[Dixielandjazz] Axe in the vernacular

[Ken Gates]

Looking thru some old Mississippi Rags, I ran across the Dec 2000
edition to find this---
"On the Streckfus riverboat line, when an errant musician was about
to be terminated, he would discover a shipboard fireaxe on his band
stand chair.  Upon seeing it, he immediately knew that he was "axed"
from the job."

Thus began the terminology of "axe" in musicians vernacular.

Anybody have a different version?

Ken Gates