16
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
November 5th, 1880.
In regard to our being mouthpieces for the " Col." or Mr. Upham, you or any business
man can easily obtain the required information on that score, which must be very plain to
parties who have dealt with us the past 18 months. Now, while it may be very humili-
ating to some to mention what they were obliged to do for an honest living, it would not be
PREPARED EXPRESSLY FOR THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, BY so to me, for that merely established the fact that a man must have some sterling worth or
he would not rise to where this parly has you refer to. Believe me, dear Welles, that this
PARK BENJAMIN & BROS., EXPERTS IN PATENTS.
kind of reading will not do you any good. I would not do it unless the parties your refer
to are really unworthy. But the gentlemen you referred to in your article I can assure
Nos. 23,710 AND RE-ISSUE 9,431. PIANOFORTE:
you are in good standing, and their credit is A No. i; so do as you please about correct-
Mr. C. F. Theodof Steinway has devised a new sounding-board bridge ing it. I think, if I were you, I would explain a little for your own sake.
Truly yours,
for pianos. He has observed that vibrations are more readily caused and
NEW MUSICAL INVENTIONS.
more energetically propagated in a bridge formed of alternate layers of hard
and soft wood. He therefore makes his new bridge up of strata of thin
slices of pine and maple set edgewise on the sounding-board, and surmounted
by a capping strip of hard wood, in which the string-pins are inserted.
Mr. Steinway has also obtained a reissue of his patent No. 127,383, of
May 28, 1872, in which are embodied a large number of important improve-
ments, among which are the mode of supporting the metallic frame, whereby
a larger area of the sounding-board is left uncovered and the metal frame is
kept out of contact with the board—a means of causing the wooden frame to
contribute to the rigidity of the piano, and the use with the iron frame of a
removable metallic wedge for strengthening said frame.
RE-ISSUE NO. 9,412.
£
is violated in publishing it.—ED. MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.]
VOCAL TEAOHEE WANTED.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa, Oct. I, 1880.
PIANO CASE:
Mr. Geo. Woods, of Cambridgeport, Mass., has obtained a re-issue of
his Patent No. 200,850, of March 5, 1878, which relates to a corrugated frame
capable of expansion and contraction, a hinged music receptacle above the
main case of the instrument, the door of which may be swung forward far
enough to allow music, etc., to drop out by its own weight, if so desired ; also
an improved foot-guard, to prevent the feet of the player from injuring or de-
facing the instrument.
No. 283,103.
GEO. W. CARTER.
f we have anything further to say concerning the Emerson Piano Co.,
all take another time for it, and we shall not point out certain dis-
crepancies in Mr. Carter's letter, believing that such action would be unfair,
as the letter was probably written on the spur of the moment. Mr. Carter's
letter was received while we were in the West, or we would have published
it in our last issue. It was a personal letter, but we do not think confidence
Charles Avery Wells, Esq.
DEAR SIR :—If you know of a good competent vocal teacher, to teach the rudiments
of singing in public schools, he can find employment in the public schools here at $100
per month, for 10 months in the year, that is $1,000 for the school year of 10 months. A
good teacher of the higher art could also at the same time, make something extra by pri-
vate lessons and teaching advanced classes out of school hours.
I write this at the request of the school-board, here. None but a competent man,
morally, and otherwise in good standing is wanted.
Yours truly,
J. M.
PIANOFORTE ACTION :
Messrs. Kranich & Bach, the well-known pianoforte manufacturers,
THE SYDNEY AWARDS
have patented a new action for upright instruments. The next feature is
BEEHIVE CHAMBERS, Elizabeth Street,
)
the means by which the wooden butts which attach the mechanism to the
Melbourne, Australia, Sept. 7th, 1880. f
rack, may have space to expand when affected by the atmosphere, and be re-
set after such expansion. The device obviates the rattling of loose butts, To the Editor of the Musical Critic and Trade Review.
and facilitates the sounding of tremolo notes.
DEAR SIR :—I occasionally obtain a copy of your very interesting journal, and in
No. 233,147.
MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:
In the orguinette, it is ordinarily customary to place the bellows side by
Bide at one end of the instrument. They are then operated by a rotary shaft
having crank bends and suitable connecting links, this shaft being connected
with the driving shaft, by pitman rods at each end. Mr. Isaiah M. Furbish,
of Augusta, Me., considers that the rotary shaft and links are liable to get
out of order. Hence he does away with this mechanism, and in the present
device arranges the wind-moving bellows so as to work by pitman rods, con-
nected directly with the driving shaft. He also claims to increase the num-
ber of the wind-moving bellows, without occupying any more space than in
the old arrangement, and with a corresponding increase of power.
No. 233,721.
MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:
In a quite recent patent granted to Mr. Oliver H. Arno, of Wilmington,
Mass. (No. 227,711, May 18, 1880), for a mechanical musical instrument, the
perforated paper strip is provided with two lines of perforations, the aper-
tures of one line being for opening, and those of the other line for closing a
sliding valve, through the medium of two separate levers. In the present
device the line of perforations for closing the sliding valve is dispensed with,
and said valve is operated by means of a single lever.
RATES OF FREIGHT.
glancing through the issue of the 20th of June, I find a copy of the Musical Instrument
Awards at the recent Sydney International Exhibition.
From what source you obtained your information, I fail to understand; but really from
a rough glance one would think it had been compiled by some firm or agents interested in
putting forward their own exhibits, and those of their friends, without any attempt at facts
or reference to official reports. I do not propose to analyse the whole of the awards, but
merely to call your attention to those in which I am interested.
I am representing in the Australian Colonies Messrs. Peloubet & Co., manufacturers
of the Standard organ, and consequently in justice to them, I cannot allow to pass unno-
ticed a list of awards, in which they are allotted a 3d, instead of a 1st Degree of Merit.
Since reading the report in your journal I have been on a visit to Sydney, and I took
the opportunity to again inspect the official records of the awards, and found as previously
mentioned that the 1st Degree of Merit was awarded to Messrs. Peloubet & Co. The
organs of Messrs. Bell & Co. (which I always understood to be Canadian, and not Amer-
ican, as stated in your report), were not awarded a special 1st, as stated, but merely a 1st,
like Messrs. Peloubet & Co., with a special mention for some improved pipes, which I be-
lieve existed more in theory than in fact.
A still further peculiar circumstance is that our London house, Messrs. Barnett, Sam-
uel & Sons, who received the only 1st Degree of Merit for Harmoniums above all the ex-
hibitors, are kindly accommodated by your correspondent with a 2d Degree, and an ex-
hibitor who obtained no award for harmoniums at all, is facetiously credited with a spe-
cial first.
To enter into details of the numerous mistakes with which this report abounds, would
occupy too much of your valuable space. However, I trust in justice to Messrs. Peloubet &
Co., you will insert this letter, and oblige,
Yours most obediently,
P. P. S.
W
E have had so many inquiries about rates of steam freight from New
York to various foreign ports, via London, that we print below the
SIDEBOARD ORGAN.—A Scotch manufacturer has made an organ which
following table, which has been carefully revised, but which is subject to al- serves the double purpose of a musical instrument and a receptacle for pro-
terations at any time by the various steamship companies:
visions, wine, &c. Cannot some manufacturer here invent an organ which
Per ton of
Per ton of shall combine the benefits of an organ, a refrigerator, and a coal-bin, and
40 cubic feet
40 cubic feet might perhaps serve as a cradle in an emergency.
Port Natal
$21 41 Auckland
$23 85
Music BY THE TON.—A London firm advertise an auction sale of about
Melbourne
18 98 Shanghai
15 33
Brisbane
23 85 Wellington, N. Z
23 85 40 tons of operas, oratorios, masses, cantatas, &c., &c.
Singapore
15 33 Otago
23 85
SHEET-IRON MUSIC.—The music played by the new automatic organ, from
Hong Kong
15 33 Algoa Bay
16 55 their perforated iron sheets.
Canterbury, N. Z
23 85 Colombo
14 11
BELL AMERICAN ORGAN CO.—Messrs. Ascherberg, of London, have
Calcutta
14 11 Adelaide
38 98
Yokohama
13 50 Sydney
18 98 accepted the sole agency of the Bell American Organ Co., for England and
Bombay
16 55 Cape Town
16 55 her colonies.
Madras
15 33
HORACE WATERS.—As Mr. Horace Waters was so actively engaged on the
republican side previous to the election day, we hope the result has been
satisfactory to him.
CORRESPONDENCE.
HARDMAN, DOWLING & PECK.—If as reported, this firm is now four months
behindhand with their orders, on account of excess in demand over produc-
tion, how far behindhand will they be by Jan. 1.
THAT EMERSON MATTER.
MR. CARTER PROTESTS.
WESSELL, NICKEL & GROSS.—Mr. Gross says it is easier to charge higher
BOSTON, Oct. 5th, 1880.
FRIEND WELLES:—I think you have not done yourself or the other gentlemen you men-
tion, justice—I mean Upham & Moore—when you publish the " statement of an insane
man," to mention anything reflecting upon two gentlemen whom I have a very high regard
for. W. P. Emerson was a gentleman with whom I had some acquaintance, having
worked far him before his death ; he was a man that everybody respected. Mr. Upham
was his friend in every sense oftheword r ,and Mr. Emerson's will, I think, would bear me
out in saying what I have so far. Now, in regard to Col. Wm. Moore: in your travels you
must have heard of a gentleman whom everybody respected, although he climbed from
the lowest round of the ladder to where he stood in the piano trade -the rightly named
"Piano King " of Boston. His sterling qualities made the Emerson business what it
attained to up to the tune of his withdrawal from the trade. It was not the " suit " that
was about to come that caused him to withdraw, for up to the present time there is no
suit against the present company that I have heard about, at lea->t I do not know of any.
Now I am stating facts, and 1 do not know how Mrs. Emerson can get such a thing
against us, for we, I believe, are under no known obligation to her or her lawyers. If we
can assist in any way to enlighten them in regard to the affairs we shall be glad to do so.
prices for actions than to get them—a sad but universal experience. How
would it do to introduce an action in the courts.
PIANO LEGS. —It is rumoured that the advance in the price of piano legs,
demanded by the manufacturers of these articles, has not been as cheerfully
or as generally accepted by the piano makers, as at first reported.
STRAUCH BROS.—The new machinery which this house is putting up to
increase its production will be ready in time for the " blizzard " to come off
after election day.
HORACE WATERS & Co.—Messrs. Horace Waters & Co. now have the
exclusive agency of the Shoninger organs for the States of New York, Penn-
sylvania and Vermont.
CHEAP PIANOS.—A piano manufacturer in this city has recently taken
contracts to make 300 pianos at $100 each, to be distributed among four
dealers.