New-York tribune., 1918-06-03
Sousa's Band and Vari-
Colored Garments in Cho-
rus Make Beautiful Scene
Receipts Total $4,000
''Star-Spangled Banner and
tMarseillaise" Bring Roars
of Cheering

The Polo Grounds may have seen
bigger crowds, but never on taat
famous field were $4,000 spectators
aroused to higher pitch of enthusi-
asm than at the Thrift Festival yes
terday afternoon, when Lieutenant
John Philip Sousa conducted chorus
of nearly 10000, band of 260 and
cast of celebrated principals in Mendel-
sohn's elijah"
When Leon Rothier sang "La Mar
seillaise" the applause was as great as
ever greeted a home run. and when
Marie Sundelius sang "Tae Star
Spangled Banner" the cheering of the
crowd spread to the hundreds who,
unable to get into the grounds,
thronged the adjacent cliffs.
The total receipts were $4,000. of
which $4,000 was ticket money, perfect
weather having doubled the sale of
seats early in the day. The sale of
souvenir programmes brought $4,000.
All the proceeds are for the war Thrift
campaign in New York City. The fes-
tival achieved another object more i'm
portant than the money. for every per-
son who witnessed the performance
had t. buy at least one thrift stamp
to get a ticket. The sale of these
stamps alone gives large sum to the
government, but beyond this is an
even larger good. for the ice is now
broken for thousands Of persons who
had never before bought thrift stamps.
Crowds Arrive Early
By 10 o'clock in the morning there
we're crowds outside the grounds, and
at ~ the gates simply had to be
opened, though the scheduled hour for
the opening was 1:30.
Before note was sung, before
Sousa's band had played a bar of his
stirring marches, before the band of
the Pelham Bay naval reservists had
marched on the field to the tine of
"Semper Fidelis," the spectacle was a
stirring one. 1ne outstanding figure
was Sousa, perched high on the apex
Of conical bandstand, with the sub
sidiary conductors grouped around him
and the great band, for which the
score of SE}i3ah" had been specially
rearranged, seated in a circle.
Beyond, taking up many hundred
square yards of the centre of the field,
was the vast chorus, the gay dresses
and parasols of the women lending
light and color to the scene. The
parasols were spectacle in them
selves. Less fortunate than the au-
dence in the shaded grandstands. the
singers spent two and half hours
under the direct rays of the sun. Police
officers, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts and
others rendered first aid to many per-
sons.
There is one little boy in the chorus
who did not march on the field with
the rest, or march off again when the
festival was over. This was Frederic
Conner, ten years old, cripple, whose
voice is the pride of the Eastern Dis
trct High School. He was joyful when
he was told he was to have place in
the chorus, but when he learned that
the chorus was to march on and off
the field he looked down at his
crutches and shook his head. George
Gartlan, assistant director of music in
schools, decided that the boys voice
was too good to lose for the sake of
pair of crutches, and Frederic Conner
was seated, and left before the final
march
Among the boxholders were Admiral
and Mrs. Nathaniel R. Usher, Admiral
and Mrs. Albert Gleaves, Commodore
and Mrs. Robert P. Forshew. Brigadier
General and Mrs. William A. Mann.
Colonel and Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mortimer L. Schiff. MI
and Mrs. Arthur s. Somers, Mr.. and
Mrs. Charles Nj. Schwab, Mrs. W. K.
Vanderbilt, jr., Mr.. and Mrs. T. Gerry,