Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1889 Vol. 12 N. 19

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
360
THE
DINNER
Harmonious Meeting of Prominent Piano
Makers at Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Music Men air their Eloquence
amid great enthusiasm.
A HAPPY AUGURY OF UNITY.
T
HE banqueting hall of the Fifth Avenue Hotel the
6th inst. presented a scene of which the like was
never before witnessed in the history of the mu-
sic trade of America. Over a hundred and twenty-five
gentlemen connected with the piano trade of New York
and the country generally sat down to a sumptuousdin-
ner, held in connection with the Washington Centennial
celebration and also to commemorate the completion of
the hundred years that have elapsed since the importa-
tion of the piano into the United States. The greatest
harmony and enthusiasm prevailed, the only competi-
tion observable being one in which every diner and
every orator endeavored to outvie his neighbors in ex-
hibitions of genuine friendliness. The dining-room was
handsomely draped with American flags, and an orches-
tra furnished music during the evening.
Mr. William Steinway presided with that dignity and
courtesy for which his name is a synonym, and at the
conclusion of the material feast responded eloquently to
the tonst of "Welcome," remarking that fiom the very
bottom of his heart he welcomed his co-workers to that
festive board on an occasion that filled him with emo-
tions of joy and true brotherhood. In reviewing the rise
and growth of the piano industry, he gave many inter-
esting reminiscences of the difficulties and tribulations
encountered by the pioneers and eminent men of the
craft since the time when old John Jacob Astor set the
great piano industry of America going. Astor had im-
ported the first piano that came to America, but Amer-
ica had long ago ceased to import pianos; she was now
exporting them, and European makers had to follow her
models. Comparing the piano trade of a century ago
with its present condition the speaker said that the im-
provement effected was only another mark of the growth
and development in America of all branches of com-
merce and art.
The chairman read letters from General W. T. Sher-
man, Mayor Grant, Governor Hill, and President Har-
rison, expressing the regret of the writers at their ina-
bility to be present at the banquet. General Sherman
had been invited to reply for the Army and Navy.
"The Piano: its relation to the development of mu-
sic." constituted the theme of a brilliant speech by Mr.
H. E. Krehbiel, who for over an hour held his large au-
dience spellbound by the magic of his eloquence. The
piano, said Mr. Krehbiel, was the greatest of all the mu-
sical instruments that had been handed down by the
great masters of the past. And it was a strange fact that
these masters had written and produced compositions of
which the piano is now the interpreter, many years be-
fore the perfection of that instrument had been obtain-
ed. He spoke of the piano as an exponent of all kinds
of music, religious and secular, and said that it combin-
ed ihe melody and harmony of many instruments in one.
Music had moved the world from the earliest ages, when
the lyres ol the gods had wakened the stones to listen,
and honor and praise were due to the men who had
aided in the expression of musical feeling. In thecourse
of his aLliij0aMtoi*> speaker referred to the tradition that
lington was a player upon the flute.
Colonel John A. Cockerill, president of the New York
Pr JSS Club, in responding for "ThePress," descanted up-
on the close lies of affection whereby art and literature
iv.re r-Lited, and upon the lasting benefits which the one
conf rred upon the other.
Hon. Morgan J. O'Brien replied with judicial dignity
to the toaPt "Our Judiciary," and remarked that though
he could not claim to be one of the old judiciary of New
York, he was proud to be one of its " young blood."
Col. the Hon. Levi K. Fuller, of Vermont, in speak-
ing for "Our Kindred Trades," said that he had ac-
cepted the President's invitation with peculiar pleasure,
leaving home and kindred among the green hills of Ver-
mont in order that he might meet face to face, and see
for himself, what manner of men the Esteys had cast
their lot among in connecting themselves in clanship
with kindred tradesmen in this island city by the sea.
The speaker concluded with the following peroration:—
"In the name of all that is grand and enobling in our
calling, in the name of the highest emotions of our be-
ings, called out by the greatest masters that play upon
the works of our production, let us be strong and ac
quit ourselves as men, as befits our profession, produc-
ing those instruments from which shall come the music
that shall roll down the centuries until it shall connect
the earth with the heavens, and then shall be fulfilled
the sentiment of my toast, 'One touch of nature makes
the whole world kin.' "
Col. Fuller's address was listened to with close atten-
tion throughout. It was delivered with dignified mien,
and fully vindicated the reputation as an orator which
the gallant Colonel has acquired throughout the United
States.
Mr. Shayne, in responding to "Our Merchants," pro-
ceeded, in an able and humorous speech, to discuss, ap-
provingly, the great advertising media which had borne
so important a part in the development of trade.
'• The younger generation " formed the subject of a
bright speech by Mr. Albert Weber, who clearly de-
monstrated that he was in hearty sympathy and
accord with the worthy young men of the present
generation. He spoke with eloquent force of what had
been accomplished by the young men of America within
the last hundred years, and predicted that they would
shed lustre and glory upon their country for a thousand
years to come.
Mr. Francis Bacon responded to " The Piano Trade,
its honorable record for the century which is psst, its
glorious outlook for the century to come." Mr. Bacon
illustrated his points very forcibly, recounting the hon-
orable record of the piano trade for the past hundred
years, and facetiously observing that whereas piano
men had in former times acted mostly on the square,
they were now almost entirely upright.
Mr. Haring, with the Weber firm, distinguished him-
self by delivering a very excellent speech in response to
the toast of " The Silent Workers," in the course of
which he paid a glowing tribute to the genius and
spirit of progress ever displayed by piano-makers, illus-
trating the point by a dramatic quotation of the time-
honored lines :
" The boys will roll the ten piHs,
And the boys will set 'em up."
Mr. Haring referred in feeling and kindly terms to the
merits of Mr. Albert Weber, deceased. Continuing,
he expressed his belief that the piano trade of America
was at present merely on the threshold of greater and
more glorious triumphs. Coming to the toast with
which his name had been associated, Mr. Haring de-
clared that he considered the compliment of his selec-
tion to speak thereto in no sense a personal one, but an
honor to the firm of Albert Weber. " I belong," said
the speaker, " to the silent workers. We toil in the bat-
tle of life like the soldier in war, and fall ' unwept, un-
honored, and unsung.' Look at the great army of
toilers in the world of industry of whom one never
hears, and without whose labor, and particularly with-
out whose reliability and honesty, no enterprise would
be possible. Look at the great houses in our own trade,
and observe that while one is striving for medals and
honors, while another is disporting himself in the gay
capitals of Europe, and yet others are constantly in-
creasing their bank accounts, the same plodding, steady,
loyal, silent worker is ever at the post of duty. How
many houses to-day largely owe their success to this
great body of silent workers? Let us look a little fur-
ther, and view for a moment our kindred trades. What
force permitted a thriving city to be built in a wilder-
ness in the central part of this State? To the gentle-
man whose views on ' profit-sharing' and the great
problem of the equalization of labor and capital have
made his name famous in both hemispheres, I offer my
congratulations in having as fine a body of faithful
silent workers as can be found in any establishment in
the world. Our trade may feel proud of the exalted
position it holds in the musical, as well as in the social
and political world. I see in this banquet-room to-
night gentlemen who have been especial favorites in
the White House, as the President's guests. I see, too,
one who was the chosen representative of this glorious
nation to Great Britain, and who bore with him a
trophy from America to that immortal Englishman,
William E. Gladstone. Yet another, a young man,
whom it was seriously contemplated to make Mayor of
this great city, and whej should his life and health be
spared, may yet grace the gubernatorial chair. But I
will not detain you with making allusion to the celebri-
ties whom we have with us. To the silent workers,
however, I would say, le,t us emulate the example of
those who have attained that prominence to which they
are so justly entitled and in which they shine so con-
spicuously, appreciating more than ever before the
possibilities and opportunities for the humblest of us in
this land of generous and unbounded freedom."
The proceedings were closed by Mr. Steinway in a
few well chosen sentences. The worthy president con-
fidently hoped that, great as were the harmony and
good feeling that characterized the gathering, the occa.
sion was but the beginning of a long period of unity
among the members of the trade. It was his fervent
desire that a similar meeting should be held annually
in future, with the view of welding into one happy and
united mass the whole of the representatives of their
great industry.
The highest praise is due to Mr. Steinway for the
most able, dignified and thorough manner in which he
discharged his important functions.
The following is a copy of the prepared list of toasts,
with the accompanying epigraphs:—
WELCOME. " Small cheer and great welcome makes
merry feast."—Comedy of Errors.
THE ARMY AND NAVY. "War's glorious art gives
immortal fame."—Young.
THE PIANO. Its relation to the development of
music.
BEHR BROTHERS PHILADELPHIA WAREROOMS
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
thief!" Union Square was crowded with nurses and
children, but the cries of Mr. Behr attracted the park
police, who, however, were somewhat ruffled when the
daring young ruffian drew a small revolver, and fired
several volleys into the grass. They formed timidly in
a circle, and watched for an opportunity of closing upon
the thief, when one gray-coated functionary, more plucky
than his fellows—by name Patrick Mahon—grabbed Kel-
ly just before the regular police came up. The latter had
been sent to the rescue by Inspector Byrnes, who was
standing on the park walk and had noticed the white-
THE YOUNGER GENERATION. " Tis now the summer
feathered action of the gray-uniformed custodians. By
of your Youth."—Edward Moore.
TH™ PIANO «TRADE. Its honorable record for the order of the Inspector the youthful Dick Turpin was
centuiy which is past. Its glorious outlook for the taken to the bank, where the stolen money—$920, was
restored to Mr. Behr. The thief, who pleaded guilty to
century to come.
Midnight had passed ere the last words were spoken. the offense before Justice O'Reilly at Jefferson Market,
The dinner was a splendid success, amply rewarding and was held in $2,000, gave his age as sixteen and a
all who had so generously and unselfishly toiled to half years.
imke it so. It was, as has been seen, attended by the
The coolness of Mr. Behr was admirable. Many
very flower of the piano trade. The amount of wealth another man would have rushed after the robber and
represented was enormous, the intelligence and stand- forgotten all about the remaining bills. Our piano friend
ing of the speakers of the highest. No grander, more had more presence of mind, and at the same time took
harmonious, or more successful termination to the part care of what money had not been seized and adopted
taken by the trade in the great Centennial celebration prompt measures to recover the balance. He is an Up-
could have been looked for by the most sanguine.
right Behr, and no mistake; also very quick and respon-
Following ar° the names of the most prominent sive in action, and possessed of nerves strung to exactly
among the guests: Judge Morgan J. O'Brien, C. C. the right pitch.
Shayne, H. E. Kr.ehbiel, W. B. Stone, Levi K. Fuller,
of Vermont; Francis Bacon, W. P. H. Bacon, Henry
J. & C. FISCHER'S N E W WAREROOMS.
Behning, Sr., Henry Behning, Jr., Albert. F. Behnir.g,
Gustav J. Behning, Henry Behr, Edward Behr, Marc THEY ARE SITUATED IN THE NEW AND HANDSOME
"JUDGE" BUILDING AND WILL BE A WORTHY RE-
A. Blumenberg, Stephen Brambach, J. Burns Brown,
POSITORY OF AN EXCELLENT PIANO.
C. L. Burchard, Edward L. Bill, C. Brooks, James
Cumston, Mr. Currier, Tucker David, J. W. Donelan,
HE old and honored firm of J. & C. Fischer, piano-
Peter Duffy, C. B. Lawson, William D. Lazelle, Henry
makers, will ere long occupy new quarters upon
D. Low, P. G. MehLn, Adam Nickel, A. J. Newby, A. Nil-
the ground floor of the new yW^,? building at
son, Robert Prior, Robert Proddow, F. M. Reynolds i Fifth avenue and Sixteenth street, New York city. This
R. A. Saalfield, F. Schuler, J. B. Simpson, Jr., Hugo move is consistent with the prestige of the house of
Sohmer, M Steinert, George A. Steinway, Frederick T. Fischer—a prestige won by a half century of successful
Steinway, William J. Duffy, J. J. Estey, Thomas H. efforts in the sphere of piano-building, and five decades
Evans, O. M. Farrand, E. K. Farrell. Karl Fink, J. W. of spotless commercial life.
French, Harry E. Freund, August Gemunder, J. R.
The new Judge building is one of the proudest archi-
Graham, Jr.' Rudolph Gross, W V. D. Haring, Samuel
tectural
triumphs of this city, as everybody is forced to
Hazelton, George W. Herbert, A. C. James, W. A. Kim-
berly, Reinhard Kochmann, Felix Kraemer, Nahum admit who gazes with intelligent eye upon its impos
Stetson, Peter D. Strauch, D. F. Treacy, Francis Taylor, ing proportions, its evidences of strength and durabil-
Louis Van Bernuth, P. T. Wall, R M. Walters, Albert ity, and its many beauties. Not a single wooden floor
Weber, George L. Weitz, E. S. Werner, John A. Weser, exists in the entire structure, the whole of which is ab-
Samuel T. White, W. A. White, Robert Wiedermann, solutely fire-proof and thoroughly impervious to every
Henry Ziegler, R, J. Horner, Richard G. Hollaman, T. deleterious influence, whether atmospheric or otherwise.
Judge is certainly to be congratulaied upon the excellent
F. Kraemer.
judgment displayed in the planning and erection of this
magnificent edifice.
MORE GLORY TO T H E HOUSE OF BEHR.
The portion of the new building secured by Messrs.
Fischer consists of the ground floor, which measures no
ATTEMPTED ROBBERY OF MR. EDWARD KEHR IN THE
less than fifty-seven feet of frontage and one hundred
BANK OF THE METROPOLIS. HIS COOL AND PROMPT
and fifty feet in depth. This superb space is about to be
ACTION.
fitted up and decorated in a manner appropriate to the
OHN E. KELLY, a pale-faced youth who has evi- position of the distinguished firm. The office appoint-
dently graduated with some distinction in the art ments, too, will be of the most convenient, healthful and
of pilfering, was the means of bringing out, on refined character. Once the new premises are occupied,
Saturday last, the fine quality of grit which characterizes no other piano warerooms will vie with them in attract-
one of New York's prominent piano men. We refer to ing the /lite of the musical world, and the most distin-
Mr. Edward Behr, of Behr Bros. & Co., who at about guished representatives of artistic and aesthetic culture.
half-past eleven o'clock on the day mentioned presented
Splendid as the new establishment will be in other
a check for $1,300. the amount of his firm's pay-roll, to respects, its chief magnet will of course be the Fischer
the teller of the Bank of the Metropolis, Union Square. Piano in its three forms of grand, square and up-
Owing to the occurrence of the three Centennial holi- right. The good qualities of this instrument, though
days the amount of money drawn on this particular well appreciated throughout the length and breadth of
Saturday was but about half that usually required for the the land, will ever bear description. Its power, tone,
employes' wages. Saturday is an extremely busy day at touch and action evidence great skill and ingenuity on
this banking house, and on' receiving his currency Mr. the part of its constructors. We must, in particular, al-
Behr retired to a desk built into the wall in one corner of lude to the admirable J, & C. Fischer upright piano,
the bank, so as to avoid delaying other customers by which, while combining the solidity and strength of the
counting the money at the teller's window. All at once, square, possesses the singing and tone sustaining quali-
while counting up his bills, somebody pushed against ties of the grand. These qualities are especially agree-
him; in the next instant, a hand had dashed into the pile able to the well-attuned ear. Purchasers unite in ac-
of money, and the owner of said hand had passed into knowledging that they know not whether most to ad-
the street. Mr. Behr acted in this emergency with a mire the grand volume of pure musical sound, or the
coolness and a rapidity that deserve the highest com- lovely singing quality.
mendation, Gathering up the remaining bills he was
In point of durability these instruments cannot, we
at the heels of the fugitive in a twinkling, yelling " Stop are convinced, be surpassed by any others of similar
THE PRESS. "Here shall the Press the people's
righ't maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by
gain."—Story.
OUR JUDICIARY. " Of law there can be no less ac-
knowledged than that her seat is the bosom of God>
her voice the harmony of the world.' —Hooker.
OUR KINDRED TRADES. " One touch of nature makes
the whole world kin."—Shakespeare.
OUR MERCHANTS. ' Men, some to business, some to
pleasure take."—Pope.
T
J
AHLSTROM PIANOS.
ESTABLISHED 1875-
grade and price. The most conscientious attention is
given to their construction; and a practical and scienti-
fic knowledge gained by the experience and study of
fifty years enables their manufacturers to produce a case
capable of withstanding the influences of time at all
seasons and in all climates. This house is desirous of
making a piano that will last. Consequently, each de-
partment of their gigantic factory in West Twenty-eight
street is under the personal supervision of a member of
the firm—a circumstanee which, to us at least, fully
guarantees reliability in point of construction.
The elegance of ths J. & C. Fischer pianos is well nigh
as striking as the accuracy and perfection of their inter-
ior construction. The woods employed are fancy burled
walnut, mahogany, figured ash, burled birch, English
oak, etc., the beauty of the material being greatly en-
hanced by its treatment in the matters of panel designs,
fretwork, carving, and so forth.
J. & C. Fischer employ six hundred workmen, who
finish about two and a half pianos for every working
hour throughout the year. Bearing this fact in mind,
it is not surprising to find that no less than 79,000 of this
firm's pianos are in use at the present moment. Testi-
monials to their merits and beauties flow in upon
Messrs. Fischer in a perennial and ever increasing
stream In removing to the commodious and splendid
rooms in the Judge building the firm offer irrefragable
evidence of prosperity. Their success is but the just re-
ward of patiently exerted skill, just dealing, judicious
management and discreet advertising.
LONDON ENGLAND.
LONDON, April 23, 1889.
MESSRS. BILL & BILL,
GENTLEMEN :—Since I left you in New York I have
had about the worst passage of the season. We had
fourteen days of the worst weather that seamen have
ever known, and our journey was made particularly im-
pressive and doleful by the death of one of the passen-
gers who occupied a stateroom next to mine, and who
was buried at sea on Sunday.
Since my arrival in London I have found everyone
asleep. The Easter holidays are "on" and no one ap-
pears to have any life at all. I found the whole town
asleep or dead and they are only just coming to life.
To-day I walked into the office of the London house
of the Smith American Organ Company, and found
there an old friend, Mr. John N. MerriU, who has been
here for the past year and a half, and Mr. Hawkins,
who has been here in the company's interests for the
past eight years. I received much attention from these
two genial gentlemen, and was invited to lunch at the
First Avenue Hotel The trio of Yankees found their
way against a rain-storm up to the hotel, and partook
of a table d'hote luncheon. We had a jolly hour, and
stopped on the way back to the office for Mr. Merrill to
secure his ticket for New York, whence he will sail on
the n t h of May. During his absence Mr. Hawkins will
have a hard row to pull, as the business of the Smith
Company appears to be a very large one in Europe, and
is more than any one man can manage. The Smiths
are fortunate in having two such energetic and agree-
able men to look after their interests in London.
Well, I mustn't trespass too much upon your time,
for your time is valuable, and mine is scarce, as I must
bolt over to my hotel and pack for my trip to Paris, to
which city I start to-night. I shall remain there for
two weeks, and then Ho ! for home, and farewell to Eng-
land. I have seen a good deal of this country and its
people since my arrival, and have made up my mind
that after all there is no country on the face of the
earth that can approach our own country.
When I reach New York I will look you up, and tell
you of some of the sights I have seen.
Yours sincerely,
P. L. HORNER.
Do not lose your chance of obtaining copies of this illus-
trated Centennial number of T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Order at once. Price, twenty five cents per copy. Photo-
graphs of the piano procession may be procured at the same
ddress. Price 5 0 cents.
R e l i a b l e A g e n t s ' W a n t e d for these incomparable instruments, which
possess many valuable improvements not found in pianos of any other make.
Specially adapted as leaders, and sold exclusively as First Grade Instruments.
C. A. AHLSTROM,
MANUFACTURER,
Nos. lia, 114 & 116 East id Street
JAMESTOWN, IV. Y.

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