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JOSEPH N. WEBER RETIRES
Joseph N. Weber, who for forty years has been the ener-
getic and very wise president of what, under his hand, had
grown to be one of the most outstanding international unions
on this continent, is retiring from the high office he has filled
so long and so capably.
Joseph N. Weber was born in a little town in the Austro-
Hungary of the old days and came to the United States when
he was fourteen years old as a clarinet player in a boys' band.
He decided to stay in America and become an American.
When he was still a very young man he and some other
musicians, who thought as he did, that musicians are workers
and that it behooved them to organize. Hence they set up the
Denver Musical Union and Joseph N. Weber served the or-
ganization as president and secretary.
One of his associates once said: "He possesses a keen
sense of duty and in all his decisions he is an absolutely just
man. As an Executive presiding over the destinies of his
fellow men he has no peer within nor outside the labor
movement."
JOSE BETHANCOURT
In order to hear himself exactly as he sounds to his vast
radio audience, Jose Bethancourt, Marimba player in the
Chicago NBC orchestra, brought his instrument to the Stew-
art-Warner exhibit at the recent Convention of the National
Association of Music Merchants and made a series of personal
recordings on a Concert Grand Microphone For a description
of the Microphono see page 27.
STEPHEN FOSTER MUSIC FIRST IN REQUESTS
OF AMERICAN LISTENERS
SWANEE RIVER A MYTH
Westinghouse Does Some Interesting Research
It is perhaps fitting that the melodies of Stephen Foster
are in first place in the thousands of requests received from
listeners on the Musical Americana program. Foster was born
in a suburb of Pittsburgh where the Westinghouse Electric &
Manufacturing Co. broadcast originates every Thursday at
8:00 P.M. EST (Rebroadcast 11:30 P.M. RST) over 99 sta-
tions of the NBC Blue network.
Foster's "Swanee River," probably the most popular of
all his beloved works, was played recently by the Westing-
house Radio Orchestra—100 Men of Melody—, under the
baton of Raymond Paigge. There is an interesting and not
generally known story about the titling of this famous Ameri-
can composition.
One day in 1851, Foster entered his brother's office in
Pittsburgh and said: "Morrison, I've got a new song and I
need the name of some Southern river with only two syl-
lables."
Morrison suggested Yazoo, in Mississippi. Stephen didn't
go for that. He didn't like the Peedee in the Carolinas either.
They got out a map and poured over it. Suddenly Stephen
cried: "I've got it! Swanee River!"
There isn't any Swanee River, although there is a Su-
wannee, in Georgia and Florida. He may have got his notion
from that.
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225,000 PERSONS HEAR FLAGSTAD
Probably one of the largest crowds that ever greeted any
individual assembled in Grant Park, Chicago, recently to hear
Kirsten Flagstad. Ten hours before the concert began people
started to fill the seats in front of the Band Shell. It is hard to
picture so vast an assemblage, more than the entire population
of a large city. Such is the power of music today! How fine it
is that millions of people can hear these great concerts free!
PAGE THIRTY-TWO
ADOLPH SAX—100 YEARS AGO
One hundred years ago a Belgian clarinetist laid down
his tools and gazed fondly at an instrument he had created.
He did not know that in the years to come this instrument
which he gave his own name to would capture the fancy of
the whole country, come into its own, and be a symbol of
an age.
Adolphe Sax's early life was spent dodging the under-
taker and later years fighting law suits.
In 1844 his instruments won high honors at an exhibition
and the following year were voted standard equipment for
military bands. In 1852 he went bankrupt from fighting law
suits by his competitors, but this did not stop him and he
sailed right in and paid off his creditors. In 1855 his instru-
ments took the grand medal of honor and in 1867 they took
the highest award yet accorded to a manufacturer of musical
instruments, the grand prize.
JUDITH LUCY WATTERS
On July 20, 1940, Judith Lucy Watters made her arrival
at the home of her parents Mr. and Mrs. Pat Watters. Her
parents are both fond of music. No doubt Judith Lucy has
already put on some choral entertainment for her parents.
Mr. Watters is the director of merchandising of the Federated
Teachers Service Corporation.
DEAGAN'S BEAUTIFUL NEW CATALOGUE
J. C. Deagen, Inc. has just issued a new catalogue of 24
pages and cover which is exceedingy attractive. The cover is
of embossed paper with deckle edges at the bottom. Across
the center of the front cover is a black band through which
the word Deagan shows in white. On either side of this band
i sa gold strip. The emblem of the company is in gold at the
bottom. The pictures all the way through are exceptionally
fine. Page 4 shows tropical forests, native huts, and people
who produce the logs from which the timber used by Deagan
i sobtained. There are several illustrations of beautiful marim-
bas, zylophones, vibraharps, orchestra bells, orchestra chimes,
tuning devices; and marimba, vibraharp, zylophone, bell and
chime, mallets. See page 35.
Deagan also has an attractive 6 page folder describing
the Deagan Electric Cathedral Chimes.
PRESTO MUSIC TIMES
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