Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-11-26
STOES SILVER
CORNET BAND

SJOtS Banu lOldy Will remove from
its present quarters at Mill and West
MahOning streets to the third floor of
the Swentek Building, Mill street.
The band under the leadership of
Arthur Foulk is rapidly forging to
the front. Its recent performances
have won very high encomiums Ii is
practicing regularly and in short
time will be enabled to give our town
band music OF as high an order as may
be heard in the State
The members of the band are as fol-
lows: Arthur Foulk, leader, Charles
Stoes, Charles Robson, George Rob
ison, Morris Marks, Curtis Marks,
Charles Heiss, James Murphy, Richard
Whapham. Larry Suyder, Charles
Stattmaeter, Bert Vastine, Frank Kel-
Ter, Walter Keller, Charles Rogers,
Charles Kehl, Henry Mann, Roy Rob
ison, Charles Mills, Oscar Eberlv, Will
liam Bausch, Harry Bausch and Walter
Ditzler The members without excep-
tioD are promising musicians and are
active along all lines for the good of
the organization. Al present they are
holding a series of dances in the Arm
ory, the next dance taking place on
Saturday evening.
Stoes' Band is one of the oldest
,nuciroI concentrations in tbo Stoto
and can trace its history back to the
early days of Danville, being an out
growth of Abraham Sechler'S band,
which was the first regular band in
this place. The old-time band of
which Mr.. Sechler was leader was or
ganized in 1888 and as bands go at
the present day was very oddly equip
ped, the instruments being primitive
in design, models of which few people
living at the present time have ever
seen.
In 1865 Charles Stoes became leader
of the band and the name was chang
ed to the Danville Cornet Band In
1856 through the aid of citizens a com
plete set of new instruments were pro-
cured. These were of German silver,
with the exception of the instrument
presented to Mr.. Stoes-an E fat cornet
which was of solid silver This
piece alone cost two hundred dollars
and had engraved upon it the names
of those who contributed
The band ever after was known as
Stoes' Silver Cornet Band The men,
bers in 1853 were Charles Stoes, lead
er, Meyer Lyon, George S. Sanders.
John f. Gulick, B. W. Musselman, A,
f. Henrie, f. X. Hale, George W.
Hoffman, Charles Sechler. Jacob Welt
eel, Joseph R. Patton, o. G. Mellon,
II. L. Schick, Joseph Clark and
Hugh Pursel.
The rare talents and wonderful ex-
ecution of Charles II. Stoes soon COM
manded recognition and for many
years Stoes Band was one of the most
distinguished i'll the state, bearing
away the honors on many public oc-
casions in various portions of the
country
\ glance over old newspaper files
suftices to show the prominence of the
band and its Importance as a factor iD
entertaining the public. Prof. Stoes
seemed a very busy man. Along side
of local notice setting forth the
merits of the band one finds another
equally complimentary copied from an
exchange printed in some town where
either the band had given perform
ance or Mr.. Stoes was instructing new
bands
Following in part is clipping from
the "Pittston Gazette, printed prior
to 1860:
''Stoes' celebrated Silver Comet
Band visited this city on its way home
from Scranton and spent a few hours
charming our people with its sweet
strains. 1t is not too much TO say that
this band is unsurpassed and that it
eminently deserves the high encom-
iums passed upon it by musicians OF
high repute. The band consists of
fifteen members, all young men and
with one or two exceptions natives of
the town OF Danville, where they are
held in high esteem. The leader, MI.
Stoes, is a gentleman Of very superior
attainments. Well may Danville be
proud of StoeS' Silver Cornet Band.
During the bands stay in this city the
members were entertained at the Eagle
Hotel and at the Butler House by sew
eral of our citizens who felt honored
by such a visit.
% Il.