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Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
290
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• SYLVESTER TOWER'S $5 BILL.
THE Musical Courier, with the sincerity and consist-
ency for which it is distinguished, advises its trade con-
temporaries to avoid undue puffing. For once, strange
as such a lapse into paths of virtue may appear, we are
inclined to act upon this ingenuous and benevolent
counsel.
It came about in this wise. During a recent ramble
in Massachusetts we called at the factory of Mr. Sylves-
ter Tower, the Cambridgeport action manufacturer.
Merely an ordinary, friendly business call, made with-
out the least expectation of obtaining an advertisement
or a subscription from Mr. Tower.
On parting with Mr. Tower we cordially grasped his
hand. We like to be cordial. It is natural to us to ex-
tend the right hand of good-fellowship, and to do so
totally regardless of business considerations, In this
case, however, the manual contact conveyed to our sys-
tem a kind of electric shock. Upon withdrawing our
palm from Mr. Tower's affectionate clutch we discov-
ered that he had put us in temporary possession of a $5
bill. Ere the effect of said shock had died away we
heard Mr. Sylvester Tower utter some such words as
" traveling expenses are heavy, you know," and saw him
distort his features with a sardonic grin.
Various methods of dealing with the " V " occurred
to us. Light a cigar with it ? No; that would be im-
polite. Tear it up ? Equally ungentlemanly. Hand
it to the office boy ? That might seem to indicate that
we considered the money our own. So we returned it
to Mr. Tower with a quiet protest, savoring strongly of
contempt.
We trust that we have not done Mr. Tower a wrong.
We are willing to recognize his generous impulses,
which stand out with singular prominence when we con-
sider the chronic poverty against which he has to con-
tend. We appreciate his affection for us. Probably
we looked hungry—craving for a free lunch. Still,
heartless and churlish as our conduct may seem, we
have a weakness for earning our own subsistence. We
do not feel like being classed as recipients of charity.
A dollar a day in return for breaking stones on the
highway would be sweeter to us than a million dollars
proffered a la Tower.
It is pitiable that so liberally disposed a man should
lack the fundamental essentials of good taste and good
sense.
Did Mr. Tower desire us to write up a glowing ac-
count of his business ? Perish the thought ! We can
imagine ourselves publishing—aye, free of fee, or pros-
pect of pecuniary reward, any species of matter that is
calculated to benefit or interest the music trade. Apart
from this, we can freely boast of always having recipro-
cated, to the full, the patronage of our customers, and
that without violating any rule or principle of honor or
just dealing. Moreover, the man does not exist who
can truthfully accuse us of stooping to low, underhanded,
sneaking methods of money-making.
No, Mr. Tower, when the time comes at which we
cannot conduct a trade paper at a living profit without
receiving $5 bills offered in the manner in which you
extend them, we will adopt some other frank and hon-
est mode of keeping the wolf from the door. In the mean-
time, know that, whenever you look upon a represent-
to us. Our reason for so doing is, that we intend to
push your pianos both by advertising extensively and
sending out our drummers, and after we have worked
up a good trade and made pianos popular, do not care
to have some other gent reap the great benefit of our
labor. It is alike for your benefit and we trust it is per-
fectly satisfactory. Yours very truly,
Louis GRUNEWALD & Co.
These documents will cause Mr. Blumenberg to see
what Louis Grunewald & Co. think of the McEwen
piano. What has the infallible Marc to say about these
documents?
It is true that Mr. Blumenberg does not, in so many
ative of THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, you will see—not
words, condemn the McEwen piano as utterly worth-
a blackmailer, not a sneak, not an idiot, not a truckler, less, but if an article similar to the one quoted above
not a shoddy soi-disant " gentleman," not a solicitor of had appeared in any other trade paper anent the piano
alms ; but an independent, fearless business man.
made by any one of his advertising customers, what in-
*
terference would he, as an intelligent man have drawn?
* *
The Courier speaks of Grunewald & Co. as "a great
WHAT IS THE COURIER'S OBJECT?
house,
and among the honored firms in the trade."
THE Musical Courier boasts of its originality, free-
These
expressions will scarcely apply to a firm un-
dom, and independence. To judge from their own ut-
able
to
judge
whether or not there is anything meri-
terences alone, the editors of that sheet are charac-
torious
in
the
wares which they offer for sale.
terized by a more than Jeffersonian honesty, and a more
Moreover,
we
assert, in the most positive way, that
than George Washingtonian love of truth. It is painful,
C.
C.
McEwen
does
not stencil pianos, and further that
on further testing the claims of the Courier to truth and
he
does
not
sell
stenciled
pianos, as Mr. Blumenberg
honesty, to find how little of either of these virtues can
might
very
easily
have
ascertained.
be set to its credit. It is shocking to contemplate the
As to the standing of the McEwen piano, we
extent of its misrepresentation.
would
call attention to a page of this issue of THE
For a considerable time past the Courier has endeav-
MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW, which is crowded with testi-
ored, by inaccurate statements, to injure the reputa-
mony
from
leading dealers and others residing in all
tion of the excellent piano firm of C. C. McEwen. The
parts
of
the
country as to the qualities and merits of
statements contained in the following article, which ap-
peared in a recent issue of the Courier, are so mislead- that—for its grade—most admirable instrument. Mr.
ing and unjust that we feel it to be our duty, in the in- Blumenberg's insinuations, when placed in the scale
against these testimonials, cut, to say the least, a rid-
terests of the trade at large, to refute them :—
iculously sorry figure.
MCEWEN AND STENCIL.
Again we ask, what is the object of the Courier in
Messrs. Louis Grunewald & Co., of New Orleans, are perpetrating these atrocities?
a great house and among the honored firms in the
*
* *
trade. Because such is the case we deem it proper to
call their attention to an advertisement in the New
T H E PIANO FOR E V E R .
Orleans Daily States, in which their firm name is used,
and which says that the " McEwen piano, acknowledged
WITH the attainment of perfect piano-playing, thinks
to be the nearest to absolute perfection ever obtained
in a piano." We do not believe that Messrs. Grunewald a contemporary German writer, musical art will seek a
paid for the advertisement, as it is a McEwen advertise- new instrument from which greater delight may be
ment that only incidentally refers to the Grunewald
evolved. The same writer suggests that such new in-
house as agents.
And yet it places Messrs. Grunewald in a false posi- strument will combine wind power with strings—the
tion. They sell pianos much higher in grade than the orchestra reduced to a key-board
McEwen pianos—pianos much nearer what may be
termed, for argument sake, perfection than the McEwen
We will not, at this time, attempt to controvert the
pianos. In addition to this it must be remembered
German
writer's speculation as to the instrument of the
there are stencil pianqs, called or named " McEwen,"
and sold by the same parties who sell the McEwen future. We will, however, venture to disagree with his
piano, or by parties interested in the sale of McEwen
pianos. See what kind of a mixtum comfiositum the insinuation that the sun of the piano is seating. In its
McEwen piano business is anyhow. The elder McEwen very nature that noble instrument is enduring. It is
sells stencil pianos and McEwen pianos. The younger
McEwen sells McEwen pianos. Both have sold many the latest of a series of developments that began many
McEwen stencil and McEwen pianos. How are you generations ago. Possibly it is destined to still highei
going to tell the difference ?
developments. It, however, has a distinctive power 01
What " we do not believe" in this connection is a answering to and illustrating every emotion of grief,
matter of no importance, except as illustrating the gen- joy, pleasure or pain that agitates the bosom of the
eral unreliability of the Courier's assertions. Messrs. composer, and, moreover, of arousing the same emo-
Grunewald may be supposed to have some knowledge as tions in all sympathetic listeners. This alone will cause
to whether this advertisement places them " in a false the piano to survive, at least until the nature of man is
position," or not. Assuming for the moment that they changed.
have unwittingly placed themselves in such a position,
This power is the result of the struggling efforts of
they would hardly look to a man of Mr. Blumenberg's men toward an ideal, efforts akin to those that have
reputation to extricate them from it. Their own opin- been put forth by noble natures in the development of
ion of the position in which they have placed themselves other arts. Brooklyn Bridge is the perfect develop-
may be arrived at by a perusal of the following copies ment of the rude tree-trunk whereby primaeval man
of two documents, one being a contract drawn by them was enabled to cross a creek. The cornet, the sax-horn,
for signature by C. C. Me. Ewen, and the other a letter the trombone, the euphonium, are but improved—vastly
written by them in reference to that contract.
improved—forms of the ancient ram's horn by whose
The contract reads as follows :—
fearful simplicity of sound the wandering sons of Israel
New York, January, 1889.
were reminded that the time to perform certain religious
I, the undersigned, agree to give Louis Grunewald & duties had arrived. The crude, barbaric Asiatic lute,
Co., of New Orleans, the sole agency for the sale of our
pianos for a period of five years from date, for the en- with body of snake-skin and a couple of coarse strings,
tire State of Louisiana and adjoining counties in the is seen in more artistic form in the guitar, the violin,
States of Mississippi and Alabama.
the mandolin. Most musical instruments have arrived
Here is the letter:
at a satisfaction-giving stage the coming of which has
New Orleans, Dec. 29th, 1888.
been more or less unconsciously yearned for through
C. C. McEwen, Esq., New York.
DEAR SIR: We beg to hand you the enclosed con-
hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Each may
tract, and would request that you sign same and return