The herald., 1896-12-29
A Tempest in the Treble Clef
Clubs Teapot
AN ALLEGED CONSPIRACY
To Disrupt the Association Of Eight
Years Standing
A New Musical Club Has Been Formed.
A Caustic Recountal of the Cir
cumstances by Member.

Readers of a weekly paper were in
formed last Sunday that "A new mu-
steal organization, with the most f1atter-
ing promises for harmony and effective
work, has been formed from the ladies
of the Messiah chorus. To many this re :
port had no special significance. Others
wondered why they had never before
heard of such an organization in this
city as 1.-The ladies of the Messiah cho-
rus" Reading on, about the pro-
posed rendition of the Messiah next
month, it seemed rather strange that no
mention was made of the Treble Clef
club, the announcement that the Mes
siah was to be given under the auspices
of this club having been published
in the papers as late as the previous edi-
ton of the same paper.
The missing chapter of the story can
be supplied, and in order that they may
be fully understood, it will be necessary
to go back to the time of the last cencert
given by the Treble Clef club, Novem-
ber 18th.
A member of the club writes that "all
the year dissatisfaction has been
felt with the conduct of one or two oI-
ficers of the club. who did business on
come before the executive committee,
suppressed information that belonged
by right to the club, etc One by one
old members resigned on this account,
while those who stayed by the clup re
mained silent because of their dislike OF
any disturbance.
THE trouble is said to have broken
out when the secretary, having in her
possession the money collected for as
sociate membership fees, paid the bills
of the last concert. instead of turning
over the money to the treasurer, ard
made no report of her doings to the
treasurer. That officer was not only
set aside as the banker of the club, but
was unable to adjust her accounts.
THE secretary claimed that by an
amendment passed in March. 1895, which
authorized her to collect the associate
membership fees, she was also permit
ted to retain the same as separate con-
cert fund, and pay all concert bills from
it. Yet in all the time that had elapsed
since then no attempts had been made
to do this until last month, nor had the
subject been mentioned by the secretary
to the treasurer or the executive COM
mittee.
THE president Of the club at that
time, Mrs. ]. W. Hendricks, declares
that the amendment did not give the
secretary right to retain the money
and pay bills. The ladies who served as
secretary and treasurer then, and also
other old members of the club, state the
same. Unfortunately the amendment
was not spread on the minutes, so the
matter cannot be settled by referring to
the records. The only authority is a
manuscript copy of the amendment,
written by the present secretary, ana
corrected by Mrs. Hendricks.
1T has been customary for the execu-
ing directly after a concert The pre-
siding officer did not call one after the
November concert. or yield to the So
Ecitation of the committee. who wished
70 discuss the grave and perplexing situ
alton until after considerable delay.
At last. on December 18th, the commit
tee secured meeting, and the treas
urer. Mrs. F. S. Munson, made COM
plant that she had not been fairly
treated
THE secretary, who had not attended
a rehearsal of the club since November
18th, alleging serious illness as the re-
suit of the treasurer's violent manner
during an interview with her the week
after the concert (there is witness to
prove the injustice of this charge), was
not present. At the request Of her sis
ter. who Is second vice president Of the
club, the meeting was adjourned for one
week to give the secretary another OPP
portunity to appear and present her side
Of the case.
"The committee met November 10Th,
as agreed. but neither the secretary
nor her adherents came, nor have they
attended rehearsal of the club for sew
eral weeks.
Prof. JIG. Dunster, the musical direct
or, who rooms in the house where the
second vice president and the secretary
reside, had for some months incurred
bills without having been authorized
previously by the committee to do so,
and was contracting Messiah expenses
in the same way. when the executive
committee requested him, in writing.
to report TO them at the meeting of
December 10th. This he did not do.
Now the conspiracy develops. During
the week Of the adjourned committee
meeting the second vice president and
another member of the committee hired
carriages and made thorough canvass
of the singers Of this city. soliciting
them to join new musical club, and
the secretary of the Treble Clef club
wrote invitations to some that were not
visited on Treble Clef paper! The ladies
who were called upon of course did
not suspect any treachery, and some of
them signed their names to what was
really an effort to break up the Treble
Clef club Each person was told some
story calculated to win subscribers to
the scheme. One was informed that the
Treble Clef club was defunct; another
that very exclusive society was being
organized in which the undesirable ele-
ment' of the Treble Clef club would not
be admitted; another that the treas
urer had talked abominably about her
etc.
when the regular time for the club
rehearsal came, last Tuesday afternoon
only those who had been requested by
the treasurer and her supporters to be
there were present. IT was at once sur
missed that the absence Of the first and
second vice presidents (the club has no
presiden) secretary and many men,
bers could not be accidental, and 1t was
subsequently learned that notices had
been sent to what may be called the
| neutral members of the club-largely
new members who had not learned of the
difficulties besetting the executive COM
mittee-saying that there would not be
a rehearsal on Tuesday, as the time had
been changed to Wednesday and the
place to Masonic temple. This was the
time and place for the meeting of the
| new club The constitution Of the Treble
Clef club requires that the regular re-
hearsals shall be on Tuesday. and in
| this regard has always been strictly adj
| not be changed except by vote of the
| club.
"The leader, wishing to keep up the
| farce until the new club was organized,
the next day, started in to conduct the