to enjoyment and to cement the young people together m the bonds of good fellowship than the old time fiddlers who made the music for the Hoe Downs that were so popular during the formative society period and for a number of years afterwards. Amusements of some kind were an absolute necessity, and during the winter season, when the few amusements of the summer had passed away, the boys and girfc determined that they would have an occasional dance— hoe downs' they were called to relieve the monotony of the long and dreary w inters The first and most important thing to do was to procure the services of a fiddler—not a violinist. because a violinist was considered entirely too high toned for the back woods dances in those days Some of the younger men who came with their parents and others for the purpose of making this part of the country their home had taken time by the forelock and had purchased fiddles and learned to play after a fashion before they started to “the new coiaitry. ’ and had learned to call” some of the figures of the country dances, so the getting things in shape for a start was not so difficult a thing as it at first apprared The largest house in the neighborhood was selected as the place w here the dance was to be held The beds were taken down and all the furniture removed, and upon a pinch there was room enough for two sets to dance, provided they did not spread out too much The boys and girls for miles around were un ited and generally were only too glad to accept the invitation, because in that way they could become belter acquainted, and many a happy marriage resulted from the acquaintance» formed and the associations of these primitive country dances As a matter of fact, the old fiddlers, who were artists in their way and could make a whole orchestra, with a caller to spare, were very few The writer remembers but one in all the region of country round about that could do it up to a turn That was Charlie Cook, who lived a short distance west of Pretty lake, and who was killed a few year ago. being gored by an infuriated bull He was not what was called a scientific Odder, but when he “rammed up his bow. and plinked and plonked and pliaiked the strings, and tuner her up. you know, and put his qtad of tobacco on the other side of his mouth, and called out 'Take partner for a quadrille. everybody knew the old fiddler would do hts level best He stood at the end of the log cabin dancing hall, and did the fiddling and calling at the same time, and you may be assured he kept the boys and girls buoy moving to the figures, down outside and up the middle.' balance all, doe see doe. ’ 'ero» over. “swing your partners. “all promenade, etc He played pieces that the old fiddlers of these days know nothing about, such as The Girl I Left Behind Me.' “Jamie's On the Sea. “Boyne Water. Fisher's Hornpipe, Arkansas Traveler, and the bke To these inspiring strains— They danced all night Till broad daylight. And wtnl home with the girb in the morning Charlie Cook was one of the pioneer of this country, having come here as an Tmftan trader in the yew 1832, and was. therefore, probably the first white settler in the ooiaity, and a representative of that class whose early years were a continued —7$—