San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-04-04
LIBERAL MERCHANTS OF THE
CITY DONATE HANDSOME
SPECIAL PREMIUMS.
Musical Organizations Enthusiastic
Over the Contest And Will At
ten! In Large Numbers Big
Crowds Will Be in Atten-
dance for the Occasion.

The committee having in charge the
details of arrangements for the band
tournament with the Battle of Flow
erS has arranged some details and
will report them to all the bands and
to all the newspapers in the towns
surrounding San Antonio so that the
people will know what to expect. In
case as many as thirty bands
are entered, the contest would have
to begin by at least ten o'clock in the
morning, as not over five bands could
play two pieces each per hour. This
would enable the contest to be finish
ed up, leave an intermissiOn for lunch
or dinner and a rest before the parade
and Flower Battle.
After the Flower Battle is over the
bands which have participated in the
contest, together with the Fifth Unit
ed States Cavalry band and Prof
Beck's Military band will form
grand circle in front of the grand
stand or judges stand on Alamo
plaza, and under the leadership of
Prof. Beck and his military band the
combined visiting bands will play the
grand patriotic overture America"
which is a combination of all the ma
tiOnal airs, and the always popular Sc
lection Ma Angelina" both of which
pieces are being practiced almost
nightly by the bands contemplating
participation in the contest. The
mayor of the city will then announce
the result of the judges decision in all
the features of the contest, and the
chairman of the band contest commit
tee will deliver the prizes to the for
tunate victOrS. After this the impor-
tant part of the ceremony is perform
ed the visiting bands under the lea
derShip of Prof. Gross and the Fifth
United States Cavalry band will play
that pice de la Resistance Man
haitian Beach,"
1t was at first thought advisable to
increase the amount of the first and
second prizes, but upon consultation
it was decided to offer more prizes ra-
Their than to increase the amounts of
the first and second prizes. BY in
creasing the number of the prizes and
the number of features for which priz-
es will be given the greater interest is
created among the bands, as,of course,
they have greater opportunity to win
something. The complete list of priz-
es is not ready yet, but so far the priz-
es as arranged are as follows:
First prize for general excellence, in
cash $4,000.
Second prize, $500.
Third prize, $1,000.
Snnnin1 81 ~
of the Piano Rental exchange, of one
$40 violin to the band making the best
general appearance in the parade.
Special prize of magnificent helmet,
presented by Frank Bros, to the best
band master of the visiting bands.
Special prize of elegant uniform
blouse to measure, to correspond with
the uniform of the leader of the best
drilled band, same being donated by
Messrs. PancOast e Son, clothing and
furnishing goods dealers.
The prizes of musical instruments
form the various musical manufacture
ers will be announced later in the
week as the committee has not yet
had time to hear from them. So far
fifteen bands have signified their in
tentiOn of participating in the con-
test, and there is little doubt but that
the band tournament feature of the
Battle of Flowers is going to bring
into the city double the number of peo-
pie usually patrOniZing that event
The committee has received marked
r"l'icS 0r many pape;s III the surround
:::g e., .es. indicat tag that the inhahi.
tants of the cities ara already becom-
ing very much Interested as well as
agitated at the prGpIra cory practice
of the bands in contemplation of this
event, and before the battle of San ia
cintO is reproduced in flowers this
year, it is probable that the bands
will have strewn their neighborhoods
with many victims.
Any other merchants desiring to of
fer special prizes will have until
Thursday of this week to do so. The
full list for announcement to all cOun-
try papers and the city press will be
made after that time and special bull
letins will be mailed to the bands,
covering all prizes and regulations.