Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Trouble Right Here in River City

This is topic Trouble Right Here in River City in forum Grist for the Mill at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Here's an oddball problem...I've been watching and going over (and enjoying) the movie version of "The Music Man" for the past couple of days---significant problem in itself, you might say, but that's not what I mean.

You know the story---this con man comes to River City and sells the town on buying instruments and uniforms and starting a band.

Thing is, back before I think I'd even heard of "The Music Man" (though I knew a couple of songs from it), I read, in a school textbook, a story about a con man coming to some midwestern city and selling them on buying instruments and uniforms and starting a band. I don't remember the name of the story or the name of the writer. Had a slightly different ending---the guy got away with it and got out of town, even as the band played on, as I recall. Was it fiction or nonfiction?

I can't track down this story. The credits of "The Music Man" don't refer to it...the Internet Movie Database doesn't mention it...the school textbook it was in is long gone...I tried Googling "The Music Man" with a few words, like "short story" and "school," but without any luck.

(One thing on IMDb did say that Meredith Willson wrote a novelization of "The Music Man"...was that what I read?)

Anybody here remember the story, or knows the name and title? Or suggest someplace where I might find out? Or a few helpful Google suggestions?