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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
tempt to misplace the blame for the unsatisfactory
condition of the pianos, and thereby create a pecu-
niarily advantageous sale in his own behalf.
In a few weeks another complaint, that was almost
Your organ is the most complete and useful of any precisely the same as regards detail, was made re-
NEW YORK CITY, June 15, 1886.
yet made, and if I could have them in six oct. they grading the firm whose character had previously
MY DEAR J E F F . DAVIS BILL :
would lead the market.
been called in question. We were again in-
I promised you that I would write you a letter
Lucres Me BRIDE,
duced to employ the services of an expert in
upon my return, after a ramble in the West and
Akron, Ohio.
order to determine for the benefit of the pub-
South, and you must excuse the briefness of this as
lic as to the merit of the various charges that
a correspondent.
JOSEPH HERRBURGER, JR.'S VISIT TO
have been made. This time the parties that have
" Now:"
AMERICA.
been victimized are the owners of piano fortes that
The company I represent at present, has many
have been manufactured by Chickering and by other
advantages. My former prospectus, issued from
il. JOSEPH HERRBURGER, JR., of Herr- eminently respectable firms. The niggardly treat-
Boston, was not received with that flourish of
burger-Schwander, the Paris action makers, ment that the house of Knabe and its patrons receiv-
trumpets that the company expected; still many
sailed for home on Saturday, the 12th inst., ed, has developed to an extent that it would be
of the things advocated was a perfect success. The
Electric Hair Brush, St. Jacob's Oil, and free use of on the "Normandie."
difficult to out-rival. Strange as it may seem, the
This is Mr. Herrburger's first visit to America, protests against such rascality are not made by the
fish, gave the old company a standing, so much so
they have always kept a complete set of fishing and during his stay, which has been since May 2, he houses of Chickering, Knabe, and other manufac-
tackle in the office. But the fish oil we used caused has visited nearly all of the principal cities in the turers simply, but by the piano forte trade in general,
much sticking. So I, after twenty years experience, country, and, judging from his genial manners, has and notably by their patrons. To mention the name
have substituted another lubricator for action.which departed from the " land of the free and the home of the offending firm seems quite superfluous. Their
was introduced to the present company through me, of the brave," leaving a host of friends behind him. methods of doing business have become adequately
after my emigration to this city. We came over Mr. Herrburger has been the guest of Messrs. Tonk well known in this vicinity, and as their names are
here thinking we knew something. But after a & Bro., who handles the Herrburger-Schwander notorious, it is not to be wondered at that their trade
few months we were wiped out by the "Knights of
action, and it is needless to say they made Mr. Herr- is upon the decline. Who they are or what they are,
Labor "—wiped almost out. One of my little German burger's stay a pleasant one, visiting several places is of little consequence as compared with the numer-
friends came to the rescue and quieted the troubled with him, including Washington, where Mr. Wm. ous interests that are imperilled, as one of the re-
waters so much, that we are allowed to still main- Tonk introduced him to many of our great men- sults of their nefarious practices. They are, in fact,
tain that equlibrium so necessary to do business. Secretary Manning was particularly courteous in engaged in a system of malpractice that, while pro-
He was the inventor of the self acting vibrator, we showing Mr. Herrburger the Treasury Department. tected by the law, is fully as disreptuable in its
used it and are now paying him royalty, which al- We had the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Herrburger effect as though it were a most flagrat offence
though a burden still allows us to live here, and just previous to his departure, and his enthusiasm against the law. The raison d 'elre of such mal-
make the piano at present known; all of the pro- over the greatness of the country and its resources practice is simply incomprehensible. The only hope
fession are after a right to use it, but we maintain we was boundless; as he himself expressed it, he " did of its discontinuance is in the moral certainty that
have absolute control. We were well supplied with not believe the country was such a vast commercial exists that an eventual failure of the firm will result
elephants from our previous arrangement, so we have world, until he had seen it with his own eyes," and he from natural causes. In the meantime, the legiti-
a surplus left. The wire contract is still in vogue, that did not wonder that Americans were proud of their mate branches of the piano forte trade in this city
being a personal investment that we control; sound- country.
have nothing to fear from the characteristic conduct
ing boards we still use, but the blood seems to
During his stay here, Mr. Herrburger visited of an isolated firm, whose business, despite their ly-
evaporate, so we have Introduced gvm instead of
nearly all the leading piano and organ manufacturers, ing pretentions during the past six months, has been
blood. We have not used the electric light as we found
and was profuse in his expressions of praise regard- significantly upon the wane. Upon the principle that
the same unsteady, but are now waiting for Mr.
ing the qualities and superior and substantial work- the way of the transgressor is hard, the eventual
Gladstone to make his final speech on the " Home
manship of our American instruments. Mr. Herr- downfall of the firm in this city would seem to be
Kule," when we expect he will go out of business,
and with what he has left we expect to produce a burger remarked to us that he had "seen just only a question of time. Fiatjustitia, rual coelum.
THE attempt of this piano firm to destroy the
" water gas," that will improve the light we now enough to want to come again and see more," of our
industries.
We
hope
he
will
do
so.
pianos
of their competitors, and thereby create a
use; if afterwards we find it successful, wo shall in-
market for their own instruments, is the most damn-
troduce the gas with every piano we make, so that
able proceeding which ever came to our notice.
the saving will be immense. We have already tried
TRICKS IN THE PIANO TRADE.
Now, the Boston Home Journal professes to know
it on many organs, but found it thin, too thin to work
Boston Home Journal.
the names of parties, and yet withholds their publi-
well, but believe it to be perfectly safe in pianos.
cation.
We can, through our now vibrator, show off one of
URING the last six months a variety of un-
If they have the proof which they claim they have,
our pianos, and have it distinctly heard upon the
pleasant rumors have been circulated about a we are surprised at their silence.
Pacific coast, so that our agents find it very much
system of sharp practice that was being em-
Now, we will make the Home Journal a present of
to their advantage to use our pianos. We shall, be-
fore long, tell you our capacity for furnishing these ployed by a well known pianoforte firm in this city, ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, if they will send on to us the
instruments with all of our various improvements, and with the intent of augmenting thereby the sales names, accompanied with sufficient proof, of any firms
and instead of offering to give away a piano, we shall of their instruments. As the result of a careful and who have been indulging in tins kind of business, and
substitute a farm, with a small house upon it. When unbiased investigation made some time ago by a we have no doubt the MESSRS. CHICKERING & SON,
we get to this part of the programme we shall notify conscientious expert, a verdict was returned to us KNABE & Co., and others, who have been injured, will
that an unscrupulous tuner had deliberately tam- give a much larger sum for the same information.
all of our agents.
pered with, and well nigh ruined the action of a
In the meantime, should any one see our various Knabe grand. The party who awned the instrument
advertisements, they will please inform us which was then urged to exchange the same for a grand GOOD WORDS FOR THE GROYESTEEN &
FULLER PIANO.
paper they found them in, as we would like to give pianoforte from the house that had employed the
them credit, as we do not like to steal anything from unscrupulous tuner. The expert referred to a musi-
OFFICE JOHN A. BRYANT,
them, especially their thunder. So don't forget it; cian in whose testimony he had every reason to
207 Wabash Avenue,
the paper we shall use the most, you will know by place the highest degree of confidence. Being fully
Chicago, 111., JuneS, 1886.
aware of the nature and value of evidence, we did
the " Mark," and the attitude of stencils.
FRIEND CARTER : The pianos are, I consider, very
Pianos and organs taken in exchange for old not at the time regard the conduct of an individual
electric hair brushes and lishing tackle, when packed pianoforte tuner, howsoever unprincipled, as wholly fine indeed. The scale has been so improved that it
carefully in leather cases, per order of tho manager. disastrous in its reaction upon the character of the seems very even throughout; in fact, I am pleased
firm that employed him. We argued, in behalf of at your efforts in the right direction.
—Now York Musical Courier please copy.
the firm, that the tuner might possibly have acted
Very truly yours,
upon his own responsibility. In this single instance
JOHN A. BRYANT.
LEBANON, PA., June 14, 188G.
the evidence was conclusive in affecting the reputa-
MESSRS. WELLES & BILL, New York :
tion of the tuner; it was naught but circumstantial
GENTLEMEN : In reply to your favor of recent date, in its effect upon his employers. The tuner, acting THE " MUISCAL COURIER WRONG AGAIN
will say that our business is in a flourishing con- as an agent, had deliberately sought the ruin of a per-
AS USUAL.
dition. We are so much crowded with orders at fectly sound piano-forte. He was neither careless
present that we have commenced to work extra nor incompetent; he was simply malicious. The
ITHACA, N. Y., June 1!), 1886.
time.
evidence was perfectly clear as to his having slyly MY DEAR J E F F :
Your dispatch just received, inquiring if the Cour-
The following letters are a few of the many re- cut the action of the piano in various places; and
ceived daily from our customers, and they come gra- that he had injured the sounding board and substi- ier of June 9 is correct in regard to their statement,
tuitously too:
tuted old strings for the original ones was also made to which we beg to reply as follows : The Courier is
clear. In short, it was the tuner who had actually entirely mistaken, as in our present condition we
Yours truly,
MILLER ORGAN CO.
practised certain ways that were dark and tricks are doing a fine business, and can't see how anybody
GENTLEMEN : You have forgotten all about the that were vain. The firm that employed him in the can get up such an idea that we would consolidate
guarantees. Of course, I know it is no more neces- person of its principal representative attempted to with the remains of the Ithaca Organ and Piano Co.,
sary to guarantee the Miller organ than it is to guar- sell the victimized owner of the piano a new instru- and also assure you if we make a move in any di-
ment. Despite the employe had been somewhat suc- rection, it will be astepa/icod, and not the other way.
antee a gold dollar, but customers want them.
Yours very truly,
cessful in his work of demolition, the employer en-
Yours truly,
WEGMAN & HENNIKG.
countered a somewhat humiliating failure in his at-
A. B. MILLER, LL. D.,
TIDINGS FROM THE TRADE.
President of Waynesburg College.
WAYNESBURG, PA., June 12, 1886.
M
D