The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1919-06-19
SOUSA SETTLED.

JuuSln" from lne peTloulC appears
/ to the ''notes and queries depart
| ments of various newspapers, the
great American public, or at least
that portion of the G. a. p. which pre-
sents pronounced characteristics of
the human mole, seem determined
that Americas greatest bandmaster
shall be somebody else than himself
or if not someone besides himself,
they will have it that Mr.. John Philip
Sousa must be descended from some
line bearing name different from the
one which has descended to him.
With spasmodic frequency we see
earnest queries from anxious querists
who desire to know whether Mr. Sou
sa's family patronymic may not be
this or that or the other, all suggest
ing names ranging anywhere from a
Hungarian goulash to Chinese must
cal instrument Fortunately for the
peace Of mind of those of us who
care more for the man and his work
than for any possible or impossible
name derivatives, the great March
King" himself was definitely settled
the question in the following humor-
Gus communication to the New York
Sunday Times:
If there is one thing ] dislike more
than another it is to spoil good story.
| wildly remember my infantile con-
tempt for the lunk-headed pirate who
told me that Jack the Giant Killer
never existed, and | clearly recall my
Undying hatred for the iconoclast who
calmly informed re shat Robinson
Crrsoe was a myth and his man Fri
day black shadow, without life and
substance. | also despise the man
who said Nero was never fiddler;
| hence you can understand my posi-
ton when occasionally called upon in
all seriousness to verify the story that
my name is not Sousa, but Philip So.
| |, too, have received several letters
lately asking the question from me d.
| rect, and my first impulse was to al
low them to hang on the tenterhooks
| Of doubt for some moons and then
! in the interest of truth gradually to
set them right. The history Of that
fable is not without interest.
The story of the supposed origin of
my name is a rafting good one, and
like all ingenious fables. permits of
international variation. The German
version is that my name is Sigmund
! Ochs, great musician born on the
| Rhine, emigrated to America, trunk
marked S. O.. U. S. therefore the
name. The English version is that
! | am one Sam Ogden, great music
ian, Yorkshire man, emigrated to Am
erica, luggage marked S. O., U. S. A.
hence the cognomen. The domestic
brand of the story is that | am a
| Greek named Philip So, emigrated to
| America, a great musician; carried
my worldly possessions. in box
marked s., u. S. therefore the
patronimic.
This more or less polite fiction, com
! mon to society, has been one Of the
best bits of advertising I have had in
my long career AS a r,,le. items about
musical people find their way only
into columns Of the daily press. a few
magazines, end in papers devoted to
music, but this item has appeared in
religious, rural, political sectarian
trade and labor journals from one END
OF the world to the other. and it is
believed that it makes it's Journey
around the globe once every three
years. Its basilar source emanatec
about ten years ago from the always
youthful and ingenious brain of that
! publicity promoter, Colonel George
Frederick Hinton. At that time Col.
onel Hinton was exploiting Sousa anc
his band and out Of the inner reces.
ses OF his gray matter he evolved this
perennial fiction Since it first an,
Deared | have been called upon to deny
it in Afghanistan, Beloochistan, Carl
nola, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Ger
many. Hungary Ireland, Japan. Kan.
chatka, Lapland NADIA gascar. Move
Scotia, Oporto. Philadelphia. Quebec
Russia. Senegambia. Turkestan. Uru
quay, Venezula Wallachie, Xenia. Yu
catan and Zanzebar; but. even with
4 this alphabetical geographical denia
on my part, the story-like Tenny
sons brook goes on forever.
Were it not for the reproving finger
OF pride pointed at me by the illustri
Gus line OF ancestral Sousas. would
let 1t go at that: were it not for tn,
decrymg bunch Of sisters and brother.
ready to prove that my name is Sous.
and cannot shake them-I nigh
let the question 60 UNDECIDED.
My parents were absolutely oppos
ed to race suicide and were the auth
ors Of family of ten children, ST,
of whom are now living all marie,
and doing well in the family line; s,
well, indeed, that should say abou
1892 the name Of Sousa will supplan
that Of Smith assonr national name.
Now for the historical record.
was born on the 9Th of November
1854, on G Street, Southeast. near Oh
\ Christ Church, Washington, D. c. M,