The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-08
". & ". BAND, 56. YEARS OLD, HAS ANNUAL ELECTION
Famous Musical Organization Has Had Interesting His
 tory of Progress.
CHERMAK REELECTED
 LEADER OF THE BAND
F. J. Wetstine Will Be Drum EEaior-Notables Among
 the Membership.

N Ioldest musical organization in tht state, held it's Seth annual meeting yesterday afternoon in the rehearsal room in the club rooms of the Bridge Eport Musical union in Cannon street Z Reports read by the officers showed the past year to have been one of the 4 most prosperous. the band has known The band already has many engage .I naents for the coming season and Leader Louis F. Chermak announced l yesterday that the prospect was thai | the band this year would have the busiest season in it's history. The | band is to have new uniforms this l year, the design of which is now being selected. There is 3. substantial sum in the treasury.
 The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, George w. Warner ;vice-president George P. Sanborn; leader, Louis F. treasurer, Christopher Heldman, ST.; drum major, Frederick J. Wetstine; permanent committee, Arthur c. Herbst, Oscar Knablin and Raymond P. Chandler. Following the meeting I yesterday refreshments were served in the meeting room.
 The Wheeler & Wilson band enjoys the distinction of being the oldest band in the city. The bands services are in greater demand than ever. It is one of the best known bands in the country and under the effective lead ership of Director Chermak the fame of the organization is certain to be extended. For a number of years the band has been without a drum major and yesterday Major Wetstine, whose fame as 3. wielders of the baton is state wide, was chosen to direct the move ments of the players when on the l -Grch.
 The band was organized in 1859 from the employees of the old Wheeler & " iIson Sewing Mechine Co. It played its first concert in 8 grove in East Bridgeport in what is now Washington park on. July 4th, 1859, when employees of the Wheeler & Wilson Co had a. picnic there. Fred Hurd and Nate Warner were playing in the band then and when Yankee Doodle was rem dered Capt. Walter Hotchkiss put so much feeling into the rendition that he broke the head Of his bass drum < 5 The band has made many, long trips with famous military organiza atfons. including the Second Comapny, Gov ernors Foot Guards, New Haven Grays, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and others. From the time the Cen tenI1ial opened at Philadelphia until the National Guard went Sto camp there, the band played for the shoe and leather exhibit and it might have played during the whole exhibition e4-
 
 Keep a previous engagement made with the New Haven Grays
 The band has won a number of nota- Die contests, including one at Rocky Point, R. T., in the early '7os. Aeon, test was organized by W. D. Reeves, founder and leader of the famous Reeves band of Providence. There the band came, its members tired out af- ter a long engagement and long ride on ar a1Iroad train and with only 24 players won in a contest with 35 bands. many of whom had twice as many players. At the EAks' convention in Buffalo the band won second prize in a contest in which the Mexican Police band of 68 men took part. Many of the opposing bandsmen were of the opinion that the Wheeler 6 Wilson band should have taken first prize
 Next to George Sanger, the next oId est member of the band in point of service is the tuba player. 'sChris, Heldnan. He has been in the band since 1873. MT. Heldman is a veteran of the Franco-Prlssian war. 1s7O-71 where he was wounded in the left leg just below the knee He wears a r3<lI- al presented to him by the German government for gallantly under fire
 The band has maintained an active working organization ever since. aI- though many of it's members enlisted in the 17th Conn. Vols for the Civil
 
 Joined the band. The first conductor of the band was Frank Thomas. The war time conductors were Michael Costello and William Ford. After the war HI. G.. Blish was director of the band for about three years and then s. c. Rosenburg was conductor for 25i or 26 years. George Streit. Fritz Beyer and Conrad Weidenharn mer followed him in the order nam ed. Conductor Weidenhammer was a musician of international fame He was the first to play Wagner's seDasI RheingOld' and fssDie Wa1kure'' with the Royal Opera orchestra in Berlin under the direction of Hans Richter and Hans Won Bu1ow in 1859 He is now deceased but is survived bv four sons. all residents of gBridgepor-t and all musicians whose mastery of various instruments has made them famous all over New England
 R. s. Fuessen was the next director of the band and for sixteen years after Director FuesseI resigned, John Lynch of this city, directed the band. George Sanger next led the band for several years and he was succeeded by the present leader. Louis F. Cher mak.
 MT Sanger joined the band in 1881 and played with it until 1863, when he enlisted in the United States army. He played with the band de- tailed at Gen. Grants headquarters during the war and afterward with the band at the Military academy at West Point. He left the army in 1870 and coming back to Bridgeport rejoined the band and has been a member ever since. He was elect ed librarian and has continued in that position ever since.
 Members of the band Joined the National Guard and went to camp with the old Eighth Regiment, c. N. G., under Col. Emory F. Strong when camp was made on the Hough proper ty at West Stratford in 1882 The band continued a reginentaI Nation al Guard band serving subsequently, with the Fourth and Third Regi- ments Infantry, c. N. G., and left the service when the Third Regiment