The comment that caught my attention, of course, is this one: "at the back were the basses, headed by an enormous tuba, which had literally to be hung around the player's neck."
That would be a reference to Arthur "Shorty" Griswold, wearing the one-and-only Sousaphone in the band. Here's a portion of a photo from earlier on that world tour, showing the basses at the back:
I am researching Griswold at present, but finding very little information about him. It appears that he was an active tuba player in New York City, and when Sousa's long-time Sousaphonist, Jack Richardson, opted not to go on the world tour (not sure why yet), it is Griswold that took his place.
Richardson was quite tall, and so was Griswold (both around 6 feet 4 inches), and that may have been an important qualification for wielding that horn, I don't know! Griswold was also single at that time, and Richardson was married, which may have played into the latter's decision to not go on that almost-year-long tour - and in the former's willingness to jump in to cover that spot.
But there is evidence, during the tour itself, that Griswold was a bit of a character, and not nearly the wholesome gentleman that Richardson was. It is not surprising then that Richardson returned to that post in the band shortly after the tour.
I wonder, though - was that Richardson's decision, or Sousa's?!
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