Music
Trade Review
-- © THE
mbsi.org,
arcade-museum.com
digitized REVIEW.
with support from namm.org
February~5th,
1881.
MUSICAL
CRITIC AND -- TRADE
17
TEN MINUTES AT BRENTANO'S.
ALFRED DOLGE'S SOUNDING BOARD INDUSTRY.
W
HILE at Brentano's Literary Emporium, 39 Union Square, a'day or two
A NYTHING worth printing to-day?" one of our reporters asked while
ago, laying in our weekly stock of periodical literature, and watching
J~\. looking in at Alfred Dolge's office the other day, and a spirit of
mischief made him add: ''besides that bashful Sounding Board Advertise- the unending stream of people poured in and out of the doorway, we could
ment of yours?" That was too much, of course, and before he knew it, he not help calling to mind the wonderful extent to which this concern had
found himself in the sanctum, where Mr. A. D. unbosomed himself in his grown from the small beginning of about fifteen years ago.
The elder Mr. August Brentano was one of the most pushing, energetic,
usual drastic style.
" See here, sir, if an advertisement is to show what a man can do and is and wide-awake business men that ever cut out a path for himself in this
doing, I should like to see one that is more to the point than mine. The city. He originally had a small store, where he sold newspapers and peri-
truth of my figures (which, by the way, never lie, you know) I can show odicals, but he was so keenly alive to the requirements of the public and
you from my books any moment, and if you will take the trouble of a trip anticipated their wants so well, that he quickly grew to be the great retail
to Brocketts, you will see enough of the finest spruce there to make book and newspaper seller of the town. About three years ago he sold out
my 41,000 Boards of 1880 twice over! I will just give you a nutshell-ful his business to his three nephews, and these young men, displaying the
of the fine points to which I have brought this industry, and then you will same industry, energy, and enterprise which distinguished their uncle, have
maintained their establishment in its position as one of the institutions of
understand its fabulously rapid growth."
"Since I am cutting my stuff in my own forests, it pays best for the New York city.
Brentano's is the great resort for the well-read ladies and gentlemen of
present as well as for the future, to select only the largest and entirely
sound and straight trees; if I had to buy the stuff in the log, I could not, this city. They are always sure that they can find whatever they want in
of course, control the quality as I do now. Of every tree only the butt log the book and periodical line there. In the afternoons and evenings espe-
(the lowest 13 feet) is taken for sounding boards, no matter how clear and cially, the crowd becomes so great that it is difficult to get to the counters,
tempting the next 13 feet look, because only this lower end is habitually and and the clerks, though strong in numbers, are nearly driven to their wits'
constitutionally free from knots, wind shakes, cross grain and a dozen other ends while striving to supply their customers' wants with sufficient rapidity.
The Brentanos, not satisfied with selling alone, have gone into two kinds
immoralities, of which you editors never dream. After sawing, the planks
are piled under open sheds and exposed to the sharp, dry, piercing winds of of publishing. They issue a magazine called Brentano's Monthly, an excellent
our mountains for one or two years, which gives a most wonderful and work devoted to field and water pastimes, beautifully printed and thoroughly
thorough seasoning without affecting the texture of the stuff. When well edited. They have worked up a very large and remunerative circula-
thoroughly seasoned, the boards are planed and edged, dried again for a few tion for their monthly.
Besides this, they are music publishers. This branch they engaged in
weeks in steam-heated kilns, and then assorted according to length, width,
color, grain and other qualities, ready for use. This assorting, which is about a year and a half ago, when they brought out the "Turkish Patrol."
performed by experts with admirably keen and quick eyes, is one of the This piece had a large sale, and gave the Brentanos a strong impetus as music
most important features of the whole work. Each lot contains several thou- publishers. Now their business in this direction has grown extensively,
sand feet of faultless spruce of exactly uniform quality and size, so that the and, besides, they import largely, and are, as a rule, sure to bring over here
men who ' match' or lay out the sounding boards,—experts again of ripe many of the best foreign musical compositions in advance of their competi-
judgment and unerring eye—are bound to make any number of boards abso- tors.
lutely alike as long as they use the same lots of stuff. After gluing, which
As we received our stock of literature, we turned and remarked upon
is done with the best material obtainable and facilitated by several ingenious the large number of customers present to Mr. August Bretano, Jr.
machines specially got up for the purpose, the boards are tested, cut into
" Yes," he said, " this is a splendid location for such a business, but we
shape and pass through the planers,—unique machines again—where they are cramped for room. If we had a store twice the size of this, it would not
receive any thickness and taper desired, together with a highly finished sur- be too large for our purpose."
face. This done, they are subjected to a final close examination and are then
ready for shipment. The test just mentioned consists in exposing a good
sample (say 6 or 12 boards) of each lot to a heat of 180 degrees Fahrenheit in a
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
steam-heated box for a few days. If they stand this without sho wing the slight-
PORT OF NEW YORK.
est effect, they are good; but if they crack or show any alteration, the entire
lot, which they represent, is put back for further seasoning until it stands the
Week ending January 25th.
test. So you see, complaints in this direction are well-nigh an impossibility.
Exports.
The cases, especially those destined for export, are made as nearly air-tight
Value.
Value.
as possible, to keep out the moist air, and generally arrive in perfect order." H a m b u r g , 36 organs, . . . .
$100
$2,100 London, 1 organ reeds,
4,800
250
"Another good point ill my favor is that I am a practical piano maker Mexico, 1 piano,
39 organs,
175 Brit. Poss. Africa, 6 organs,
myself, and have, with these my hands, made many a hundred sounding Venezuela, 1 p i a n o , . . . .
421
boards in my day, all of which, I trust, are still doing duty and giving satis- New Zealand, 3 musical inst's.,
120 U. S. Columbia, 2 pianos, .
805
faction. So I know exactly what is needful, and have personally instructed
"
6 organs, . . .
250
my foremen accordingly. Moreover, even now, when everything goes like Bristol, 3 organs,
300
Total,
$10,371
clockwork at the mills, and I am still waiting for the first word of complaint Bremen, 7 organs
1,050
about one of the forty-one thousand boards shipped last year, I never fail to
Imports.
spend half a day or so in the sounding board department once a week, or
$ 17,510
whenever I come to Brocketts, and to examine most critically into every Musical instruments, etc., 165
detail, down to the very glue brushes. That is what gives a man the right
PORT OF BOSTON.
feeling to stand up for h.s work if necessary. And the men like it too, I
Week ending Jan. 21, 1881.
assure you; for every one of them is ambitious and does his best. Why?
Because whenever I get favorable reports or other acknowledgments from my
Exports.
Value.
customers abroad or here, I take the letters up to the factory and read them to England, organs,
$6,139
the men, and each one gets his due of the credit us well as of the more sub-
British Possessions in Africa, organs,
•
343
stantial results.
Total
$6,482
" Where all these boards go? It would be easier to tell you where they
do not go. They go to about every place where there is a good piano made,
Imports.
and where progress is appreciated.
England,
musical
instruments
$3,697
" But now don't let me detain you any longer, sir; there is a nice half
Week
ending
Jan.
28th,
column for you, and a good match to that advertisement you were pleased to
Exports.
criticize just now. Good-bye!"
. . . . $3,056 Brit. Pos. in Africa, orgauettes, $241
England, organs,
A TRIBUTE TO THE SOHMER PIANO.
a
pianos,
. . . .
organettes, . . .
rT^HE following letter was recently received by Mr. T. A. Pagett, sole Brit. Pos . in Africa, organs,
J. agent for the Sohmer Piano, Elmira, N. Y. It was written by one of
the most distinguished citizens of that place.
England, musical instruments,
145 WATER ST., ELMIRA, N. Y.
MB. T. A. PAGETT,
975
2,055
Total,
86,605
278
Imports.
$185
PORT OF BALTIMORE.
Dear Sir:—It gives me pleasure to state that the " Sohmer Piano," Style
Imports.
5, purchased of you in October last, has given entire satisfaction in every Musical instruments entered for consumption, Jan. 10 to 22, inclusive,
$567
respect.
In richness and purity of tone, as well as in its durability, I think it is
Mr. Chas. S. Brainard is erecting a new brick building, 80 by 30 feet,
not excelled, by any piano that I have seen.
three stores with basement, to be occupied by S. Brainard's Sons book
In justice to Messrs. Sohmer & Co., I will state that I had examined all binding
electrotype foundry in Cleveland. The large increase in the
of the leading pianos of the day, with the view of purchasing the best and demand and
for the music books issued by this house, render this additional
most durable piano that I could find, taking everything into consideration. room necessary,
will be supplied with all necessary modern machinery
Also, that I was prejudiced against their piano, it having been repre- for turning out which
first class work at lowest cost. We believe Messrs.
sented to me by rival agents as being an inferior instrument.
is the only music publishing house in the country that do all the
But after having been shown their manufactory, and seeing for myself Brainards
work connected with the business, including printing, binding, engraving,
the durable manner in which their pianos were made, the excellent quality type
setting and casting of music plates. Fifty hands are constantly
of the material used, and the superior workmanship displayed, in the con- employed
in their manufacturing departments.
struction and finish of the same, 1 was fully satisfied, that " The Sohmer "is
one of the best and most durable pianos that the market affords, although it
Mr. C. T. Sipon, the well-known music dealer of Austin and Waco,
is comparatively new to the public, and has not been so expensively adver- Texas, is now in the employ of the Root & Sons Music Co. of Chicago, in
tised as some others.
which house he learned the business many years ago. Mr. Sipon is one of
Yours truly,
the most energetic men in the trade, and probably no man is better posted.
E. C. MERRILL,
His business in Texas remains in charge of his son-in-law, who has long been
Elmira, January 22d, 1881.
identified with it. Mr. F. Kenyon Jones, also formerly employed with this
house in the Weber warerooms, is under engagement with them after March
A chattel mortgage for
has been put on the stock of Roe 1st. Mr. Jones is now with Mr. J. R. Bradford, of Milwaukee, and is said
to be one of the most expert retail piano salesmen in the trade.
S t e p h e n s , music dealer, Detroit.