Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-31
THE PRESIDENTS BAND
TOLD OF BY HASKIN
Daily Letter by Frederic J. Haskin

WASHINGTON, March S1-one
OF the most remarkable institutions
of official Washington ia the Unit.
eo states Marinet band, generally re-
sarded as the fms est organization of
the sort In the world Visitors to
the capital look, 5unon the Pres;-
cents pand as ofne of the sights
not on any account to be missed.
e'reat interest always attends it's
annual tour tJ some of the states.
and now that iradio can carry music
to every cornIr OF the country, the
playing OF thu Marine band prom
7ise5 to s9sh1etter known than, in all
the 125 eventful years of its exist
| ence.
OF the thousands of people who
| hear the band few seem to know any
| of the facts about II. The story
is not often told but it is worth tell
| ing. No organization can exist for
more than a century and acquire a
reputation for unusual superiority
without having significant back
ground.
The early history of the band
suggests the daredevil side of the
well known Marine Corps tempera-
ment. President John Adams es-
tablished a Marine Corps in 1898
| and authorized as a. part of it six
teen drummers and sixteen fifers.
This little fife and drum corps was
the beginning OF the Marine band
but the band had remained in that
Insignificant stage only a short tina.
In 1902. during the wars with
the Barbary pirates, Captain Daniel
McNeill brought the frtgate Boston
to port at Messlna, Italy. Word
went out that Americans were in
port and a regimental band of the
city came aboard TO show the
wild men" OF the United States
what good music was. The marines
were appreciative of the Italians
skill! so appreciative in fact that
Captain Mcneil impulsively tripped
anchor and set out for America with
his guests. The thirteen kidnapped
musicians were frantic but helpless.
When the ship reached the Unit
promptly eXressed its official disaD-
proval Of Captain McNeil's system
or recruiting musicians. Records Of
all this we're lost when the British
burned Washington in 1914. 1t is
known, however, that the govern
ment was in no hurry to return the
fine musicians to Italy. They were
put on duty at the Marine Barra cks
as Washington, where no doubt they
taught the American musicians and
served as an inspiration. Certainly
the Marine band was playing in
good form the next year. for an old
order book Of the Marine Corps
shows that the band was to play
st the Presidential reception at the
White House New Years Day. 1909.
From this earliest period of It's
career this band has been regularly
associated with state functions.
Gradually Marine band tradition
was built up until now no great
official ceremony or celebration is
complete without It.
When the Band Has Played
To mention only a few of the
has assisted may give an idea OF it's
work. 1t played at the wedding of
Grover Cleveland, Alice Roosevelt,
Jessie Wilson, and Woodrow Wilson.
In the last instance only a sectioa
of the band was used, as the We'd
ding took place in a private resi-
dence, and full strength OF the
Marine band Is now 4 men.
The Presidents band accompanied
President Mckinley's funeral cor
iege and that OF Fighting Bcb Ev-
ans. 1t went to Arlington with the
unknown soldier and with the he
roes OF tho Maine disaster. It was
with Dewey when he was given his
itriumphal welcome after his return
from Manila, and It has attended the
| iopening of every big exposition since
| the st. Louis celebration, when Il
assisted at the formal opening IN
1908.
II has played IN the inaugural, pc =
rade OF every President since Thom-
as Jefferson in 1901. 1t never leaves
the United States, but 1t has play
ed to quite collection of visiting
royalties, notably tho Prince of
Wales, Prince Henry OF Prussia, the
King and Queen of Belgians, AMI
the Infanta Eulslia of Spain.
Throughout its history the work
of the Presidents band has con-
staitly wineden in scope. AS far
bach as 1854 the open air concerts
at the White House and Capitol.
which are feature of summer life
| in Washington, were started. and
from then ON the public has been
given a chance ta hear the Marine
band without waiting foT come uu-