100 years ago today in Spokane: Drum and bugle corps sings for Davenport

The following lyric was sung by a group of Spokane boys at a fundraiser for a drum and bugle corps:

“Put your finger on your head,

dance around until you’re dead.”

And here was another lyric, sung with feeling:

“I’m a little prairie flower,

Growing wilder every hour.

Nobody ever irrigated me,

I’m as dry as dry can be.

I’m wild!”

It was all great fun, apparently, for the 500 people in attendance at the Marie Antoinette Ballroom at the Davenport Hotel. The purpose of the event was to raise money to start 50 patriotic drum and bugle corps in Spokane. A number of Boy Scouts were in attendance, as well as many prominent Spokane men, including hotel entrepreneur Louis Davenport.

The boys demanded, “Speech, speech, Davenport!” He obliged by standing and saying that his idea in creating the dinner was to “help create the best drum corps in the world.”

From the patriotism beat: The Italian citizens of Northport, Wash., donated an American flag and pole to the Northport school.

A crowd of 400 people showed up to the dedication. All business houses were closed for the occasion.