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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
222
Mr. Dolge is a living testimony to the
unsurpassed. Fearing to continue his literary depreda-
tions upon the columns of his contemporaries (which
were becoming too notorious) in the old audacious
way, he fills up his bloated sheet with quotations from
great things that may be achieved for himself by a man
the Music TRADE REVIEW, and appends to them churl-
it is related with a simple and touching eloquence that
retains its force and power even after the narrative has
been transferred from the heart and lips of the orator
to cold type.
ish and misleading comments. His style is coarse and
ungentlemanly to the last degree, and is not in the
slightest measure relieved by the stale and idiotic puns
generous and philanthropic motives. T o say that Alfred
which mark his highest flights of humor.
Dolge, at the age of forty, is one of the best known and
most highly respected men in the music trades, is to
Mr. Freund is fond of posing as an authority upon
utter the merest truism. That he is also the protector
"gentlemen." In all charity we refer him to the words
and the idol of his employes is equally self-evident. of one of earth's noblest gentlemen, though a plow-boy
The best advice that we can give to other capitalists
—aye, and a "cow-boy" too:
and employers is, " go thou and do likewise."
" Oh! wad some power the giftie gie us,
To see oursels as ithers see us!"
One element of Mr. Dolge's success is to be found in
If
this
blatant, nauseous egotist could only receive
the fact that he is a shrewd and liberal advertiser. He
such
a
"
giftie,"
what would he behold ? A vaunting,
has always been keen enough and sensible enough to
vain-glorious
braggart;
impudent and intentionally in-
advertise his wares in the papers that go directly to the
accurate
in
his
remarks
upon
upright and high-spirited
trade he wishes to reach. The articles that he manu-
men
at
whose
doors
no
charge
involving dishonor can
facturers are thus brought to the notice of those who
be
laid;
slavish,
fawning
and
groveling
towards those
require them in the most speedy and effectual way.
from
whom
he
hopes
for
some
pecuniary
advantage.
After a single trial the customer is thoroughly satisfied
A
pleasant
reflection,
truly.
He
has
made
himself
ri-
with their quality, and thus both manufacturer and cus-
diculous
by
his
puny
rage
and
spite
anent
certain
gen-
tomer derive an extension of business and an increase of
of brains and pluck; and also of the public good that
may be accomplished by such a man when actuated by
FREE ifl
For the wroug that qeeds' resisb
For U?e falare iq tb« distance,
good tfcat we can do."
reputation that could not be acquired in any other way.
A WORKER.
MEN of brains are scarce enough; men of brains and
the energy to use them to good effect are still less nu-
merous; and there is an appalling paucity of men who,
possessing both energy and brains, work with all their
might to alleviate the lot of their fellow-man, and to in-
spire him with manly, virtuous, and just ideas.
Here in New York State, the largest city of which is
torn by dissensions between employers and employed,
to the detriment of both and also of the public at large,
is to be found a man of brains, energy, and worth, who
has devoted his powers in the most unselfish manner to
the solution of labor problems. Himself a child of la-
bor, for he worked at the journeyman's bench little over
twenty years ago, Mr. Alfred Dolge realizes the position
of the working-man, and sympathizes with him in his
aspirations, his desires, his sufferings, and his short-
comings. But he does not stop at mere sympathy; he
acts, and that with marvelous wisdom. In the first place
he appeals to the reason of his employes. He calls
them together, and takes counsel with them. On Satur-
day, the 26th of January last, he communed with them
for the twentieth annual time, and Heaven only knows
how often he has engaged in friendly converse with
them in groups and individually.
This means a great deal. It convinces the workmen
that they are dealing with one who is actuated by a
sense of right, and they accordingly feel secure and
hopeful. A spirit of justice and fair play is aroused
within them. Next, Mr. Dolge demonstrates in the
most practical way his belief that the laborer is worthy
of his hire. This is seen by a perusal of his wage list,
of his annual statements of " profit-sharing," his insur-
ance fund, sick funds, and superannuation funds. It is
seen in the schools that he has built; in the parks that
he has donated to his employes; in the happy and
peaceful atmosphere of the town of Dolgeville, which
has acquired under his fostering care and noble nurtur-
ing an enviable reputation throughout America for the
sobriety, prosperity, and comfort of its inhabitants.
All these blessings have followed in the wake of the
efforts of one good, brave, philanthropic man. " Man's
inhumanity to man," too truly says the poet, " makes
countless thousands mourn." In Dolgeville. happily,
we witness a different state of things. We realize how
man's goodness to his fellowman makes, literally, thou-
sands rejoice. No ancient fairy tale is more wonderful,
more entrancing, than the tale told by Mr. Dolge to his
assembled artisans a week ago last Saturday. It is a
story of small beginnings; of perseverance under diffi-
culties; of faith; of benevolence; of triumph. Further,
In writing of Mr. Dolge we should not omit to state
that he is an accomplished linguist, and a deep and
thorough student of social and economic problems.
To
his researches in the latter field are largely due the ad-
mirable methods adopted by him in dealing
with his employes.
financially
That he may long live to contem-
plate the beneficent effects of his labors, and to win yet
greater renown, is the heart's desire not only of every
citizen of Dolgeville, but of every right-minded man to
whom his glorious exploits have been made known.
•
* *
UNRELIABLE TRADE JOURNALS.
W I L L I A M S T E I N W A Y AND
T H A T N E W BANK.
tlemen connected with the Music TRADE REVIEW. His
venomous scurrility falls back in his own teeth. Each
of the gentlemen to whom he refers has at least the
record of an honest man, and fearlessly challenges a
minute inspection of his career. How does the self-
lacquerer stand in this regard ? We venture to assert
that he would not voluntarily demand a plain, truthful,
unvarnished statement as to his own character and ca-
reer from any man well posted on his history. Phy-
sician, heal thyself.
There is an amusing side to all this. Nothing enter-
tains us more than to watch the antics of this fellow,
Freund. First, he makes some vaunting, bull-frog kind
of a statement, the effect of which we immediately
smash, pulverise and destroy without an effort. Next,
he retires for a week or two to dress his wounds, trust-
ing to chance that the trade will forget^his ignominious
rout. Then he hobbles up once more, grinning like a
gorgon, only to be again quietly dropped in
the mud. Splash! There he goes, gnashing his teeth,
foaming at the mouth, and swallowing gudgeons that
taste singularly like crow. He reminds us of the craven
Captain Floyd Ireson, who, "for his hard heart," was
" tarred and feathered, and carried in a cart, by the
women of Marblehead." These worthy females, how-
ever, having duly punished the cowardly mariner, felt a
gleam of compassion for him, 50 " they built him a
house to hide him in, and left him alone, with his
shame and his sin." Unfortunately for John C, the
parallel connot be extended thus far. Nothing can blot
out his hideous history. His reformation, and his entry
into a decent, honest life are, apparently, still beclouded
by an Utopian atmosphere. Well, well ! Such speci-
mens of humanity have always existed. They are
the "awful examples" of the world, and serve the use-
ful purpose of showing us, by contrast, how to gain and
how to keep the respect and esteem of the worthy and
STATEMENTS recently made in certain pretended trade
papers, to the effect that William Steinway would be in-
terested in the bank about to be started on Union
Square, are utterly unauthorized and untrue.
The facts are as follows: Judge Dugro called upon
Mr. William Steinway, and inquired of him if the rooms
adjoining his warerooms belonged to Steinway Hall,
and if so whether he would rent them for the purposes
of a new bank. Mr. Steinway at once informed the
judge that he needed every inch of the space at his dis-
posal for his own business. Being then asked if he
would take stock in the new bank, Mr. Steinway positive-
ly stated to Judge Dugro that he would not; that he was
• closely identified with the directors and members of the
Bank of the Metropolis, and intended to remain loyal
to that institution. Judge Dugro then remarked that
he would like to have Mr. Steinway interested in the
new bank, so that it could control a certain amount of
piano paper, which the promotors understood was very
good, there being so few failures in the piano trade.
To this Mr. Steinway replied that the new bank would,
no doubt, have certain trade paper, but that in all pro- the good.
bability the Bank of the Metropolis would continue to
* *
have all it desired of that which was considered A No. 1,
THE " man of strong magnetism," according to his
and the new bank, if it wished, could take what was left. own admission, was himself once magnetized to a fear-
If the editors of these so-called trade papers wish to ful and wonderful extent. He spent three days with
shine as authentic sources of information affecting the C. G. Conn, of Elkhart, Ind., and was three weeks re-
trade, they will do well to proceed to the fountain-head covering. This was indeed a terrible experience. Our
for inspiration, instead of making laughing-stocks of wild mustang-breaker from the West has occasionally
themselves by seriously disseminating utterly unfound- undertaken the sampling of various species of "tangle-
foot," but never failed to report within a couple of days.
ed reports.
* *
Henceforth a carousal of unusually hideous proportions
MR. JOHN C. FREUND'S "brilliancy," so fondly be- will be described as " a Freund-floorer."
lieved in by that poor moonstruck creature Quigg, par-
HAINES BROTHERS, N. Y., are a very busy house. They
takes very much of the nature of lacquer, and frequently have just given an order to The Davenport & Treacy
fa4es frorn view. Jo low cunning, however, John C, is Co. for 500 plates to be delivered before May 1st,