Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-13
NJ u S l c.
BY HELEN FETTER.


lies will feel they can attend.
To do so, however, the orchestra
must receive not only the Coop
Grafton of wealthy individuals but
the cooperative backing of civic
organizations, women's clubs, the
churches, the schools, the Gov
eminent workerS-in short, every
body in the city. When they are
sure of this, the orchestra men,
berS can give many programs In
the evenings. They will not have
to give them in the afternoon so
as to dash Immediately at the
concerts conclusion for different
motion picture houses when they
have to play all evening every
evening.
Certainly Washington never had
a worthier project in which to in
vest. The dividends offered are
orchestral concerts of master
pieces, and also the choicest of
works by native composers, giving
the American composers oppor-
tunity to be heard in the Capital
of their own country.
ONE of these American compos-
erS is Deems Taylor. He was
first known as music critic, later
as composer of orchestral works,
including the delightful Alice in
Wonderland" suite, and still later
as writer of the opera The
Kings Henchman," which has
been given for three seasons now
at the Metropolitan in New York
has written recently of an Ameri-
can citizen-native Of Mr.. Kim
dler'S land-who, until his death
in January, was one of Americas
leading patrons of the cause Of
music. This man was Edward W..
Box.
In the May issue of leading
magazine, Mr.. Taylor has said, in
part:
THE Fall and Winter of 1919
were a critical period in the exist
ence of the Philadelphia OrcheS-
ira. In that famous postwar
year it became obvious that the
orchestraS annual deficit, which
the hackers had for a decade been
meeting out of their own pockets,
was about to rise to staggering
heights; with slight prospect of
ever coming down again, even
after the war.
THE directors were in despair.
The hackers were already carry
ing as heavy a load as they could
bear, income from seat subScrip-
tionS was not within shouting dis
lance of expenditures and there
was no endowment. For an anx-
ious week or so it began to look
as If the magnificent orchestra,
already recognized as one of the
worlds greatest, might have to
disband.
. and then, like the arrival Of
the American gunboat in South
American movie, help came. The
directors nounce that a
wealthy Philadelphia, who pre-
ferred to be known only as the
unknown donor, had offered to
meet the orchestra's deficit for
a period of five years If the back
ers would agree to convert their
accustomed annual contribution
into the nucleus of an endowment
fund. Not only was the orchestra
saved, but the endowment be-
came a permanent actuality. Ed
ward w. Box had just retired from
a 80 years career as magazine
editor and was embarking upon
a second career as a philanthropy
list and citizen of the world. He
became chairman of the Phila-
delphia Orchestra's endowment
fund committee, with the avowed
purpose of raising $1,000, 900 by
popular subscription.
There is no space here to tell
how 1t was done; suffice 1t to say
that Box did it. He secured sub
scriptions from $4,000 Philadel-
phians, who contributed a total Of
$1,7O0,000, which sum, added to
the amount contributed by the
hackers, meant that the Philadel-
phia Orchestra would never again
have to pass the hat to meet its
deficit. His name is one upon
the distinguished list of generous
Americans to whom American
music owes such a heavy debt
names like HigginSon Of Boston,
Taft of Cincinnati, Severance Of
Cleveland. Clarke of Los Angeles;
Flagler, Mckay. Kahn and Levi
Sohn of New York; Eastman Of
Rochester. 1t was Horace who
boosted that in his 'Odes' he had
reared himself a monument that
would outlaSt brass or bronze. Ed
ward Box is buried beneath the
crypt of the Box Tower, which, as
monuments go, seems reasonably
solid and permanent one. I have
an idea that his real monument
what he did for music and the
other arts and for the city of
Philadelphia-will be standing a
long time after the tower has
crumbled into disuSe."