Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-09-27
BANDS AND EAGLES.
A Statement That is Expected to Set
y Things Risht.
Waterbury, Sept 20, 1904.


Waterbury, Sept 20, 1904.
Editor Democrat:
Sir-Several times during the past
week we have seen statements in the
Waterbury papers by the American
band stating their side of the case in
what they called three-c ornered fight
of the Eagle Association Incorpor-
ated, American and Military bands.
While we did not dispute some Of
their statements by rushing into print
and looking for sympathy, we simply
went ahead to conduct the affair as
business proposition, but the last few
days certain statements made by men,
bers of the American band have come
to our notice which we cannot ignore,
and now for the first time we will give
to the public true statement of both
sides of the question which the Amer
lean failed to do. We will say right
on the start that had the American
band not given us positive assurance
that they would secure the lease of the
Auditorium and also stated that they
had a number of business men to 60
on as their security they never would
have gotten the Auditorium. The
board of directors gave them three
extra Saturday nights over their time
to give them chance and help them
to get a guarantee, practically giving
them $500. We even gave them the
Auditorium for almost nothing to help
them conduct free prom and after they
got all they could stretch out of 1t
they came to the agent and told. him
they could not get guarantee. What
makes the aetion OF the American
band look strange to us Is this: They
told the board of directors positively
that the business men who were back
ing the band would go on their guaran-
tee and even mentioned some OF them,
and prominent among the names men
toned were Mayor Elton and Ralph
Blakeslee. After the band left the
Auditorium some of the members stat
ed that they did not care to ask the
business men to do SO much for them
as to guarantee the lease; that is the
strange part of their action. Why did
thew do this? Did they fear that I'M
less they abused our confidence little
they would lose the Auditorium? 1t
looks that way. The only persons
they saw were Mr. Boyd and Mr.
Blakeslee and Mr. Blakeslee advised
them to go ahead and get all they
could out of it, but refused to 20 on
their guarantee. Mr. Boyd tried to
get them a security company bond,
but failed. and we will say further
that they, through Mr. Fulton. several
times told the agent that everything
was all right, that they would soon
have the lease signed and guaranteed,
when he knew better. If this Is not
case of obtaining goods under false
pretenses, what Is it? The Eagles
board of directors even offered to hire
the whole band to play for their
prOms, but they refused, claiming
that they had introduced the Saturday
night proms, when In point of fact it
was the Military band who introduced
the Saturday night proms, season OF
1908. In regard to the Military band
we will say this much: They offered to
take the Auditorium on our terms and
also guarantee the lease, but as the
American band had the option and of
fered to agree to orr terms we could
not do otherwise than accept them,
and the American band will bear us
out through their committee, who were
Invited to attend a directors meeting,
when everything was arranged to
their satisfactions sands-aii they asked.
was week to get a guarantee, but
took four weeks. that the entire board
was unanimously in their favor. In
conclusion we will say that 1t costs
lotof money to run the Auditorium and
as the American band refused all our
offers we must look for our own fu-
ture welfare, and as we have over a
thousand members In the order the
board of directors will work for Aerie
No $40 all the time, will use all other
organizations courteously and honor
ably and will always abide by their
word. Wishing the American band
good luck in their new home. we are
BOARD OF DIRECTORS,
Eagle Assn, Incorporated.