Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
262
WJffi
AN incident occurred recently which, to say the
least, is quite out of the ordinary way of doing busi-
ness—in fact it was quite extraordinary—and in-
volves an exhibition of presumption on the part of
a salesman in a 1 Ith street wareroom which amount-
ed to cheek. Well here are the facts, and we will
venture to say that a more unbusinesslike proceed-
ing never came to the notice of our readers.
It appears that a certain lady purchased from the
E. H. McEwen company, a piano called the "Paris, 1
but after using it a while she became dissatisfied
with it, and requested the McEwen Company to
change the " P a r i s " for a "Sterling piano. This
the McEwen Company consented to do, upon condi-
tion that the lady would procure a customer for the
McEwen company piano.
The lady said she could do this and accordingly
brought the prospective customer, and with her an-
other lady who had purchased an Estoy piano and
who was a staunch advocate of the merits of the
Estey Instrument. Tho three ladies visited the
McEwen Company wareroom, and after looking ovtr
the stock, the prospective customer said that she had
visited the Estey wareroom and that she liked the
tune of the Estey piano best, and they started to
leave the wareroom saying they would decide later.
The ladies went directly to the Estey wareroom,
and were followed thither by the McEwen Company
salesman, and while Mr. Geo. L. Weitz, the Eatey
salesman, was displaying his goods and expatiating
upon the merits which they are known to possess,
the McEwen Co. salesman entered and endeavored to
persuade the lady from purchasing an Estoy piano.
His efforts were futile, however, for the lady then
and there purchased an Estey.
These are all the facts, for a representative of this
paper has interviewed all tho parties to tho affair,
including the lady who purchased the Estey piano.
Wo are personally acquainted with the members
of the McEwen Company, and know them to be men
of oharactor and standing In the trade, who would
not countenance such conduct on the part of thoir
over zealous salesman.
* *
•
We call attention to our announcement, elsewhere,'
of the establishment of the Music TRADE REVIEW
Collection Bureau. This move on the part of the RK-
VIEW is in compliance with a long felt want, and for
some time past, and at no little expense, tho REVIEW
has been carefully perfecting a system by which it
can promptly furnish the name of a reputable lawyer,
in any part of the United States and Canada, who will
undertake the collection of overdue accounts. It is
scarcely necessary to say that this applies only to
the musical instrument trade, and none but our sub-
scribers and advertisers can avail themselves of the
advantages of this offer.
Upon the same conditions legal advice will be given,
free of charge to all Inquirers, which can be relied
upon, thus, perhaps, saving the inquirer hundreds of
dollars by avoiding needless litigation. Our reply to
legal inquiries will, in every case, be substantiated
by references or high judicial decisions. As we state
In our announcement, we have no monied object,
direct, or indirect, in the above. Our sole aim is to
increase the usefulness of the REVIEW to its patrons
and supporters.
*
* *
While taking lunch, recently, a representative of-
this paper had a conversation with a very prominent
manufacturer who sat at the same table. Not a word
was spoken by our representative on the subject of
advertising, but during the conversation the manu-
facturer said: " I do not advertise in any of the
musical papers, for the reason that I am driven to
death with orders and really do not want any more
orders, but I admire the course the REVIEW has al-
ways taken and I want to do my share toward sus-
taining it, so come up to my office and I will make a
contract with you.
Further comment unnecessary.
* *
THE Interstate Commerce Act has gone into effect
and our impression is that it will prove a failure.
In the first place we believe that congress has over-
stepped its powers in passing such an act. Why
should congress have the power to dictate as to the
regulations of railroad corporations any more than to
the piano and organ manufacturers ? None what-
ever ! and we believe that sooner or later the law
will be proved unconstitutional. Even though it is
lawful, the act Is so blinding and muddled up that
it is almost impossible to follow out the law as
enacted. The outcome of this will be endless litiga-
tions. There is little doubt but that the measure
originated and was supported largely by those hos-
tile to railroad corporations, but in order not to crip-
ple the transportation of this country these people
who framed the act have muddled up the whole thing,
so that there are parts contained therein that even
they will find it hard work to define, and instead of
being an injury to the railroads we believe it will act
otherwise. There are so many loopholes left open
that the railroads can use to advantage that we pre-
dict, until the law is changed, the railroads will re-
ceive a higher profit upen their capital than ever
before; and, too, at the expense of other business
interests.
ON another page will be found an excellent like-
ness of Mr. S. G. Chickering, the pianoforte maker
in Boston. Probably no gentleman in the music trade
has been so unjustly abused by certain self styled
trade papers as has Mr. Chickering. Some of these
sheets have gone so far as to say that he had no
right to manufacture pianos, and certain jealous
dealers have stated that there was no such being as
S. G. Chickering, and that the piano he makes was a
stencilled one. Notwithstanding all this, Mr. Chic-
kering still lives and is in good health. He makes
a first class piano, and one that in a very short time
has become very popular. The piano from the start
has been sold solely on its merits, and the dealer
who once orders a sample piano never fails to se-
cure, if possible, the agency.
* *
The Steinerts are becoming very ambitious. Mr.
M. Steinert has said, that he would pay $10,000 to
Steinway & Sons, if they would give him the agency
of their pianos, in a certain leading city, not a thou-
sand miles from New York.—Music and Drama.
A representative of the Music TRADE REVIEW had
a conversation with Mr. Steinert and he denied, in
emphatic terms, that he ever made such an assertion
or that such an idea ever entered his mind as the
above.
He characterized the statements of the Music and
Drama as flights of fancy of the editor of that paper.
*
•
We wonder how Sohmer & Co. like the declaration
In the issue of the Musical Courier of March 30th, to
the effect that " The oldest and stalest chestnut in
the piano trade is the centennial awards," and on the
opposite page is Sohmer & Co.'s advertisement, which
announces that their pianos received a medal of
merit and diploma of honor at the Centennial Exhibi-
tion.
* *
A CERTAIN self styled trade editor recently stated
through the columns of his paper that " Wessell,
Nickel & Gross will hereafter make but one grade
actions." If this editor was in the slighest degree
acquainted with the action made by the house re-
ferred to, he would have known that they never have
made, nor do they now make, but one grade of ac-
tions, which are known throughout the entire coun-
try as being of the very best quality.
* *
The rating and classification of the piano firms as
published in the Earth of April 2d, is the most high
handed and dastardly attempt to Injure certain repu-
table makers that we ever witnessed. The wholo list
is so ridiculously classified that we would not men-
tion it, were it not for the fact that thousands of
copies of these papers we believe to have been dis-
tributed for use to certain dealers. The whole affair
is as clear to us as daylight. Any one with a moder-
ate amount of intellect can see from a perusal of the
columns of Earlk, that it is the work of a certain firm
of piano manufacturers. We honestly believe that
the editor of Earth has been grossly imposed upon by
this firm, and that the list was not compiled by the
editor but instead by this firm in question. Manu-
facturers are placed, in this list, away down in the
fourth class that are far superior to many of those in
the second and third. And some of those in the first
class areseriously misplaced. We shall ventilate this
matter to the bottom, and if proof can be obtained of
this piano firm's unprincipled methods we shall ex-
pose them to tho whole piano and organ trade.
Oun Chicago letter will be found unusually inter-
esting and newsy.
STILL MORE ABOUT THE RICHEY PIANO
COYER.
CHICAGO, March 28, 1H87.
DEAR MRS. UICHEY :
Your piano cover has been used in our school room
nearly a year. I can not say too much in its praise.
It not only protects, but beautifies the piano. In
short, it speaks for itself.
Yours truly,
EMELINE MARSH,
Teacher in Thos. Hoyne School, room 1,
Cor. Cass and Illinois Sts.,
City.
CHICAGO, I I I . , March 2s, 1NN7.
MRS. SARAH RICHEY :
Your patent piano cover, which I have in use since
May, 1886, has proved perfect, regarding protection
of instrument and wear of material.
Very truly yours,
Lois M. AIKEN.
73 N. State St.
MUSIC AS A SANITARY MEASURE.
CORRECT education of the voice, involving as
it does, the proper exercise of the organs of
the throat and the lungs, is a most Important
part of what we call physical education. No organs
will do more and better work under proper training
and care than those of the voice, and none break
down earlier under bad treatment. Trained voices
last longer in healthy conditions than any others,
and the reflex of clear tones and healthy lungs on
the vigor of the whole system is worthy of consider-
ation. Dr. Rush declares his conviction that the
German people are largely indebted for their exemp-
tion from pulmonary diseases to the strength and
volume which their lungs acquire in the practise of
vocal music, which is well nigh universal among that
people, extending from childhood to old age. When
American life is so subject to the ravages of the dis-
eases of the throat and lungs that 25,000 persons die
annually in New England alone from these causes,
It Is well worthy of consideration that music he
practised as a sanitary measure.—Montreal Herald
and Weekly Star.
A