Evening star., 1895-04-30
=
BANDSMEN NOT HAPPY.
Members of the Marine Band Make
COMPLAINTS About Their Trcatme


Complaints About Their Treatment.
Conflicting reports have come to Wash
ington concerning the experiences of the
Marine Band in the south. A statement
published last week. based on letter re-
ceived here from a member of the band to
the effect that the organization had been
stranded in Texas, was promptly denied by
officers of the marine corps here. Other
reports have since come, Indicating that
there is considerable dissatisfaction among
members of the organization, some of whom
have complained Of not receiving their
money. Families of bandsmen here have,
1t Is asserted, suffered deprivations because
no money was forthcoming from the wan
dering musicians
A Star reporter had a talk this morning
with Samuel Argall a member of the band,
who left the organization at New Orleans.
Argall reported In Washington the 18th in
slant, and, his time having expired on the
Sd. was given an honorable discharge.
In speaking of the tour through the
south he said: Before starting on this
trip Prof. Fanciulli assured US that the
hacker of the enterprise, Lieut.. Radford,
uS.N., was fully prepared to pay all the
s OF the nand' and that the man an
navy, would see to 1t that the musicians
received full pay while away from home.
Ihere were fifty-one men on the trip, in
Guiding the three extra musicians from
New York. Everything went fairly well
until We reached Augusta, on the 1st of
the mohth, when only twenty-five men
were paid Off; the others, however, received
their pay the next day. During the follow
ing week We played all Of our engagements
to small audiences.
AT the end of the week nothing was said
about salaries, but on arriving at Birming-
ham on the 9th the manager addressed the
men In. the parlor of the hotel and told
them that the tour could not be continued
unless the men were. willing to accept half
pay from the. second week. The leader
then spoke, saying that he was in favor of
continuing under half pay because we
would be liable to ridicule from Washing
ton musicians If we returned before sched-
ule time. Several of the men then advised
that the manager send half of the band to
Washington and continue with the others,
but Fanciulli reprimanded them for making
such foolish suggestion, as he termed
1t. A ballot was then taken and, fearing
the consequences of the leaders wrath, the
whole party contracted to play out the re-
mainder of the trip for half pay.
I'VE played at Selma the next afternoon
and at Montgomery the next evening. In
the meantime Blakenship had telegraphed
TO Washington for money, and the next
day, at Mobile. the full band received half
pay. We arrived in New Orleans on Good
Friday and our performances there were
very well attended. On arriving there I
received a dispatch saying that my wife
was udHSeiouSly III anu tndt nau Detter
return to Washington, had no money
and asked the leader If could obtain what
money the band owed me. He said he had
nothing to do with it. and referred
me to the manager. The latter could
do nothing for me, and in the pres
ence Of quite number Of the men
said: I have been trying to act square
with you but I have been Handicapped.
telegraphed to Col. Haywood for
transportation. telling him my condi-
tion, but, receiving answer Mon
day evening borrowed $3.50 and departed
for Washington without reporting to the
drum major. He reported me at headquar-
ters. and that Is very probably the reason
for the newspapers saying there was one
on the Sd, so 1 applied for and received an
honorable discharge, with IN excellent
record"
Since arriving home Mr.. Argall has
received quite number of letters
from his fellow players, beseeching
him to inform the commandant or the Sec
retary of the Navy Of the treatment of the
men.
why" said Mr.. Argall, 'Iast Sunday,
one of my friends writes me, the men were
sent to bed without any supper, and sew
eral of the men have no shoes good enough
to wear On the stage" One OF the letters
received. in addition to other charges.
reads: For Gods sake. and the sake of
your unfortunate friends in the band, go
is acting and how we have suffered for
want of regular meals and proper sleeping
accommodations on the road.''
Mr.. Argall has visited the barracks for
the purpose of showing the colonel these
letters, but so far has failed to get an in
terview. He will go to Secretary McAdoo
tomorrow or next day..