Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-09-11

the Arion Band, of Frostburg, to secure
the prize, at the band contest in Cumber-
land, and goes into personal abuse of the
gentlemen who composed the committee
on musical contest.-Valley Times.
The Times editor is either reck-
less reader or a sorry interpreter of
the English language. Where he
finds "a great amount of bad feeling
or of "personal abuse" in our item we
are unable to discover. The truth of
the matter was our aim, and while we
did not give it all, go far as we went
the aim was reached. However, the
Times goes on to say
The opinion of great many who were
present on the occasion, attributes the
cause of the Frostburg Bands failure to
their extreme poor playing, and for their
organ" to howl out another lot of discor'
dant sounds, expecting reversal of public
opinion, only makes them the more ridic-
ulous.
"The opinion of great many"
Others to the contrary is a fair stand
off SO far as that goes. But the
Times disagrees with the referee who,
of the 433 points given, awarded a
fraction over so per cent. to the Iona
coming band and a fraction over 40
per cent. to the Arion banda trife
over l per cent. advantage allowed
the former. So that, by their own
showing the Arion's "ertreme poor
playing" was within an ace of being
as meritorious as the Homecoming per-
formance. The Times unwittingly
pays it's band an extreme poor" COM
pliment. The JOURNAL, however,
said "both bands played well, etc.
The next paragraph battles us:
In fact it was an immense display OF
cheek on the part of the Arions to enter
a contest with the Homecoming Cornet
Band, and expect TO receive the prize.
The Arions carry flag which they claim
to have won at the reunion contest last
year, against the St. Nary's band, of this
place, when in reality it was decided in the
latters favor by the toss of a copper
'heads the Arion wins, tails the st. Mary S
lose"
How the Arions manage to ''carry
a flag" which belongs to the st. Ma
rvs band "by the toss of d copper" is
one of those digjointed statements
which nobody can account for at first
blush.
The Homecoming Cornet Band received
the prize justly, and had the referee decid-
ed any other way he would have done
himself and the bands great wrong.
| If this be true, why did the referee
| reconsider his decision If the award
was "justly" bestowed upon the Lona-
coning band last, it was "ju2tly" be-
slowed first; then why did he take the
prize away from the Homecoming band
to re-award it2 Moreover, if it was
"justly received" why did the Iona
coming band surrender it?
Notwithstanding the fact that the Lon
aconing band is composed entirely of
brass and silver instruments, while the
Arions has reed instruments. The Arions
and their Judge do not seem to be very
well acquainted with that kind of "horns"
used by the boys of Homecoming. But
give them reed or 'horp" to their lik-
ing and they do strong blowing.
This appears to imply that there is
virtue in freed instrument" of which
the Homecoming band is unable to
avail itself, though we know of no law
against their owning all the freed in
struments" the market affords.
The Homecoming Cornet Band took the
first prize at the Firemen's picnic, in
Frostburg, contesting against the Queen
City and st. Mary's Misunderstanding
band would not enter the contest-Lona
coming band took second prize ut Queer
City band picnic, playing against Myers
dale, Connellsville and Frostburg bands
They have never entered contest where
Frostburg took part, but what they came
out ahead, and they never expect to.
In the case first mentioned the Ari
ons did not enter for decorous reasons
AT the Queen City contest the Arion'
were not present, the "Frostburs
band" alluded to not hailing from THU
place at all. So that the only contes
that has taken place between then
and the Homecoming cornet happened
at the recent picnic, and it is broadl!
limited that if the leader of the Arion
had been for several weeks prior thu
instructor of the Potomacs, the latte
could have arranged the compliment
just as nicely the other way. Hence
as is stated in one of the Times para
graphs, under the circumstances, i
} was an immense display of cheek OF
the part of the Arions to enter con
test with the Homecoming cornet banc