Evening star., 1925-09-06

dig the Washington Canal and build
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Yes, my dear"
ONE reason for this monologue is
~ we are making ready to move.
| have been moved twice in so years,
and this fitting from place to place
is upsetting my nerves. Farther and
farther l have been led from the fair
plains and lovely hills of Anacostia.
Always, West Vest The next move
will probably land us at Cumberland.
There is a girl who comes to see us.
She is Louise. Louise has often said
II always read the Rambler and j
don't care one hurrah who the grand
children of Jim Jones were or who
they married, but when the Rambler
writes of Ellen 1t tickles me-" So,
the foregoing lines are dedicated to
Louise.
The serious work today is to
pursue the story of John Philip Sousa.
John, as you were told last Sunday
left Washington, played the violin in
theater orchestras in Philadelphia and
New York, became leader of theater
orchestra and went travelling with
Offenbachs Orchestra. Johns friends
in Washington heard splendid stories
of his success and these were talked
over in the Marine Band. John was
making money. The Sousa home, at
the southeast corner of Seventh and
E streets southeast, had become old
fashioned, but Antonio and Elizabeth
Sousa would not move from the place
in which they reared their family.
John sent home the money 4 make
over the old home. Carpen ore
off the wide weatherboards an Jund
rrl
brick walls,
Henry Fries succeeded Francis
Scala as leader of the Marine Band
in 1871 and Louis Schneider succeeded
Fries Schneider's term was drawing
to a close and the commandant at
1.-The garrison" having heard many
times of the success of Antonio's boy
John. called Antonio, veteran from
bonist in the band, to his Office and
asked If he thought that John would
take the leadership of the band.
There was correspondence, and John
came back to Washington and put on
the uniform of leader of the Marine
Band. In the matter of John Philip
Sousa's appointment the Rambler
finds an account in The Evening Star,
October /, 1880. Part of the account
tells of the trouble in which Leader
Schneider was involved, but that does
not belong to our story. Here are a
few lines from The Star of that date:
'"The published statement that Conn.,
modore Jeffers, acting Secretary Of
the Navy, has appointed Mr.. John
Sousa leader of the band is incorrect.
There are several names mentioned
for the vacancy, among them William
Thierbach, who has been in charge
of the ban since the suspension of
Prof. Schneider; Mr.. Petrola, an old
member of the band, and Mr.. John P.
Sousa. who served two years in il
and has been for some years a mem
ber of Hossler's Orchestra and Band
of Philadelphia.
John was chosen leader of the band
in 1880 and remained with it until
1892. Sousa marches followed one an
other in succession, or. for the benefit
of the Rambler's learned readers-all
of them are-the Sousa marches came
eX ordine. Sousa was also writing
songs for Washington singers, and
or --rettas, some of which were put
on by the gay boys and beautiful
girls called local talent" One of
those operettas was THE Queen of
Hearts" John wrote the music and
Edward Taber the libretto. 1t was
put on at Albaughs Grand Opera
House Monday, Tuesday and Wednes-
day evenings, April IL, 13 and IA, 1886
Jack Armstrong of the surveyors Of
flee in particular and the District
Building as a whole loaned me the
program, and from that creased and
year-worn paper l copy the names of
the young, bright and happy people
who sang "The Queen of Hearts: