The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-17

| the two bands furnishing the $4ot
worth of music at the opening of the
new armory last Friday night. When
tho old armory on Adams avenue was
opened. Jan, 81. 1878. twenty-t three
years ago. there wasn't a trombone in
| the city of Scranton. and 1t was neces-
| sary to call upon some of the city's
prominent young amateur musicians
| to fill out an orchestra to play the
dance music.
Prof Robert Bauer. who led the in
termission music last Friday night.
with his band Of forty-two profess
sional musicians, directed the dance
| music at the opening of the old ar
mory. He and Colonel Il. IT, Ripple
played first violins. The professors s
| brother, Sen Bauer. now deceased,
played second violin. The flute
player was Colonel l.. A Watrcs, now
the commander of the regiment, and
the clarinet player was Samuel Bar
ker the well known manufacturer of
scales and screens. Harry Thomas
and Richard Osborne. who played the
bass violin and cornet. respectively.
were the only professional musicians
in the orchestra, outside of the two
Bauer boys.
Lackawanna and Western paymas-
ters department. played cornet;
Edward Smith. now deceased. for
many years with Powell g. CO.. played
a horn: Emory Hill, also deceased.
was the alto player. and Joseph Med
way, formerly superintendent at the
car shops. played the viola.
Not little of the dance music call
p1 s1 a tny OF
that time did not rejoice in Il from
bone player and there was no such
thing as a trombone in all the coun
try round. The consequence was that
John Longshaw, who was an expert
corneter, was put to the task of
playing the trombone music on a
tenor horn. He afterwards got a
sliding trombone and became one of
he first, if not the very first, from
bone player in Scranton.
Prof. Bauer says that when the old
armory was opened there was a gen
eral feeling that it was several sizes
too big for Scranton and would pos
sibly prove II white elephant on it's
owners hands. 1t was not many
years, though, before this fear was
dissipa ted.
WHERE THEY WERE HELD.
Dances and similar functions which
had been held in old Ger
mania hall, the Wyoming House
dining room. the Kiefer hotel, at the
corner of Penn avenue and Mulberry
street, Washington hall, and other
places of that kind which hourished
in those days, were nearly all trans
ferred to the armory and the local
musicians We're called upon to enlarge
and improve their organizations to
keep up with the demands made upon
them by the frequent big social
events which the armory encouraged.
AS an instance of how time changes
things, Prof. Bauer told that at the
opening of the old armory. there were
very few round dances. Lanciers and
uuadrilleS were all sufficient to salts
fy the eighty sets of dancers who
crowded the old armory floor. At the
opening of the new armory there were
only two square dances. and many
of those who went on the floor when
the music struck up. found that the
selections tor the different figures
would do nicely FOR Il two-step and.
as consequence. the square st.ts
were broken up and two-stepping in
dulSed in.
The opening of the old armory was
up to that time the grandest social
event the city hal ever seen. The
Republican Of the next day devoted
nearly three columns to it. In mod
ern type it would make about two
columns. One man evidently wrote
the whole affair. Last Fridays event
was treated in Tho Tribune to the
extent of more than a page and a
quarter of solid reading matter Four
men worked on the story and it was
served to the patrons of the ball be-
fore 1,3O o'clock in the morning.
THE OTHER OPENING.
Appended is resume Of the report
of the first armOry opening;
The event that throws all other events into
IN eclipse has passed The armory opening,
tho most brilliant social affair in the history
Of this city transpircd last evening. Fctcs such
rs this are rare, anywhere. 1t is such oCca.
sions as these that make reporter feel his
ittcncss. 10 do u,tic Ia this affair is inn
possible. One is overwhelmed with tho vast
ness of the thing and gives up IN despair. To
convey to thos" not present any adequate idea
OF the pageant seems utterly ridiculous,
pccaly in newspaper column or so, hastily
flung together AT a late hour Of the night, that
one feels litc running away and letting it 60
by default. But
Those early upon the scene last evening We're
upon entering the building known as the new
armory struck with amazemcnt. The outer
night was dark and stormy, the driving snow
bcakly whilrng into the faces of those who
gathered there and the sudden transition from
The ontcr nclcmentv TO the inner resplcndency
was simply dazzling, The hallway leading from