Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1882 Vol. 5 N. 16

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
254
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
Whether Messrs. Mason & Hamlin paid this
amount or not I cannot say, but as the words were
not stricken out, it is to be presumed they did.
The Hallet & Davis report wa8 materially altered
no less than three times, all that portion relating to
their upright pianos standing in tune being added.
This was done, no doubt, to please Mr. W. W.
Kimball, of Chicago, a well-known dealer in the
trade, and a cousin of the Mr. 0. P. Kimball I have
been talking about.
The above distinctly charges that Mr. George
Cook, of the B. Shoninger Organ Co., and of the
Hallett & Davis Piano Co.. was guilty of the
crime of deliberately blackmailing the Mason &
Hamlin Organ Co. It also charges that Messrs.
C. P. Kimball, W. W. Kimball, and General H. K. "How is trade, Mr. Decker?" was the question
Oliver, were guilty of either directly blackmailing propounded by a representative of THE MUSICAL
CEITIC AND TRADE EEVIEW to Mr. Myron Decker,
piano manufacturers, or were accessories to such sr., member of the firm of Decker criminal acts. It also charges that Messrs. Mason was seated in the office of his factory, corner
Third avenue and Eighty-seventh street.
«fc Hamlin were guilty of compounding .a felony.
"We cannot supply the demand for instru-
There is no mistaking Fr—d's remarks. He
ments," was the reply. "Especially the parlor
makes his charges blatantly, and we trust that lie grands of the new scale I showed you the last
will be made to answer for them.
time you were here."
"That was a very fine instrument, and you
Concerning Fr—d's character, it may be well in
this connection to quote, as we have done several should be able to do a very large trade with
times before, extracts from two widely read daily them."
"That is just what we are doing. I must also
papers. The remarks were made on the leading tell you that we are going to make all our cases in
editorial page of each of these papers a day or two the future, grand, square, and upright. We have
after Fr—d made his escape from this city about already made the arrangements."
A HEAVY DEALER IN STANDARD MUSIC.
two years ago.
Mr.
G. Schirmer, No. 35 Union Square, does a
FKOM THE NEW YORK TIMES.
large business as a publisher of standard music.
"John C. Freund, late editor and proprietor of the A representative of THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE
Musical and Dramatic Times, who has taken himself REVIEW called recently on Mr. Schirmer and asked
off, leaving many creditors to mourn their loss, seems him
whether he thought there was much money
to have many of the qualities of a first class adven-
turer. He is one of the men—always numerous in in the sale of the popular operette librettos.
"That is very light stuff," replied Mr. Schirmer;
great oitios—who make large pretensions, have un-
questioned capacity, flourish fora while, inspire con- "but I wouldn't handle it, however much money
fidence by push and audacity, and then decamp heav- there might be in it. I have no doubt that hun-
ily in debt. Although they have no reputation to dreds of thousands of copies have been sold You
warrant trust, they manage to get trusted in a way see the purchasers of that style of musical publi-
that honest men could not, and end by so duping the cations do not need to make a severe mental effort
community where they happened to abide that it to comprehend the music. But that class of music
wonders, after they have disappeared, why it allowed is necessarily ephemeral, and will soon pass away,
itself to be so duped. Freund left England, near
eleven years since, under a cloud, having failed, it and its place will be taken by music that has
was reported, very discreditably as a proprietor of a genuine merit. I could do all the business I
publication called the Dark Blue. He signalized his wanted in that line if I cared to, but I have chosen
arrival here by claiming privileges in one of the city a legitimate field of enterprise, and prefer that I
clubs on the ground of membership of a London club, don't do a mercenary business, but a great deal for
to which, it was afterwards discovered, he had never my own pleasure and gratification, and I would
been, and never would have been, admitted. When rather make leas money and confine myself to le-
his trick had been detected, and he was informed of
it, he assumed that he had not been treated like a gitimate trade. I daily refuse manuscripts of
gentleman, and in the manner of a well-bred dog, as whose popularity I am convinced beforehand; but
Tobin puts it, walked quietly down stairs after see- if I accepted and published them, they would de-
ing preparations for kicking him into the street. tract from the prestige of my business. I have
Like most fellows of his class he was very voluble identified myself with the publication of standard
on the subject of the gentleman; made lofty preten- musical publications."
sions to that distinction and interlarded his speech "I suppose your sales must be very large every
with needless repetition of the word. He has a good year?" suggested our representative.
address, pleasant manners, and, like all clever coun-
"Yes, indeed. They must, be large, as you can
terfeits, was well calculated to deceive. * * *
But he is slippery by nature and very extravagant. imagine, Biinply to cover expenses."
"What school of music brings in the greatest
If he made $1,000 he spent five times the amount,
and, of course, became in time irretrievably in- number of sales?"
volved, causing him to run away as the easiest
"The German school is the favorite, because
method of solving his difficulties. It is thought people who are looking for the best kind of music
that his whole indebtedness may reach from $150,- find that more thorough and severe than that of
000 to $200,000, since new claims are constantly com- any other school. The French school is half way
ing forward. His last experience seems to have been
the frivolous and the severe." *
no novelty to him. He will probably turn up in between
"Do you find Wagner increasing rapidly in popu-
Canada or Australia, and soon or late circumnavi-
larity?"
gate the globe on his cozening mission.'"
"Not rapidly, because he is not understood by
the public at large, and it takes many years for
FROM THE NEW YOBK TBUTH.
them to adapt specially the rhythms and detect
"The troubles of weekly journalism in New York the melody in bis compositions. The melody, as
have a fresh illustration in the case of John C. you know, is so interwoven with modulations that
Freund, the proprietor of the Musical and Dramatic
Times. This man was a common blackmailer, and it takes a first-class musician or very bright ama-
to that quality he has now the distinction of a fraudu- teur to find it out."
lent and fugitive bankrupt. He published a news-
paper which had a circulation of 2,500, but threat-
A MUSICAL PRIMER.
ened the piano trade into supporting him. They not
HO
i«
that big man over yonder swelling
only kept his paper up, but lent him $60,000 in addi-
hia paunch like a bladder-fish?
tion. They did this because they were afraid of
him, and in place of bemoaning their loss they He is a "musical journalist."
should rejoice that he did not remain to bleed them
still further. Did anybody know what had become What is a "musical journalist?"
of Mr. Freund, he could doubtless be arrested crimi- A man who confesses other people's sins and
nally, but he has fled from his creditors and the law,
and though an offer has been made to his creditors modestly forgets his own.
to purchase the paper for $10,000, payable in three Does he rejoice in any ether name?,
years, they are only too glad to get rid of it, preferr- Yes, he is "ONE OF NATURE'S NOBLE-
ing losing their money to supporting something
that is a constant menace to them. If the very men MEN."
who have supported a paper for three years consider What is that?
it better that it should go under, no better indict- It is a man who wins the affections of a friend-
ment could be found of its uselessness."
less girl, and then robs, seduces, and deserts her,
George L. Walker, Philadelphia, pianoforte manfully laying all the blame on her shoulders.
dealer, has been attached by a New York party for
W
Who are those woe-begone fellows over there?
March 20th, 188I
They are the alleged editors of alleged musical
papers, and they want THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND
TRADE REVIEW to protect them from the great,
big, bad man who looks crosswise at them out of
his almond eves.
BOSTON TRADE.
T~\IFFERENCES of opinion must necessarily
I / prevail among the members of a trade which
is so largely extended as that of the piano and
organ manufacturers.
Some opinions among equally intelligent mem-
bers of the trade are diametrically the opposite, as
will be seen below. A general unity of opinion as
to the approaching spring trade prevails, but the
chief differences relate to prices and methods of
business.
There is at present a continuous activity pre-
vailing here, and to all appearances the busy pe-
riod, reaching back from the early fall of 1881, has
had no perceptible break. Prices do not fluctuate
much, and there is no probability of an immediate
advance.
One thing is pretty sure, and that is that the
present prices will not be lowered; in fact, they
cannot well be depressed.
THE NEW ENGLAND PIANO COMPANY.
Mr. Scanlan states that he is making pianos as
rapidly as they can be turned out, consistent with
good workmanship. His instruments, he states,
are giving satisfaction to the trade and to the
public, and that is what he has been aiming at.
He anticipates a bright spring trade, and does
not think that the Mississippi overflow will ma-
terially affect manufacturing activity in this sec-
tion. The inundation is serious, but if it has any
effect, it will only be indirectly, and of little con-
sequence.
C. C. BRIGOS A CO.
have recently established several additional agen-
cies in the West, and are constantly receiving ap-
plications for agencies all over the country.
Calls for their small-sized uprights, they state,
are unprecedented. Mr. Briggs, sr., was busy in
the factory and had to be brought down to talk
trade while the junior was attending to a cus-
tomer. Mr. Woodman, the traveling man, will
be off on a tour to prominent Western points.
Western dealers must be on the lookout, as Wood-
man knows how to talk piano, and dealers know
what that means.
Prices will remain the same as at present, say
the firm, with an upward tendency.
We met A. W. Strauss, of A. W. Strauss & Co.,
the representatives of C. C. Reed & Co., the varn-
ish house. He looks business, and from ocular
evidence, which presented itself, he evidently
does a big business here among the piano houses.
WM. BOURNE & SON.
Mr. Bourne, sr., has recovered sufficiently to be
about again. He has been very seriously ill. Mr.
Browne, jr., expresses himself in unmeasured terms
about business metho'ds, which, according to his
opinion, should not prevail in the piano manufac-
turing business.
"I have no respect for a poorly-made piano,"
said Mr. Bourne. "When men make an article
like that, they should make it good or not at all.
During the past seven or eight years the piano
business has been demoralized by cheap manu-
factures. If we accepted offers made to us by cer-
tain dealers, we would not have a single piano in
stock; but we cannot, and do not care to, accept
them. We prefer to make a good instrument, sell
a few less, and make a living profit. Of course, we
cannot compete in quantity with the firms that
are willing to turn out from twenty-five pianos a
week upwards. We cannot do that unless we in-
crease our facilities, and under present circum-
stances, with prices as they are, we prefer to re-
main in our present position."
Mr. Bourne was thoroughly in earnest, and he
spoke with the air of a man who has definite con-
victions on the subject. Business is firm and
prices ditto.
C. B. HUNT A CO.
This firm is getting out new spring styles. They
complain about low prices and state that prices
will undoubtedly advance. Very busy now, with
no prospect of let up.
Mr. S. W. Tyler, of Clinton, Mass., was in the
office, and said lie liked the Bay State organ, and is
always willing to buy it even for cash. "Put me
down as a subscriber to THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND
TRADE REVEW," said he; "that's the kind of
paper I like. Here's your money; I don't want any
receipt. Be sure to send it along promptly,
because I want to read it as soon as it comes out."
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
March 20th, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
255
pression which your letter betrays. If you visit the of the middlemen and agents, that placed that beau-
East, I shall be pleased to have you visit my factory tiful instrument, the Cabinet Organ, beyond the
and offices at Washington, and see my instruments reach of other than the wealthy ; and, whereas, we
made from beginning to end. I will pay your ex- have been kindly and politely shown through your
IS THE HON. D. F. A TRULY GOOD MAN? penses
here from any reasonable point, for the pur- mammoth factory and have carefully been it in all
pose of having you set right in your opinions of my its details, therefore be it
ANXIOUS INQUIRIES FROM AN OHIO DEALER—AN organ and piano business. If you think of visiting
Resolved, That we appreciate your efforts, crowned
the East at any near date, I shall be pleased to hear with success, that have placed the sweetest music
ADVERTISING AGENTS' "WHITEWASHING COM-
from you.
I remain, Very truly yours,
within the reach of all.
MITTEE—HOW TO WOKK THE RELIGIOUS
Resolved, That we believe that the great success
DANIEL F. BEATTY.
PBESS.—AN INDIGNANT LETTER
that has come to you in the face of abuse and cal-
FROM VIRGINIA.
Our readers will please observe that the above umny that has been heaped upon you by those whose
letter is fairly well written; but that is not an indi- Interest it has ever been to maintain the high prices
READER of T H E MUSICAL CRITIC AND cation of Beatty's literary ability, for we doubt if that you have shattered, is an index of your charac-
TRADE REVIEW sends us the following Mr. Beatty could ©pell correctly any ten consecu- ter as a man, and is but the well deserved success
letter, in which he incloses an article which tive words which it contains. It is addressed to the brought about by your remarkable foresight, indomi-
appeared in The Episcopal Register, of Phila- editor of the Western religious paper. It is nicely table energy and thorough knowledge of men.
That since we have seen the facilities for
delphia; also a letter from the Hon. D. F. baited, and contains at the bottom, stamped in red Resolved,
manufacture of organs possessed by you, the
to the editor of an Ohio religious paper; a ink, these significant words: "Advertising De- the
perfection of your factory in every little detail, as
letter from the editor of this last paper to our cor- partment."
well as in its larger proportions, we have somewhat
respondent, and the resolutions of a committee of
Whether the editor of the Western religious pa- ceased to wonder how it is that you can furnish such
advertising agents appointed by the Hon. D. F. per swallowed the bait, we are not informed, but magnificent instruments at prices so wondrously
to visit Washington, N. J., for the purpose of the editor of Tlie Episcopal Register evidently did, low.
whitewashing him. We reprint all these docu- as may be seen from the following article, clipped Resolved, That we do hereby extend to you our
ments.
thanks for the uniform courtesy and genial kindness
from his paper, and entitled
that characterized your reception of us, and do
We have to say, by way of comment, only this:
ALL RIGHT.
heartily wish you that still larger success which we
That the party addressing us on the subject of
believe you so richly deserve, and is surely coming
Beatty's methods needs no further explanations to For the purpose of satisfying himself about Dan- to
you.
set his doubts at rest than are contained in the iel F. Beatty and the way he transacts his business,
EDWIN ALDEN,
articles which appeared in THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND the manager of the advertising department of this Of Edwin Alden
& Bro., Advertising Agents, Cin-
TRADE REVIEW of February 5, 1881, February 5, paper visited Washington, N. J., and made a thor-
cinnati, O.
ough
inspection
of
Mr.
Beatty's
business
in
all
its
1882, and March 2, 1882; that the effect of the art-
W. H. HILLMAN,
He is glad to report to the readers of
icle entitled "All Right" is entirely thrown away departments.
Demorest's Magazine, New York City.
The
Episcopal
Register,
as
the
result
of
his
investiga-
by reason of the statement that it is written by the tion, that he found everything equal to and far be-
W. V. R. POWERS,
manager of the advertising department of The yond his expectations. Mr. Beatty's new factory
Chicago Express, Chicago, 111.
Episcopal Register (for eloquent puffery of an ad-
covers about four acres of ground, and is fitted up
C. W. STODDARD,
vertiser like Beatty, commend us to your small in the very best manner for turning out good work. Eastern Agency,
E. Alden & Bro., Advertising
religious newspaper); and that the value of the In it there is a 200-horse-power engine, driving 250
Agents, N. Y. City.
resolutions of a number of advertising agents must feet of four-inch shafting, from which are geared
HARRY DBWAR,
be gauged solely by the amount of money they over one hundred wood-working machines of the
Advertising Agent, Philadelphia, Pa.
make out of Beatty's business, and the quantity of most approved pattern. Each of the 250 workmen
J. WALTER THOMPSON,
supplied with an individual electric light, which
champagne he provided for them when they visited is
enables him to work over-time at night, thus practi- Magazine Advertising Agent, 39 Park Row, N. Y.
Washington, N. J.
cally doubling the capacity of the factory.
JOSEPH B. STILLWELL,
The materials used in manufacturing organs are, Of Stillwell & Albertson, Steam Printers, 131 Wil-
DELAWARE, OHIO, February 28, 1882.
liam St., N. Y.
Chatt- A. Welles, Esq., Editor MUSICAL CRITIC, New as far as the writer could judge, of the very best ob-
tainable, there being nothing used for eases but It may perhaps seem strange to our readers
York:
DEAR SIR—In the church paper I take appears solid walnut. This wood is well finished, beautifully that a man who claims to be so honorable in his
carved and artistically decorated. The foreman de- dealings with the public as Beatty does, should
occasionally Heatty advertisements. Believing him scribed
the actions of these instruments as the best need such an amount of defending.
to be a humbug through your representations of him that could
be made, and certainly they were very
and his business. I do not enjoy seeing his "ad" in fine and looked
exceedingly durable. The factory
AN OFT—REPEATED DODGE.
the paper, and have, at different times, written to the has something like
fifty tuning rooms, with dead-
editor about it, and have also sent him items taken ened walls, where each
instrument
is
put
in
perfect
WINCHESTER, VA., March 2, 1882.
from your paper and others exposing Beatty. I in- order before it leaves the buildings.
Editor of THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW:
close a postal card received from him, also a letter
Mr. Beatty is prepared to turn out one thousand
from Beatty to him, dated April 4, 1881.
Sir—I road a rather long article in your
organs a week, which he proposes to sell direct to
I sent the editor a copy of "Beatty's Methods,' as the
at the lowest prices possible consistent with February edition of THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND
he inclosed what purports to have been taken from good user
work. There is no reason why he should not TRADE REVIEW about D. F. Beatty's methods of
your paper. In return ho sent me the inclosed slip
aole to give as good an organ for the money as doing business. I suppose there are undoubtedly
headed "All Right." also the enclosed card to the be
any manufacturer in the world.
numerous transactions of the Hon. D. F.'s that
publisher of the church paper.
Now I would really like to know just where the His offices are admirably fitted and appointed for never come to light which would prove to the
attending
to
the
clerical
work
of
so
large
an
estab-
better thinking class of people that his Highness
truth of the maiter lies, and will thank you to in-
lishment. With sucli a complete system there was not the extremely kind friend that he styles
form me about it.
should
be,
for
any
customers
who
depend
upon
deal-
I am interested somewhat in the organ trade, and ing by letter, no occasion for not having their ex- himself to be to the dear confiding public.
occasionally hear of Beatty organs through the pressed
One of his transactions has recently come under
wishes attended to in every detail. Look-
country, and, as a rule, I believe not well spoken of. ing at Mayor
my observation, and I will mention the circum-
Beatty's
organ
and
piano
business
from
They do not wear well. But if he is an honest man, every point of view, there is very little in which an stances connected with it, and would like to ask
and is doing good work, as the inclosed slip claims, improvement can be made. Those purchasing in-
I do not want to do him injustice.
IS THIS A BEATTY SCHEME?
will receive, we believe, a liberal equiva-
Yours, truly,
C. P. struments
Tlae facts are as follows:
lent for their money.
BEGGING THE QUKSTION.
Mr. Beatty has shown great enterprise and recu- A Mrs. Wilson, residing at Strasburg, Va., on
The following is the postal card received by our perative power in the rebuilding of his enormous fac- December 17 or 18, sent D. F. Beatty a check for
so soon after the disastrous fire of last fall. $63 for one of his Mozart organs. The check was
correspondent from the editor of the Western tory
Indeed, the wonderful success which he has met duly forwarded by Mr. Beatty to the proper bank
religious newspaper:
with all through his business career is a sufficient and the money was collected for the same. Mr.
MY DEAR MR. P.—II any newspaper, religious or guarantee of the favor hi» instruments have found. B. acknowledged receipt of check. In the course
secular, ever undertook to indorse all its advertisers, He has erected this new factory at an immense cost, of correspondence he promised immediate ship-
I have never heard of it. If we know a thing is a but so great has heen his industry this has bean ac- ment of the organ. The lady for whom the instru-
fraud or immoral, it is excluded. But it is not our complished with ready capital. The public has
business to investigate and try each case, and pro- always been quick to recognize and appreciate such ment was intended was a Mrs. Rodrick, of Stras-
nounce judgment upon it. We must give our readers a business spirit, and they who have the charge of burg, for whom Mrs. Wilson was attending to the
credit for having common sense in reading such the advertising department of this paper trust that business part of the transaction. Mrs. Rodrick
matters. When I see an article like Beatty's pub- the readers will render Mr. Beatty liberal patronage desired the organ for a Christmas gift to her
lished in the N. Y. Observer and the Tract Society and encouragement.
children, but Christmas, New Year, and the mid-
Christian Weekly, and, in fact, in every religious
dle of January came, but no organ, and being dis-
paper, it seems to me that if my customers will not Before we place too much faith in the report of appointed in not getting it at the time she wanted
allow me this source of income, they ought to make the manager of the advertising department of The it, she wrote Mr. Beatty to please forward the
up in some way the deficit. All piano dealers are Episcopal Register, it might be well to inquire what
fighting each other, and we take no pan in their this gentleman's qualifications are as an expert in money to her.
He wrote her, however, stating that her organ
quarrels. R. S. French, of Cambria, who bought an organs, that enable him to speak thus valiantly in
instrument of Beattv for the society, says it is not a defense of Beatty.
would be shipped very soon, and after waiting
fraud.
W. C. F.
quite awhile, she wrote about it again. He replied
Last of all we come to the
that it would be impossible to fill her order under
One thing in the above we cannot understand:
thirty days, or more, for that particular style of
ADVERTISING
AGENTS'
DEFENSE,
If a newspaper publisher refuses Beatty's advertise-
organ, but if she desired he could ship her one oi
ment because he believes Beatty to be in any which ought to be awarded the prize.
his "Beethoven 27-stop Organs" immediately, but
sense a fraud, why should he expect other adver-
it would cost her $30 more (he, Beatty, only ac-
tisers to make up the deficiency?
Results of a Visit to Washington, N. J., February knowledging receipt for $60, instead of $63).
Whereupon the lady, thinking to save what money
21, 1882.
HOW BEATTY WORKS IT.
she had sent, answered and told him to ship at
To the Hon. Daniel F. Beatty, Mayor of Washington,
WASHINGTON, N. J., April 4, 1881.
once. She hasn't received the organ yet, although
W. C. French:
N. J.:
March is here, and from all accounts I suppose
DEAR SIR—While I regret, of course, that you can-
WHEREAS—We, the undersigned, upon the 21st day
will be quite lucky if she gets it by next De-
not publish reading notices tor me, I must also of February, 1882. the day pieceding the anniver- she
admit that your views, as to their being regarded as sary of the birth of the Father of his country, have cember.
the utterances of the editor, are correct. I am sorry, been the recipients of the courtesy of the father of
The question, however, that arises is this: Is
however, that you have so slight an acquaintance the plan of selling organs and 1 ianos direct to the this a Beatty scheme? A kind of patent process
with my business as to give you the unfavorable im- people, thus doing away with the enormous profits to "bleed" customers, or not?
THE BEATTY INVESTIGATION,
A

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