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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
31
THE "SMALL GOODS" TRADE
Bands of Former Years.
NEW YORK HAS HAD BOUNTIFUL MUSIC FOR
THE PAST NINETY YEARS.
For nearly a century bands of music
have been a recognized feature in New
York of all civic pageantry. Before that
day the fife and drum corps or the occa-
sional buglers furnished all the necessary
inspiration for the patriots of the then new
country. Through the Revolution the
New Yorkers noticed that the various
regiments, both of the Continental and
the British armies, had fife and drum corps
attached.
The first real band of music that New
York could boast was one organized by
Thomas Brown in 1810 or 1812. It was
attached to the n t h Regiment New York
Militia. Inasmuch as this country was at
that time again engaged in war with Eng-
land, the regiment and its band were sta-
tioned at Bedloe's Island, in the old fort
now occupied by the pedestal of the Statue
of Liberty. On summer nights it ascend-
ed to the ramparts of the fort and gave
concerts, much to the delight of the New
Yorkers who assembled along the Battery
sea wall.
Four more bands came into being by the
year 1823. They wereled by Paul Halton,
John Gerstenicher, Bossford and Horning.
These four new bands were attached to the
2d, 3d, 9th and 14th regiments. The men
who composed the bands were amateurs,
only the leaders receiving pay.
The Independent Band, which was or-
ganized the following year, paid all its
members. Thomas Dilks, its leader, an-
nounced that the organization would ac-
cept orders for music for all public oc-
casions. Throughout the summer of 1825
and the summer of 1826 the Independent
Band gave nightly . concerts at Castle Gar-
den. The best people of the city congre-
gated there to hear popular music given by
Leader Dilks's popular organization. The
instruments his men used consisted of
clarionets, flutes, trumpets, trombones,
horns and serpents. At little later the
snare and bass drums were added. The
band used to frequently parade with the
2d Regiment of the Governor's Guard and
the men made a fine appearance with their
white coats, blue pantaloons and big
square hats.
RAY STATE
GUITARS, MANDOLINS,
BANJOS, ZITHERS and
FLUTES /. .\ .\ .\
Easy to Sell.
Profitable to Sell
Satisfy the most discriminating musicians.
Send for complete catalogue.
Every Instrument that's Musical.
JOHN C HAYNES & CO.,
BOSTON, MASS.
Thomas Dodworth was an Englishman ticular mention at this time. The city has
who came to this city in 1832. Before he many splendid bands to-day which furnish
left it he was known as the first of the an excellent feature at all its great demon-
great New York bandmasters. He saw the strations.
lack of organization and system in the ex-
Chas. J. Tonk in Town.
isting bands, and with the aid of his son,
Chas. J. Tonk, of William Tonk & Bro.,
Allen Dodworth, he obtained control of the
Independent. Within a short time he saw is in town for a few days. Asked by The
to it that the organization adopted brass Review on Monday to give his opinion on
instruments. Bugles were adopted in the trade conditions in the West, Mr. Tonk
place of clarionets and the name was said: "So far as this firm are concerned,
changed to the City Brass Band. For four they are satisfactory. There is a steady
years the band brought credit both to itself demand throughout our territory for the
and to New York City. Then there came leading Toak specialties and all regular
a rupture and the City Band was left to supplies."
William Tonk, in reply to a question as
slowly die out under the leadership of G.
to
eastern trade, reported a healthy condi-
Mosher. Allen Dodworth, together with
tion
of affairs. There is a big demand for
James Willis organized the National Brass
the
Tonk
stools and scarfs of this season.
Band. In 1842 they adopted many instru-
ments with the bells set backward and the
Chin Support for Violinists.
organization was called a cornet band.
Any violin player, and especially the be-
About this time it came to be known as
ginner,
is aware that one of the difficulties
Dodworth's Band, and as such it achieved
to
be
mastered
is the gripping of the in-
a national reputation.
strument with the chin to keep it in posi-
When the World's Fair in the Crystal tion. The object of a recent invention is
Palace at Fortieth street and Fifth avenue to do away with this necessity of the player
was opened in 1851 there were three prin- holding his head down in a cramped posi-
cipal bands in New York city—Dodworth's, tion, providing a support which is attached
Shelton's and Sam Dingle's. Each num- to the garments and is an effective substi-
bered from fifteen to twenty musicians. tute for the old manner of holding the in-
Dodworth's was used largely at social func- strument. The device is simply a clamp,
tions and afterward at Niblo's Garden and with a screw arrangement for attaching
the Fifth Avenue Theatre. Shelton's be- it to the necktie or the upper edge of the
came Garspulla's from the adoption of an vest. A wire brace is inserted in the band
Italian leader of that name, and was joined portion of the tie if the clamp is to be
to the 7th Regiment. It attained from its fastened to that article of apparel. From
system and discipline much the same fame the face of the clamp projects a short stud
that the regiment itself gained from the or spindle, on which the instrument is
same sources.
mounted while playing, allowing it to turn
The third great band in the history of freely in the hands. The inventor, Charles
New York was Downing's. When Col. W. Brewster, of El Monte, Cal., claims
James Fisk, Jr., assumed command of the that the support will afford much relief to
9th Regiment in 1870 he desired a brass the player, enabling him to hold his head
band to head the organization that should erect, and thus not only relieving nim of a
be second to none. He secured D. L.
Downing, who organized the largest band
ever known in the country up to that time
and brought it to great success.
Four years later the greatest of New
York bandmasters came into notice. Pat-
rick Sarsfield Gil more, when he took con-
trol of the 2 2d Regiment band, had just
returned from a triumphant music fes-
tival in Boston. He came to this city,
swept popular approval and became the
HOWARD
musical idol of the great mass of the New
mandolins ana Guitars excel
York public. He took the abandoned
all others
freight depot of the New Haven Railroad
They are made on scientific «*rin-
at Madison avenue and Twenty-sixth
ciples, and fof volume, purity and
street, which had been made into a rough
sweetness of tone, have never been
hall, renamed it Gilmore's Garden, and
equaled.
Write for catalogue and
then gave nightly concerts of great popu-
larity. This building was replaced in 1890
by the present Madison Square Garden.
Cfte RudolpD Ulurlitzor Co.
Of later-day bandmasters New York has
manufacturer!
had many. The names of Cappa, Her-
121E. 4 th St., *&
Cincinnati
bert, Conterno, Fanciulli and Bayne have
achieved too recent fame to need any par-