The cornet and its case were not well matched and the cornet

The cornet and its case were not well matched and the cornet bounced around in its case. When I had a bike wreck with the cornet aboard, the impact with the ground would cause a secondary impact inside the case and the curved pipe leading from the valves to the bell would get dented right by the mouthpiece receiver. This was a vulnerable place and had been dented before so it was easily dented again. Getting it straightened cost about $10 or so - a big sum at the time.

My dad wanted me to stop putting it on my bike and just walk to school. I was stubborn and kept biking.

By the sixth grade I was a newspaper carrier. I had a canvas pannier that had bags for the news papers on each end of it. It could be worn like a pancho with bags front and back or it could be hooked over the handlebars of my bike with bags on each side of the front wheel. I actually used it both ways, over my shoulders to walk the route or on the bike to ride and ‘throw the route’. It was perfect for holding the cornet case on the way to and from school.

I was between mediocre and good as an elementary school player.