Evening Star Newspaper, August 7, 1921, Page 53

\ THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, ‘AUGUST 7, 1921—PART 4. 5" Early Life of John Philip Sousa, “The March King,” in Washington all the published sketches of the life and achievements of i John Philip Sousa one reads of the eminent musician, the emi- nent composer, the premier author of marches, the pre-eminent band- master and the gentleman. There is ons chapter in the nistory of this clever and successful man which seems never to have been more than roughly outlined by a pen. That ls the chapter of his boyhood. And it is not so easy to write it as one may think. John was born sixty-seven vears ago, and many of those boys with whom he played have grown gray beards and families and have been translated to a sphere from which, though they may weave their influence about us, yet they do mot seem to tell to_us the things we would like to know. Many of those who were boys with John, and who are still here, preserve fond memories of him, but when it comes to the remem- berance or the recollection of specific details and important facts, they be- come vague and fogEY. Most of the members of John's fam- 1ly have passed away. His mother and father and his brothers George and Antonio are dead. His youngest broth- er. Louis, has moved away from Washington. His _younger _sister, izabeth, lives in Grand Rapids, Mich. One sister, Katherine, older than John, lives in Washington. A few old neighbors of the Sousas still live near the Sousa home, but most.of those who knew John as a boy are no more. John from the time he was born, in 1854, until he went away to ‘seck his fortune, in 1877, left few records—no more perhaps than other boys do, and when he returned to Washington in 1580 as leader of the Marine Band he was a busy man, with many responsibilities. He left the Marine Band and Washington in 1892, and that was twenty-nine years ago. All the prominent public life of John, covering more than forty vears, has been written, but those years when he was a boy in Southeas Washington, or “on the navy yard. as we used to say, have been given scant attention by biographers. * % % % JO!{.\"S father, Antonio Sousa, made a strong impress upon the mem- ory of his neighbors and his other friends. He lived in Southeast Wash- . Ington about thirty-eight vears and has been dead twenty-nine, but there are living a great many knew him well. When he was ad- vancing in years many of his friends were much younger than he. hold the good old man in affectionate remembrance and tell of his traits and sayings. John's mother, after living in’ Washington for fifty-four years, died thirteen years ago, and one can find a_great number of persons who knew her. Much of the life of John's father has never been written and never will be. He did not talk much about his youth in Spain and on the seas, because he found so many things to interest him in the present—that is, in what was to him the present. He was not a retrospective man and was so busy with things about him and so proud of John and John's great career that he put the past behind him and seems not_to have been initiated in that large club whose members have as their password “I remember when I was a boy that my father said to me.” or “Uncle Tom told me,” or “Aunt Jane « took me,” etc. But the writer of these lines will tell you all that he has been able to find out from many sources about Antonio (the elder) Sousa. In the first place, Antonio was a gentleman in the liberal and accurate significance of that much abused and variously defined word. He was born at Seville, Spain, ninety-seven years ago. His family was Portuguese, set- { tled for several generations in Spain, and his father and mother were edu cated people. The name “Sousa, which = American _ directory-makers, clerks and scribes have had a hard time spelling, is a very old Portuguese name, and even the books on art, sci- ence, literature and the like present it as Sousa, Souza, Soussa and Souszza, but the most usual rendering is “Sousa,” and that is the way Antonio wrote his name. As a few examples of prominence of the surname “Sousa” $n Portugal, the Portugal-sprung em- ire of Brazil and Spain, there were Iatteo de Sousa-Villalobos, born 1688, a writer on the art of singing; An- tonio de Sousa, an author who wrote in the early part of the seventeenth century:; Marquise de Sousa, Bernado Xavier Pinto de Sousa, an early nine- teenth century aathor; Joao de Sousa, born 1734, died 1812, a Portuguese his- torian of note; Luis de Sousa, born in 1515, died in 1632, a Portuguese artist; ‘Antonio Caetano de Sousa, a scientist, born in 1679, dled In 1759, and a long list of other Sousas, whose names and records are preserved in history. Antonio’s family in Spain was promi- nent and influential. Enough dropped from the old man's lips to prove this in his conversations with the families , Esputa, Repetti, Luca, Biondi, Gui- mond, Scala, Baptista, Tregina, Marco, Viner, Prosperi, Bonini, Orange and others of the old art and music colony “of the navy yard.” Antonio left home —ran away—at the age of twelve and went to sea. Many other boys did the same thing a hundred years ago and .hundreds of years ago. Boys had ymagination then as they have it now. The spirit of adventure posse them. The world was their oyster and they meant to crack it. The mighty door of the world, the great avenue of the world, the wonderful way of the world and a vast part of the world was the sea. Perhaps the sea was the main world, and the strange lands, marvelous coasts, wondrous people and idyllic isles were but the sea’s acces- sorles. The sea called him and he went. He must have served in many ships, and among_them warships. He served on a British warship, and his @ld friends remember that he was a musician in the band of a British ship in stirring_times. About 1850 we find hm at the Brooklyn navy yard, a mem- ®er of an American warship's band. ®he writer does not know that he serv- @d in the American Navy during the men who! d | | bought a large lot in Thomas B. Ven- ! first in a small two-story brick house on G street southeast, now numbered 636. It is the third house east of Christ Church. The first house east of the church is the Marks house, built a good many years ago by Samuel A. H. Marks. It is a three-story red brick. The next is a modern buff brick and limestone house, and next on the east is the small brick evidently senior to all the other houses. It was in that house that John Philip Sousa was born November 6, 1854. That block is bounded by 6th and 7th and E and G streets southeast and {s numbered “square 877." In 1854 the lot owners in that square, &s shown by the as- sessment records of the District, were They | SOUSA AS LEADER OF THE GREAT LAKES BAND DURING THE WAR. James McFarland, F. I. Robertson, James Gordon, Jessie Ergood. Malinda Smith, Philip Beigler, Samuel A. H. Marks, Samuel Nelson, Thomas Den- nis, William Richards. M. H. Mc- Knight, Mary Prout, Robert Prout, Jonathan Prout. William Hodges, F. S. Walsh, Elizabeth Herbert, Thomas Hutchinson, W. H. Cook. Joseph M. Carrico, D. Ruppert. Martin King, W. C. Goddard, Robert Beale, Thomas E. Jacobs, Samuel Arnold and Richard A. Boarman. In 1859 the lot owners in the square were James McFarland, F. I. Robert- son, Jacob Marks, jr.; James Gordon. Jesse Ergood., Martin Smith, Philip Beigler. S. A. H. Marks, Samuel Nel- son. Francis Dennis. Thomas Walter, Villiam Richards. Mary Prout, Rob- ert Prout, Henderson Fowler, William Hodges, Joseph _Walsh, = Thomas Hutchinson, W. H. Cook, R. M. Combs, James T. Peake, D. Kuppert, 1. T. Pheeps, John Lavessi, Robert Beale and Samuel Arnold. Making a rough calculation. The Star man computes that the little brick house in which John Sousa was born stands on what was the land either of Jessie Ergood or the lot of Malinda Smith, which, in the succeeding_ assessment, was owned by Martin Smith. How John Philip Sousa comes by his middle name is a question. He was bap- tised “John Philip” in Christ Church. His mother had a brother Philip_and his father had a brother Filipe. John thinks he was named after his ma- ternal uncle and other members of the family believe that he was named for his paternal uncle. But it does not make any difference. After renting the little brick house for a few months, the Sousas, with little Katherine and littler ~John, moved to a small brick house on the north side of G street between 5th and 6th, but The Star man has yet to determine the number. In that house two children were born, both of whom died very young. The firsf was named Ferdinand and the sec- ond was Rosina. * %k % X TWO years after moving to Wash- ington Antonio and his wife Elizabeth were thinking of buying a piece of land on which to build'a home, and on May 7, 1856, Antonio Sousa, named in the body of the deed “Antonia Soucca,” bought from John H. O'Neill and his wife Emily, lot No. 1 in square 1019 for $100. A copy of that deed is in Liber J. A. S. No. 118. The witnesses to the deed were Samuel S. Briggs and_ Robert Clark. O'Neill signed the deed by making is mark” and so did his wife Emily. The square in which that| lot is is bounded by 12th and 13th.| B and C southeast. Pennsylvania avenue cuts diagonally through the square and Sousa's lot had a front- age of one hundred feet on the south side of the avenue. Evidently Eliza- beth Sousa did not approve of An- tonio’s choice of a home site, for they did_not build on it. Two years later Antonio Sousa able’s subdivision of square 903, be- ing the southeast corner of 7th and E streets southeast. On April 23, 1852, Venable subdivided the west side of the square into lots No. 5, 6. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Lot 11, the northwest corner of the square and the south- east corner of 7th and E was sold by Venable to Samuel Armistead. An- tonio Sousa’s deed to that lot is from Samuel Armistead and his wife Mar- garet, and bears date, April 30, 1858. The price paid for the lost was $600, and the witnesses to the deed were H. G. Murry and James Cull. That deed is recorded in liber J. A. S., 154. that is, on May 3, 1858—Antonio and Elizabeth Sousa sold & third of fit, south of the corner lot, to Salvador Accardi for $200. Accardi was well known for many years as a one-leg- ged workman in the navy yard. That leg was lost as the result of a wound received in action in the Mexican war. A few days after selling a third of the lot to Accardi, Antonio and ¥Eliza- beth Sousa executed a deed, in con- sideration of $250 to James M. Dreen, giving him title to the southernmost third of lot 11. In 1854 the lot owners in the square bounded by 7th and 8th and E and G were: Beginning at the northwest corner of 8th and G, George Edward: Francis_Prosperl, John M. Robert Martin King, Thomas P. Venable, W, 8. Venable, Charles H. Venable, W. B. ‘arrico, W. S. Venable, Samuel Armis stead, R. A. Boarman, R. N, Peake, Edward Evans, Samuel Miler, Ed- ward Watson, W. D. Acken, John Robinson, Travis Evans, Hugh Me- Cormick, James Bury, James Kealy, Francis H. Elliott and back again to the land of George Edwards at the corner of 8th and G. According to the tax assessment of 1859 the lot owners in the square were: Beginning at the corner of 8th and G, George Edwards, Francls Prosperf, John M. Roberts, Samuel ;Vfllil.r’nson‘MSamuel A. H. Marks, C. vey, Jane Moss, George R. Ruff, A. L. Seedner, John D. Milstead, John F. Gerecke, W. B. Carrico, B. M. Carrico, August F. Berry in frust for Pauline Tyson, James M. Dreen, Salvador Ac- cardi, Antonio Soussa, R. N. Peake, F Esputa, Charles Prosperi, John E: puta, William F. Sheets, Edward Evans, John Bayne, Willlam D. Acken, Frederick Emerick, John Robinson, Hugh McCormick, James Bury in trust for Marie Byington, James :I:dlfl:'. :V‘:I‘H;m Guinand, James How- n ck again to t 8th and G L4 he corner of * x % % IN square No. 902, which is ime mediately north of the square in which the Sousas lived, the lot owners in 1854 were Willlam Easby, Robert Prout, Matthew Trimble, Mary K. Len- thall, Margaret G. T. Wingate, Maria Craven and Mary Prout. Maria Craven owned lots Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10, and Mary Prout owned lots Noe. 11, 12, 13 and 14. Tracing the Sousas in the Washington directories was an interesting hunt, and here it is in brief: 1850—J. Sioussa, clerk with Corcoran & Riggs, south side of G north between 13th and 14th west; John Sioussa, north side of New York avenue between 12th and 13th west. 1855—Frederick Sioussa, 450 L north; Charles Sioussa, 361 18th west 1858—Augustus T. Sioussa, manager Riggs & Co., house 11th street west near Lutheran Church; Charles Sioussa, 361 18th west; Frederick Sioussa, porte: Bank of Washington, 450 L street nort! John Sioussa, 385 New York avenu John Sfoussa, jr., messenger, 456 New York avenue. 1860—August T. BSioussa, manager Riggs and Co., house 361 13th street west; Charles Sfoussa, 361 18th west Charles M. Sioussa, clerk, 341 Pen sylvania avenue, boards 3861 18th west; Frederick Sioussa, porter, Bank of the Metropolis, house 450 L street west; John Sioussa, 456 New York avenue; John Sioussa, 385 New York avenue. The first directory coming under the eye of The Star man in which Antonio Sousa's name appears is that of 1862, and the entry is “Antonia Sousa, house, 528 Seventh street East.” In 1863 all the “Sioussas” are | and 1874 skipped him. i | G l l MOUS Musician's Home and His Boyhood Environs—Early Musical Train- ing, When He Performed on the “Slip-horn™ and the “Fiddle"—First Enlist- | ment in the Marines and Position With the Marine Band—Tracing the Sousa Family Back to the Time They Came From Spain—Little John's First Concert and the | Clothes That Did Not Fit—Leadership of the Nation's Most Famous Band. “Sioussa and Ennis” (C. Maurice Sioussa and Gregory I Ennis), groc- ers, 325 Pennsylvania avenue west. Antonio Sousa is not in the directory for that year. In the directory of 1864 he reappears as “Antonio Sioussa, musiclan. house, 528 Seventh street, East.” The entry is the same In 1865. In 1867 it is “Ant o Sousa, musician, 527 7th southeast. The entry is the same in the directory of 1868. The directory of 1869 missed him. Dur- ing all these years the “Sioussas” of the northwest section muitiplied. The directory canvassers of 1870 missed Antonio, but they enumerated the following “Sloussas’ Charles, 814 18th west; Clara E., 1225 L west; Elizabeth A. and Frederick P. mes- senger National Metropolitan Bank, same address; H. C. Sloussa, 814 18th; J. W. Sloussa, grocer, 931 18th; Lot- tie R. Sloussa, 1225 L west: M. L. Sioussa, cashier, boards 814 18th: Mary, widow of John Sioussa, 1424 N. Y. avenue. In 1871 we find “An: tonia Souga, musician, 502 7th S. E. In 1872 it is Antonio Sousa, musician. 500 7th S. The directories of 1873 In 1875 we get this: “Antonia Soura, musician, 500 7th strest south- i st; John Sousa, musician, 500 7th street Southeast” That was John Philip Sousa’s first appearance in the directory of his native city. In 187¢ we get this: “An-onio Sousa, n usi- cian, 500 7th southeast; John P. Sousa, musician, 500 7th southeast. Antonio Sousa, 500 7th soUtheast.’ that John Esputa, fine musician and fine man, had a better acquaintance with John Philip Sousa than anybody else had. He knew more of the real inside John than John's own people did. But we are a little ahead of the story in that we have not finished with Antonio the elder. When he came to Washington in 1854 he entered the Marine Band to play the trombone. Francis Scala was then “fife mafor,” “principal musician,” or leader of the band. It was in the sum- mer of 1854 that the Marine Band insti- tuted the summer open-air concerts at the White House and Capitol, the band then being under the leadership of Anto- nio Pons, Francls Scala taking up_the baton for the second time July 11, 1854 Great-grandmothers and great-grand- fathers of some of you who are reading these lines attended those concerts an Anfomio was playing the trombone in the band. * ok ok X AS age came on, Antonlo suffered from asthma, and between teaching, practicing at “the garrison,” as the old people spoke of the marine barracks, and taking part in ceremonies and con- certs, Antonio Sousa practiced cabinet- making, and he built a little house, which he called a shop, on the north side of his lot, facing E street, while the frame house that had been built on the lot faced on 7th street. It is said by the old neighbors that the officers at ‘“‘the garrison” all seemed to like Antonio Sousa, not because of his musical ability, because That was the first appearance in the directory _of Antonio, Jjumior, or “Tony”~ Sousa, ‘who became wid<'y known in Washington. In 1877 directory John P. disappears. He has left the city, to seek fortuna in New York and Philadelphia and in travel- | ing about the country with an or- chestra. In the 1879 directory we find thi “Antony Soussa. cabinet maker, 705 E street southeast, house 502 Tth southeast; Georze Scussa musician, 502 7th southeast” This was the first appearance of George, a brother of John, in the directory. The direc- tory of ‘1880 yields this information “Charles_Susey, carpenter, 814 18t Henry Susey, carpenter, 814 18th Andrew Sioussa, cabinet maker, 70 E southeast, house 502 7th southeast; eorge Sousa, musician, 500 Tth south- east; Charles M. Sioussa, tea broker, 2013°G northwest: Frederick Sioussa, enger, 1225 L northwest; Harry €. Sloussa, clerk, 814 18th; John E. Sioussa, messenger, 1415 G northwest, and Mary, widow of John Sioussa, 1122 13th northwest.” * Kk ok WE now bid farewell to the Sious- sas in the old directories. It may be that there was kinship between these people in the old world, but there seems no reason to believe that any relationship exists between them in America. John Philip Sousa returned to Wash- ington in the fall of 1880, and in the directory of 1881 he is “John P. Sousa, leader. Marine Band, 502 7th street southeast.” He was back in the old family home with Antonio, the elder; Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa, and his brothers George, Antonio and Louls. In the 1882 directory it is “John P. Sousa, leader, Marine Band, 420 8th street southeast. In 1883 it is *John P. Sousa, leader, arine Band, 204 6th street southeast.” In 1885, Antonio, the elder, was still at 500 or 502, (the JOHN PHILIP SOUSA AS A BOY IN WASHINGTON. corner house) 7th street southeast, John was still living_at 204 6th southeast, and George W. had moved Mexican war, but he thinks he did, and children of his old Spanish, French and Italian friends in Southeast Wash- A few days after buying the lot— in the directory with an extra one, from the old home to 316 6th south- east. In the 1886 directory we get a middle initial for Anto the elder, ington think they heard their fathers tell that Antonio Sousa saw such serv- ice. It might be settled by the records of the Navy Department, but the man who is writing this feels that the search would be unsatisfactory. An- tonio might be there so disguised un- der another name that he could not be identified. Clerks and records have spelled that name in a multitude of ways and many of them fantastic. * k k * S we hear “Sousa” pronounced there is nothing difficult about it, but as Antonio pronounced it before he learned to speak English and as he pronounced it with his Spanish accent * even after learning English Ameri- cans seemed to tie themselves in a double bowknot trying to spell the i Sousa the elder wrote his name “Sousa,” but the first land deed to him, recorded among the District land record™ in 1856, renders the name “Soucca.” There was a nu- merous family in Washington, older in the District than the Sousas, who elied their name <Sioussa,” and Sioussa” and “Soussa” were often confounded. It is likely that Antonlo joined the band of the Brooklyn navy yard about 1850, for he ' was married in Brooklyn about that time to a Young gir], Elizabeth Trinkhaus, who ivas born in Hesse Darmstadt in 1826 and went with her parents to Brook- Iyn in 1843, The first child of the Sousas was born in_ Brooklyn. She vas christened Katherine, and old SVashington people in the musical set snd all the congregation of Christ Episcopal Church of the navy yard knew her as “Tina.” or “Tiny” Sousa. It was a good many years ago that “Tina” was married to Alexander C. Varela of the surgeon general's office. Tp to a little while ago she lived sith a son at 5519 Connecticut ave- nue, and is living now with another son at 5416 8th street northwest. A second child was born to the Sousas ™ Brooklyn. Her name was Jose- * phine and she died while a child. The Sousas moved to Washington in 1854 and took up their residence et L it and he is set down at “Antonio A" cabinet maker, 500 7th southeast. Young Antonio is_down Antonio A. Sousa, Jjr., clerk, 500 7th southeas George W., musician, is at 316 6th and John P. is at 204 6th southeast. In that year he has ceased to be the “leader” of the Marine Band, and is in the directory as “Director, Marine Band.” In 1887, there is no change, ex- I cept Anthony A. Sousa, jr., is recorded as “clerk, Post Office Department.” In 1888 things are as they were the year before, except that John is e tered in the directory as “musician,’ 204 6th street southeast. In the 1889 directory, Antonio A.. jr. appears as “clerk, city Post Office,” still living at the old home with his father and mother, and John appears as “conduc- tor” of the Marine Band. In 1890, John Sousa’s name appears in the city directory, in heavy face black type for the first time. He is not *“con- ductor,” but is again “director” of the Marine Band and is still in his plessant little home, 204 6th, sonth- east The first glimpse we get at John Sousa in the Washington public schools is in 1865, when he was a pupil in sec- ondary school No. 7 at 3d and A streets southeast. His teacher there was Han- nah Johnson. In that year he received a prize for exemplary conduct and punc- tuality. Later he went to school at ‘Wallach, which was buflt in 1864 and dedicated July 1 of that year. Teachers at the Wallach School from 1864 to 1870, lnc!unlg. wfie wngun‘nh ‘W. McCathran, preceptor; Mary E. Ramsay, precep- tress; Chase Roys, Frances Elvans, Ad- die Thompson, Lucy B. Davis, E. A. Allen, Joleflhlvle Bird, Symphonia Lusby and Kate Morphy. No doubt several of these teacliers John Philip in charge at ome time or another. John Philip Sousa was a bright boy in arithmetic, history and geography. He had music lessons at home under his father and made some progress on the trombone, which was his father’s instrument. John began taking lessons on the violin when he was a small boy under Prof. John Esputa, and the Esputa family lived in . ‘brick th street, just & short distance from the Sousa The man” who is writing this belisves there were many musicians as good as he in the band, but because of his pleasant ways and agree- able manners. As the boys came along he taught them music, and John's progress with the violin was his especial solicitude and a cause of pride to Prof. Esputa. John was not a marvel on the violin and it is re- corded that as a boy he was not ! particularly industrious in his prac- )tice, but he got along very well and Prof. Esputa had him play in certain !little concerts in the 60s. One of these \concerts was for the entertainment | of the people at the Government Hos- ipital for the Insane. He was to go jover with the professor in that bi carriage called “The Bloomingdale. 1John said that he had no clean shirt, fand then in after years John told this story: “The excuse proved futile, for he made me go upstairs and don one of his shirts, which was many sizes too llarge for a small boy. The collar 1had to be fastened at the back with a pin and I was about as uncomfort- able a_youngster as you could find when I stepped on to the platform to play. “I had not finished more than the introduction of my solo when that wretched collar button became un- fastened and began to climb over the back of my head. The agony of this, coupled with the thousht of the audi- ence 1 was facing, made me forget every note of my solo and I began to improvise to cover up this lapse of memory, and I could hear my master hurling imprecations at me under his breath as he vainly strug- gled at the piano to vamp an ac- companiment to my improvising. Fi- nally 1 broke down entirely and fled from the stage. My master followed and hissed in my ears: ‘Don’'t you dare to eat any supper tonight!’ This was my punishment and I had to pre- like appetite at the supper followed the concert, and so I went hungry to bed. As John grew to be a boy in his teens he blew the trombone with vigor, and when he was about fifteen years old he enlisted in the Marine Band, to play that instrument. Some of his best friends in the southeast say that as a trombone player he was a disappointment to his father. Indeed, some of them say that John was about the worst trombone player they ever heard. One of his boy- hood friends said: “If John had stuck to the trombone he never would have become a distinguished man.” There seems to have been some resentment ir the neighborhood against John and the trombone, Somo of the neighbors said that young John was depreciatiag the value of real estate in that part of Wash- ington. However, John continued to make some progress on the fiddle, and, hearing one of the greay violin artists who gave a concert at Lincoln Hall, or it may have been Marini's Hall, he be- came enthused and determined to become a real violin virtuoso. From that time on he gave great satisfaction to Prof. Esputa, and also took up the study of harmony with Mr. Benkert of George- {tow:. Then John went to Philadeiphia, played in orchestras, became an orches- tra’ leader, moved to New York. con- tinued as an orchestra leader and went on_the road with Offenbach's orchestra. 'His musical friends in Washington would hear splendid stories of his suc- cess. It was talked over in the Marine Band. John was making moncy. His mother began to think that the old-fash- foned house was a little out of date, but she and her husband would not think of moving to any other section of the city, though some parts of the city had be- come more nifty and fashionable than the old-settled parts of the southeast So, John sent home money for making over the old house. Carpenters tore off the wide weatherboarding, and around the joists and scantlings they bullt brick walls and made over the interior of the home. Instead of the little frame cot- tage at the southeast corner of 7th and E streets southeast, there is today a brick house, but the inside timbers are those which were put together in the summer of 1857, when Jobn was three | years old. * % kX ENRY FRIES succeeded Francis Scala as leader of the Marine Band in 183, and Louis Schneider succeeded Fries September 2, 1873. Schneider's term of leadership was| drawing to a close, and the com- mandant at “The Garrison,” having heard many times of the success of Antonio’s boy John, called him into his office one day and asked if he thought John would take the leader- ship of the historic band. There was some correspondence between Antonio fand John and the commandant. Prob- jably Capt. McCaulley offered the post to John. As you know, it was ac- cepted. 5 In the matter of John Sousa’s suc- cession to the leadership ot the Ma- ripe Band, The Evening Star of Oc- fober 1, 1880, published the followin; The published the board of officers. 'ho have been ing the charges against Prof. Schneider, Marine Band, found him guilty, ‘an modore Jeffers, acting Secretary of the Navy. has approved the findings and appointed Mr. John Sousa leader of the band, vice Schnelder, is incorrect, in so far at least as the action of the acting secretary is concerned. The report of the investigating board had not reached the Navy Department at noon today and conse- quently Do action has been taken there. ‘There are several names mentioned for the vacancy, among them William Thierbach, who has beed in charge of the band since the sus- pension of hneider; Mr. Petrola, an old member of the baud, and Mr. John P. Sousa, Who has served two years in it and for some years past has been a member of Hossle Orchestra and Band of Philadelphia. Very soon after John put on the uniform of leader of the band he wrote two marches, each of which met with instant success. These were “The Washington Post” and “The High School Cadets.” Here follows something' clipped from an old print,| with date and without mark of identl- fication, which was loaned The Star man by Candace Cohill Sousa, widow of Antonio Sousa the younger, who is living at 433 1st street southeast: Following closely upon Sousa’s Wash 1o HeTTIRE Cioons” echoes hadsireacy ‘souns: od far beyond the gates of that clty, came the publication of irst of those Souss ltioos which _attained s sensational larity never equaled other musical Done However, I ail that pacan of praise ‘which’ rewarded _the Post™ and the there sounded for 8cheol Cadet"” one {around the world. ? | | SOUSA WHEN LEADER OF THE discordant note. whose vibration he hears oc- caslonally to this very day. He had sold out- right, almost the traditional mess of pottage, all his elaim and title to *“The Was ington Post March” and ““The *High School Cadets.”” As sple compensation for those phe- nomenslly ‘popular marches he received $35 down and fpt ue cent of all the royalties that have sigee accrued from the millions of copies sold. 'OBe can well appreciate Sousa’s feelings when he jingled his 335 in his pocket and made mentsl comparison between that sum and the sougfortue that rolled into the coffers of his ublisher. Everybody' reading this is familiar with the popularity of Sousa during the twelve years that he was leader of the Marine Band. The band and sections of it played everywhere Sousa was writing songs for ama- teurs and light operas to be put on by “local talent” One of these was “The Queen of Hearts.” John wrote the music and Edward M. Taber the libretto. It was “‘put on” at Albaugh's Opera House, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, April 12, 13 and 14, 1886, by the following Washing ton young folk: Frank Pearson, Mrs. Annie Roemer-Kaspar, R. J. Dustan, Miss Chrissie Holmes, Miss Myra Charles, Miss Flora M. MNolden, Miss Mamie Bregazzi, Miss May Van Arnum, Mrs. F. E. McPyncheon, Miss Lillian Norton, Miss Bertha D. Lincoln, Mrs. E. G. Randall, Miss Clara_Rosaty, George D. Scoit. C. T. Bel Miss Eulalie’ Domer. W. P. Boteler, Miss Mag- ie Holwes, Mi naje Clarke, Mrs. M. nnet, Miss K Miss Antta Ulki Mamie Larman, Often, W. H. Sy Way. W_P. Welsh, W. i ewman, - Heary Jordon, Josenh-Jouy, W. G. Penney, W. J. Caulfield, Sam Kennedy, Miss Jessle Schutter, E. P. Masi, A' W. Tyler, jr.; W. E. Williams, J. Watson, H. L. Boteler, Joseph P. Smith, W. B. Roberts. w rooks, D. M. Ogdgn, R. K. G. Randall and Lawrenvé Hazard. * k * * st VWHEN the news came in 1892 tha John was to leave the Marine Band and Washington, The Evening Star, July 13, 1892, printed what fol- lows: There has probably never been a military or- ganization in the country which bas given more Dleasure than the Marine Band. Prof. Sousa leaves here to take personsl Speaking of the Prof. Sousa said: ““The new band is not being planned with any special reference to the world's fair. many people imagine., and as yet no engage- ment has been made with the fair people. The stock of the organization is held very largely in N ork. and the y holds a New York charter. Chicago point was simply chosen as headqu account of the facilities afforde ter of fact, the band will pai 1’(\‘!]’ little time in that city. 'he organization grew out of the general knowledge that al!l over the country a demand for high-class military music. de of the Marine and Gilmore's bands there spend com- e no organizations in the conntry which meet this want in any sort of a satisfactory manner. “The new band, I feel sure, will be the best balanced organization of the kind in the world and one fn which the American people can take pride. There will be seventy members and all thorough musicians. We have already accepted about tbirty men. all of whom are entirely satisfactory. As a general rule. the men are young, from twenty-five to thirty years, and not reduced to any systems. The organization will make tours from one end of the country to the other and, I thoroughly be- lieve, will prove a big st %) We need not go into the matter of the success of that band. It not only played its way “from one end of the country to the other.” but it played John today is a man of great prestige. He is a little older than when he played the fiddle under the watchful eye of beloved John Esputa and frazzled the nerves of the nelghbors with his practice on the trombone, but he is young and HOUSE IN WHI SOUTHEAST, THREE JOHN DOORS EAST vigorous yet. He maintains a beau- tiful Wome, which might properly be called an ‘“estat. at Fort Washing- ton, Long Island. He married Miss Jane Bellis of Philadelphia and has three children. They .all attended Christ Church, Navy Yard, when they lived in Washington. John Philip Sousa, jr., is in business in New York city, Miss Helen Sousa became tLe wife of Hamilton Abert of Washing- ton and they live in New York. Miss Jane Priscilla lives at the family home on Long Island. John's brother George enlisted in the Marine Band and was playing the triangle and the cymbals when MARINE BAND IN WASHINGTON. John came back to Washington. He continued to perform on these useful instruments and John put him to work as librarian of the band. He married a Virginia girl, retired from the band and went to live at Phoebus. Va. near Old Point Comfort, where he died. Antonio. the younger, married Candace Cohill, a daughter of Henry Cohill _of Southeast Washington. Tony died in Colorado in May, 1918, and” when the news of his death reached Washington one of the local papers published the following: One of the best-loved and familiar figures in the sporting worid of Washington bas an ed the final call. News wan received in hington last night that Souss had umbed in Colorado after a ling Tony™ was a brother of John Philip 3 new licutenant commander of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station Band. and was kuown o all sport lovers in the capital He was an expert writer pon cris trap shooting, aud had for some years covered these branches of sport for the Washinston H o wrestling match of note found E ssing_in the aupdience, and lis Italian ect stories on the doings of the Washington base ball club will live as epics in miy have lost a friend, a dear friend, in his passing. T am ehocked ‘at the loss. He was a 100 per cent lover of sport and a iast degree rooter for eversthing that pertained to boosting Washing- ton sport. My sincere sympathy goes out to bis family.” the middlieweight wrestling Wrestling and all sport lost & great friend in his death. My personal for his hobesty and fairness makes me feel a personal sorrow that nd_words." *“Tony** - Bovex -passed ter a brave battle s as_in ill health for some time. but h genial personality never admitted of a com plaint. and it was only when the ravages of the disease made it apparent that a cilmate With a higher altitnde was necessary that he quietly left Washington. He was sent into the field by the Agricultural Department with the hope that a change would restore his health. He had been in the west for the three months and it a shock to his many friends to learn of his death. Tony also wrote lyrics and little plays, was an amateur actor and was a principal in the organization of the Departmental Base Ball League. Hi widow and four children are living in Washington. The children are Allan Sousa, Lael, who is Mrs. Mor- sonella, and whose little baby Dorothy Sousa Morsonella; Merriam Sousa, whose married name is Leavy, and Parker Sousa. Lael and Parker are at the family home on 1st street southeast. * ok * % I. Congressional cemetery there is a anite monument »n which is this inscription: “Antonio Sousa, born September 1824, died April 27, 1892; his wife Elizabeth. bora May 1968, 20, 1826, died August A number of interments have been made in that lot. In 1860 taree children were buried there wh> had been re- moved fiom another burial groun: in_1365 a child, in 1875 a chiid, 1876 @ child, in Novembar. 1831. the rcmains of R C. Bernaye, hushand of Tlizabeth Sousa; in May. 1392, An- tenio Sousa. in 1894 a child, in 1536 a child, in 1908 Elizabeth Sousa. The Evening Star of April 28, 1892, ccntained this notice of Antonio Scuse’s death: After prolonged suffering Mr. Antonio Sousa died at his residence in this city Sesterday of a complication of diseases He was born in Seville. Spain, September 24, 1824, and came to this country in 1854, and became ‘2 member of the Marine Band. which 79 with the r of musician, firat-cla member of aval Lodge. No. eorge. Meade Post, c. "He leaves a widow and seven children. PHILIP SOUSA WAS BORN, ON G STREET OF CHRIST CHURCH, NAVY YARD. { much to help them | Jobu Philip. | s Veen notied of his | Bionai. | is|. he funeral will occur Friday at 3 pam. from Christ. Cliurch, Navy Yard, and the remains will be temporarily placed in a vault. Sousa was the father of J. P. Sousa. of the Mari ud. tour of the west with The Evening Star of 136, published what fol cerning the death of Mr Sousa: Mrs. Elizabeth Sousa, widow Sousa and mother of John Phi noted _bandm: fumily res! who is now in own band. August 24, 5:35 o'clock. due to general debility. usa was eighty-two years bf age been @ resideni of this city sin montls ago she wi for her age. & bt abo sradually more 1! was that time walk site began | grew weaker untii ber death ward wos sisteen yex Mrs. Rousa two dau, by four sons and lip Souss, former s Murige Band and rt Band, George W. Sousa, Tetired musiciau. wow living at wport News, Va. Antouio A. Sous G street southexst, an post_office; Louis M. So» theast; Mrs. A C. Varels of 536 64 theust. and Mrs. Bower. wife of Lieut W retired naval officer, lives in Chicigo. Mrs. Protestant southeast, 3 the charitable work of visited the sick and ne now a 3 who member of reh on s been fo that parish. constantly and did Mrs. Ly proud of her som. the us tandmaster. The eeting was about two Weehs ag0 ther's iast will arrive in Oficiating ur ‘doors south of the Sousa homs th street, and in a frame house very much like that io the elder built as his hon ved Antonio Two of the Biondi children live there tod: Antonio Biondi s Italian by birth. Like Antonio So he was a musician. At some port in Europe he Joined the U. S. Navy as a member of @ ship's band, and he arrived in th country before the Mexican war. He became Jeader of a ship's band and was wounded during the war with Mexico in a way which made it necessary that he lay asid th rum T (cornet) which he playe s given employment _in the N Departmet and remained with that department un his death, about twentyv-seve Vears ago. His wife was S and she rejoined him af ington. The was in the northw: and ve Sousa built his hou: Tth and -ets southe bought the frame house, Nousa’'s, the third di and next do home. Th the corn st the Biondis the fourth be- low Salvado r to James Dreen's of the Biondi home might pass as a picture of the home before John sent the money built brick walls around the old frame- dren of Ant Biondi, living in Wash- jiam W. Biondi, living at th Charles P. Biondi, who mar. Maud Bates, daughter of Bates of Southeast W h family, were also two and Josephine, d and living in i i old home ried Miss James G. ington, und who, with i in the old home. There Blondi daugh Julie both of whom are marr Washington. Two of the old neighbors of the Sousas ho knew John when & a boy are still living in the neighborhood. ~ One is Jared Munde rs old living at 6 and another is Franci h street southeast. Jean Rickett, who lives at street southeast. next door to the - in which John Sousa was born, to play with George and Louis usa and knew John when he (John) was a vouth Following is the bhiography of John Philip Sousa ac it is in Who's Who Born in Washington November 6. son of Antonio and Elizabeth (Trinkhaus) Sousa; studied mus her at fifteen ductor at seven- g one of the first violins of Jaques Offenbach's O tra w the latter was in the United States; band leader United States Marine Band 1880- director of usa’s 5 urope 1901, 1901. 1903, 1808; made tour of the world 1910-11:. married: marches, “Washington Fost.” Bell.* RBeach, < emper Stars Invincible f Liberty. Charlatan The “King Cotton, The Fre “(rlory T Fairest " “Salid Men thy ullets and Bavonet Sabers and Sours. id_Artillery n Flanders Fields” Comic operas Desire. “The “The Charlatan. of the Wonderful Lamp. “The Free Lance.” “American Maid." Suites. “Las “Sheridan’s Q tions.” *“At the ing’s Court,” ressions of the “The Fifth String. Dwellers in the West the Y. b= “of 10 don Valley. Countr: Authors and Compa the Un ant. senior Force, Station, rector. Member Society ors. Fy nd pointed lieuten Still in Its Infancy. (QNE of the greatest bromides used in extolling the future of the motion picture is the phrase, “The motion picture industry is still in fts infancy. Marshall Neilan says the business is still in its swadding clothes be- cause: Some directors use megaphones instead of brains. Many stars believe what their press agents about them Film men spoil too much table linen figuring their losses on restau- rant cloths. Some sales mangers are too busy writing form letters to their repre- sentatives in the field to =ell pictures. A number of motion picture ex- ecutives luok on censorship as a medium for personal publicity rather than an evil to overcome. .Most financiers want only 80 per cent for the use of their money in motion picture transactions. Various persons in the producing field forget they. are under contrict when they receive an offer from another company. A large part of the American public. he says, is not aware of the danger: of censorship. Many believe every on engaged in the film business is a millionaire. ~ Too many exaggera- tions have been made in connection with the luxuries of movie stars, and every onme that has anything to do with a picture wants screen credit. “In Them Days.” EO WHITE, a Rockett player, was talking of old times the other day. Let Leo tell it: “Mary Pickford, Irvin Willat, Ethel Grandin, Ed Le Saint and I were cast in a picture at the old Imp studio in New York eleven yeata 3yo. B day Mary is Mary: Irvin Willat producing on his own account; Saint is directing for Fox. Grandin is a popular actress and I haven't done so badly. I was paid $30 a week in those days. After two years’ work 1 was offered an opportunity to di- rect at $75 per week. but preferred to join Fritzi Scheff at $100. Miss Pickford left Imp to join Griffiith for a raise to $250 per week. “Tom Ince was pulling down $30 per week directing, but I couldn’t see a director’s job with the Mount Wil- |son telescope. I'm sorry now.”