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Thank you all for the intellegent replies to my question. After reading the replies, and some other reading on horns as suggested, i agree that the sounds were just sounding like or stood for words. This, i think, was difficult for me due to the fact that these first chapters have a different feel that the rest of the book. They are a bridge from the hobbit to the bigger world, from a childrens story to a more grown up version. the locomotion , talking fox, fireworks, multiple magical presents from Dale, and some Dwarf make ones(dwarves make magic toys?!) and the strangeness/childlikeness of ol Tom B.
These lighter elements helped enable my belief in the horn. that was how my 12y.o. brain saw it, and I never questoned it in my multiple re-reads over the years.
Also, the way most hobbits are described as not getting involved, and adventures making one late for dinner, and not into reading mostly, unless it was bout a family tree, that training alerts on a horn was very out of character. I suppose this is only the norm in Buckland, where invasions from the Old Forrest, or other gates and borders (being on the edge of the Shire) were a bit more of a problem than in Hobbiton. I do recall reading that the borders were more active in the years leading up to the leaving of the ring. I suppose the Bucklanders had retrained in the years of intruders on the borders.
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