The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-09-21

y
ing; now we tender you COLLECTIVELY
this public reception. Let me reinin,
you that this il only the second time il
the history of Emporia when she la
given public reception TAD her owl
citizens, the first being when our towns
| man, Col. Plumb, was elected to tn,
+! United States senate. We feel that on
raIest honors are not too guod for YOU
and We b"g you 10 believe 10 the sin
c. rIfy AT our cnthusiasIic demouskra
lions We know hox .nu labored Il
Drtpare for that contest. In the winter
in the spring. and through the long. no
summer months, every leisure rnomen
of your days was employed in indi
viduM practice and each successive dal
without intermission was ended witt
four solid hours nf rehearsal in the
band ROOM Night after night you
found your couches only in the first
hours OF the morning. While 9th.
ers RECALLED themselves with luxuries
or with repose,
YOU WERE AT WORK;
and tor what? Not because of the in.
trinslc value of the beautiful medal
which was presented to you
last week. The same effort
in saving wood at dollar
cord would haYe brought you more
money than the premium amounted TO-
And yet you have an adequate reward.
You have awakened in the hearts of the
people of Kansas better appreciation
OF tie power and value of music. Thus
you have created something. What YOU
have created is good. You have added
TO the wealth of human life. You have
accomplished a result worthy of the ut
most of human effort. That little trink
ct which was so freely given 10 you, you
would not sell for all the
TABLED GOLD OF oPHIR.
To be the bearer of that trophy in such
a manly contest and with such gallant
rivals was victory for your children to
be proud Of
Those were manly gentlemen whom
you met in that contest You are gal
liant fellows, and If speak of them I
must be magnanimous on your account.
How your eyes opened when you
saw the unique and independent uni
forms of the Dodge City cow boys, with
their broad sOmbreroes, bucksin pants,
spurs and pistols! and how your hearts
opened when you heard their music |!
Marion Center josiled your equilibrium
with
GENUINE SURPRISE.
You were not afraid of the Clay Center
band. Oh, no; yet you will admit they
have not been out of your minds for the
past six months. There is a promise in
the Capital City band, which made you
extremely anxious to be upon a friendly
footing with them. Yet they all
admit that you had walk
away. Though you eXcelled all of
them IN music you
COULD NOT sURPAss THEM IN MAGNANI-
NIFTY.
They are men and not children. They
will see You again, and he is no mean
prophet that tells who will wear the
laurels next year. You haYe one i'm
portant advantage in the coming con-
tests; you live in the best town of its
inches in the state of Kansas You are
the products of an energetic society
you are of good stock; you have
learned that there is something besides
pleasure in music, that there is power in
il as we'll, and he who would wield IL
must grapple with it. IfyOu succeed in
future contests as you have in the past
it will be because you work as only En-
pOrians can work. When Dodge City
and Marion Center, Topeka and Clay
Center, shall have learned Emporia's
secrets, and when EmporIa shall have
forgotten her cunning, then and not till
then will the Knights Templar band
lose the medal, and lose the honor of
being the
BEST BAND IN KANSAS.
Now that Kansas is the best state in
the west it is Logical to say that this is
the best band in the west. Years ago
at the contest in Kansas City, you bore
away the first prize. When you went to
Cleveland five years ago, and when you
went 10 Chicago two years ago, you were
credltably, even enthusiastically received
among the best bands of the entire
country, and much as it is to say, still il
is no hosting TO claim that ours Is
one of the best bands in the entire coun
try. II any city of Missouri, Iowa, Ne.
braska or Colorado thinks it has a bet
ter band, we have only to say that your
address is EmpOria, Kansas, and, YOU
will humbly and gladly learn anything
which they may be able to teach you
Gentlemen, you would not have me
play the braggart The natural bres yes
OF Kansas are sufficient The recep-
ton which you met at Topeka was no
more grand than it was sincere When
you would give one of your voluntary
concerts, say in the rotunda of The Wind
sor house of an evening, the halls, the
stairways, the balconies, the windows
the doors and the streets outside would
be packed and crowded with
WAITING THOUSANDS,
and when you went outside to play you
| were surrounded with acres of listening
people, all attesting in the most earnest
manner their thorough appreciation oil
your music. That you were thus appre
clated by the whole state there assem-
bled is your grandest trophy. The peo
pie opened their hearts to you, and il
return we predict that upon our youns
and growing Kansas, the popular EN-
pire of tomorrow, you will engraft 1
richer, a sweeter and q grander music
in step and time with the forward
march OF our progressive destiny.
Mr.. Waterbury's fine oratoFicaI pow
ers were never displayed to greater ad
vantage than in the delivery of his well
chosen words of welcome, and the ap
plause with which they were receives
was richly merited At the conclusion
of his address Mr.. Egan. the popula
leader Of the band, responded in the fol
lowing appropriate manner:
NJ. Waterbury, Ladies' and Gentlemen
On behalf of the band. I retur,
thanks for this cordial reception and f,o
the friendly feelings to which you hav,
given such elegant expression. W,
are all gratiled q; the interest taken i.
our organization By the people OF En-
poria. and the general pleasure mani
tested in our success in the state ban.
contest.
While we have worked hard durin,
the past year TO attain our position, WI
will increase our efforts in the future
We will not allow oar saeeesa 10 hayi
the effect OF relaxing our exertious
rather Il Will be stimulus 10 continue
and faithful practice. We intend dur
ing the coming year TO improve on
playing IA every possible way, and /
we fail 10 hold this medal permanently
1t certainly viii NOT be due to our Il
dolence.
/ The hearty cheers with. which Nj
Egan's expression Of thanks was greete
was handsome compIimen, 70 the yer
acceptable manner in which he met III
requirements of the rather trying situ
alton.
/ THIS part OF the program being com
pleted, the members Of the band vii
their wives and e'other ladies' accom-
paning them were conducted by AIessr
Ben Wheldon and r. E. Reynolds, wh
acted as committee of escort, to Ii
Whitley opera house parIors, where
banquet had been prepared for the con
Pany by the proprie;ors, Messrs Inge
; man and Davidson. The table, whic
was srrangediin the most attractive maj
ner, uas graced with one Of the mo