"Kaiser Franz Josef's Maygar Hussaren Knabben-Kapelle
from Buda Pest, Hungary."
Advertisement - Sacramento Bee, 1897 Dec 22
  Published at DVHH.org 06 Jan 2011 by Jody McKim Pharr

The best part of the whole entertainment, a part with gave the public its money's worth twice over, was the appearance of the Hungarian Band of juvenile musicians --known as "Kaiser Franz Josef's Maygar Hussaren Knabben-Kapelle from Buda Pest, Hungary."  Had the show begun and stopped with this aggregation of young musicians the people would doubtless gave gone away satisfied. There are some forty of the little fellows, and they are dressed in Hungarian hussar uniform, each looking more like a Christmas toy than a real live musician.  Hardly any of them is large enough to permit his legs to touch the floor when sitting in an ordinary chair, and some have to stand tip-toe in order to play their music.  But how those little shavers can play and what earnestness characterizes their work!  Oblivious altogether of the presence of a thousand watching, listening, amused people, they go about their playing as if they were enraptured with the art-and it is imaginable that those youngsters are just as devoted to the art of music as the most dignified of bandmasters. One midget, who manipulated the snare drum, was especial recipient of such feminine compliments as "Ain't he cunning?" "Now, wouldn't that kill you?" But a world of admiring testimonials scattered as his feet would not have availed to take that little fellow's eyes off his drum, nor to unbend one muscle in his severely set through childish countenance. He whacked away at that snare drum as if he were leading a regiment to battle by it's roar-and thee was not a discernible slip anywhere, no one break to the mar the chorus.  The band was cheered, and cheered again; and the house broke forth in a thundering tumult when, with expressions unchanged at the stormy reception, the youngsters wound up their performance with one of Sousa's famous marches.