Music Trade Review

Issue: 1889 Vol. 12 N. 23

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
berg occasionally amuses himself by including this or-
gan among what he describes as " stencil sheets." Here-
in he is guilty of deliberate misrepresentation. THE
GUILD PIANOS.
THE NEW BOSTON INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR ADVAN-
TAGES.—A VENTURE THAT PROMISES TO SUCCEED.
MUSIC TRADE REVIEW is no more entitled to such a
designation than is The Musical Courier, and no man
knows this better than Mr. Blumenberg. On this point,
however, we are content to abide by the judgment of
the trade. Our immediate object is to point out that
The Musical Courier is, to say the least, just as liable
to error as any other paper, whether on the subject of
trade-mark legislation or anything else, and that its
claims to be the "only" and the infallible guide of the
trade are of the very quintessence of absurdity.
*
* *
THE Waterloo (N. Y.) Organ Company have, as an-
nounced in our last issue, decided to enter upon the
manufacture of first-class pianos. Their piano cases
will be made at their well-known organ factory, while
the pianos will be finished and put together at the old
Yeast Cake factory on Church street, Waterloo, which
they have leased. The preparations made by the com-
pany for their new enterprise, their selection of Mr.
Mennig as superintendent, and the high, unsullied, and
wide-spread reputation •gained by them during their
prosperous career as makers of organs, augur well for
their acquisition in the near future of a very prominent
position in the new
field.

*
* *
THE Standard Gas Light Company, of Long Island
City, have received their quietus in the matter of the
$250,000 suit brought by them against Mr. William
Steinway. The chief witness for the company, J. W.
Kulenkamp, swore that Mr. Steinway had promised to
pay all the debts of the bankrupt company, and would
furnish all the necessary money and organize a new
company, he (Mr. Steinway) receiving one-fourth of the
stock, and three others, of whom two were entirely
unknown to Mr. Steinway, receiving three-fourths stock
in the proposed company. The presiding judge, Hon.
Joseph F. Daly, decided that plaintiffs had not succeed-
ed in establishing the slightest evidence for their claim.
The jury were unanimously for the defendant. A very
shaky feature of the suit was that DeKraft, Vice-
President of the company, who had Bworn to the com-
plaint, absolutely refused to testify.
THE CONEMAUGH FUND.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT UY ADJUTANT-GENERAL HASTINGS
—FURTHER CONTRIBUTIONS.
ADJUTANT GENERAL'S OFFICE, HARRISBURG,
JOHNSTOWN, PENNA., June, 18th 1889.
MESSRS. BILL & BILL,
3 East 14th St., New York.
GENTLEMEN:—I have the pleasure of acknowledging
receipt of your kind favor of the 12th inst., enclosing
check for $35.00 for the benefit of the Johnstown, Pa.,
sufferers.
I have placed the same in the hands of Gov. James
A. Beaver, who will hold it in trust until the Charity
Commission is organized, when it will be turned over
to that body.
Very respectfully,
D. H. HASTINGS, Adj't General.
ATLANTA, GA., June 17th, 1889.
MESSRS. BILL & BILL,
New York.
GENTLEMEN: On my return found your appeal for
Penn. sufferers, and am only sorry that our company
cannot as a company contribute to the fund. As you
are probably aware, we have not as yet had any returns
from our outlay and it requires strict economy to carry
our enterprise to a successful issue. Still, as a souther-
ner, who can but sympathize with the sufferers and re.
membering the generous assistance rendered our sister
cities, Charleston and Jacksonville, by our Northern
brethren, feel a desire to contribute, and enclose here-
with a check for ten dollars. Pay subscription for
TRADE REVIEW and remainder pass to fund for suffer-
ers as my private contribution. Regretting that it is
not more. I remain,
Yours truly,
R. A. HOLLIDAY, Manager.
T
HE new Guild pianos number many styles in rose-
wood, mahogany and walnut. Their three most
attractive forms are the " Cabinet Grand," "The
Parlor Favorite " and " The Student's Upright." These
handsome styles must necessarily vary from time to
time, in accordance with the changing demands of good
taste in artistic furnishing and decorating. The genius
of the Guild firm is not narrow or circumscribed, for
they possess the ability to build piano cases to order
from every kind of beautiful design, so as to match all
sorts of interior decoration. Bronzing, carving, fretting,
and a thousand and one other modes of piano embel-
lishment are carried out, in the hands of the Guild con-
cern, with marvelous exactitude, neatness, richness and
completeness.
As with the exterior of the piano, so with the more
important matters of its innermost recesses, for here,
too, Guild's ingenious devices and contrivances have
been brought to bear with great effect, and with singu-
lar advantage to pianists. We would, in particular, call
attention to " Guild's Patent Stringing and Tuning De-
vice," and "Guild's Patent Sounding Board Bridge."
These are simple in construction, and perfect in their
working, having all the advantages of the old method
with none of its defects. By means of the former, the
piano can be tuned, with ease, to micrometrical accuracy,
and when tuned will, Mr. Guild claims, stand in abso-
lutely perfect tune for a very much longer period than
those pianos in which the o^d wood pin block and tuning
pins are relied upon. By the aid of the other invention
above mentioned are obtained a perfect wood bearing,
and a straight line draft from hitch pin to string holder,
and a much improved quality of tone, the liability of the
piano to get out of tune being greatly reduced since
there are no bridge pins to yield, get loose, or jar.
These two inventions, taken in conjunction with the
scientific and extremely skilful construction of the Guild
piano as a whole, render the falling out of tune of that
instrument a very rare event.
Another improvement in these Guild pianos is the
self adjusting music desk, which can be adjusted at will
at any desired distance from the performer; is so con-
structed that there is a rest for the music throughout
the entire length of the piano; and allows the full tone
of the instrument to be heard.
George M. Guild began to make pianos close upon
thirty years ago. Only a week or two back he was
called upon to make some repairs on a piano construct-
ed by him in 1861, and which, though it had not been
touched by the repairer since, was found to be in gen-
erally first-class condition, and has now a long renewed
lease of useful life before it. This is a significant fact,
and thousands of such facts can be adduced, for these
pianos have reached the astonishing number of over
25,000, and are doing good service in all quarters of
the world. Mr. George M. Guild's methods of to-day
are the counterpart of those employed by him more
than a quarter of a century ago. He has never
used any but the very best materials. Neither has he
ever employed any workmen other than those of the
highest grade of skill. Many of his present employees
have worked with him from ten to twenty-five years,
and no better can be found.
The new and beautiful Guild pianos of Boston will
certainly prove strongly attractive to the trade.
4i5
vision of Andrew Boyd and Andrew Beebe Boyd of
Syracuse, N. Y.
The Boyd family have acquired much celebrity as
compilers of directories, arfd the work before us—their
American Musical Directory for 1889-1890—appears
upon a cursory glance to be a very serviceable one. It
is a handy octavo volume of 471 pages, and is divided
into three subdivisions, viz: T. A directory of the firms
of the United States and Territories, including music
houses and dealers, manufacturers, supply men, and
trade and professional journals, arranged in alphabetical
order of states, cities and villages, persons and firms.
2. A similar directory relating to the Canadas, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Prince Edward
Island. 3. A list of names of music teachers in the
United States residing in places of 5,000 population and
upwards. There is also an index to States and another
to advertisements, of which latter the book contains a
goodly and highly attractive display.
GEORGE BOTHNER.
HIS ACTIONS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, AND ARE EN-
DORSED BY LEADING PIANO-MAKERS.
T
O use a modern and not inexpressive colloquialism,
there are no flies on George Bothner. If there
were, the music trade would know it and have
found them out long ago.
George Bothner b,egan life as an action maker almost
a quarter of a century ago, his chief capital consisting
of h,onesty, industry, and a thorough knowledge of his
craft. The excellence of his work soon attracted atten-
tion, and he has gone on, steadily progressing in public
favor, until he is to-day the proprietor of a large factory
at Nos. 135 and 137 Chrystie street, New York city,
which is well furnished with implements and machines
necessary to the making of piano actions.
Very many pianos that appeal most to the taste of the*
dealer and of the musician are supplied with the Both-
ner actions.
The merits of «uch a man as Mr. Bothner inevitably
appeal successfully to the good sense, as well as to the
interest, of piano-makers. Consequently, his books teem
with entries of orders, many of which are unfilled, for
the demand upon his resources seems at times to be
considerably out of proportion to his powers of supply.
Still, with the effective aid of his son, Mr. George Both-
ner, Jr., who has been thoroughly educated in his
father's factory in the art of piano-action making, the
interests of customers are well and conscientiously
attended to.
Mr. Bothner, Jr., has for some time past acted as the
practical head of the house, and in that responsible
position has proved himself in every respect a worthy
representative of his sire.
The quality and durability of the Bothner actions
are, as we have said, sufficiently evidenced by the stand-
ing of the manufacturers in whose instruments they are
employed. Further, as with the quality and durability
of the actions, so with the character and reputation of
the makers. None of these things require to be experi-
mented upon. They are facts.
SOUTHERN PIANO-MAKERS.
GROWING CELEBRITY OF THE COOPER IMPROVED PIANO.
HE Atlanta Pianoforte Manufacturing Company,
manufacturers of the Cooper improved piano,
Atlanta, Ga., are making exceedingly satis-
BOYD'S MUSICAL DIRECTORY.
factory headway. Certainly their piano has won the
enthusiastic admiration of their fellow-citizens, who
f I MIE compiling and proper arrangement of a com-
consider that it compares favorably with the best
I
plete directory of the music trade of this country pianos made by the celebrated manufacturers ol the
•*- involves an amount of labor and the possession North. At a recent concert given in Atlanta by the
of a stock of patience of which no man, save he who eminent Joseph Hart Denck, a Cooper piano was
has been engaged upon such a work, can form anything used. The audience were delighted with the instru-
like an approximate idea. Those who toil upon a direc- ment, some distinguished local musicians who were
tory or a vast index day after day, conscientiously ex- present declaring that they had never heard its equal.
amining and re-examining the fruits of their efforts to
ascertain that nothing of importance has been omitted,
are among the chief benefactors of the human race.
THE Lansing Music Company, Limited, is the title
Their labors are too often unappreciated by the public of a new music concern carrying on business at No. 233
whom they serve, though very brief reflection suffices Washington Avenue, Lansing, Mich. They have a
to show how profoundly grateful toward them the com- capital stock of $9,000. The store consists of two
mercial and literary communities ought to be.
floors, connected by an elevator, and is elegantly fitted
A very creditable music trade directory is " Boyd's and furnished. D. C. Klock is Manager and Secretary
Musical Directory of the United States and Provinces," of the Company, who carry full lines of sheet music
compiled by Boyid's Directory Corps, under the super- and musical merchandise.
T
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
4i 6
ber of the firm, in a recent letter to this firm, explained
what instruments they handled, I will not go into de-
tails. This store is about 20 x 50, in a poor location,
DENVER, C&LORADO, June 26th, 1889.
where rent is cheap and business likewise.

Last winter I mentioned in one of my letters that it
An eastern jaunt, the dulness of tracte and the devil-
would not prove surprising if ex-Governcr Warren of
ish hot weather have been some of the obstacles that
Cheyenne would move his mammoth house to Denver.
screwed my path whenever I felt disposed to write to
Our fondest hopes, however, have been dispelled for
T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW. The dulr.ess of trade
several weeks ago President Harrison re-appointed Mr.
has not alone been confined to Denver, but has extended
Warren as Governor of Wyoming Territory.
throughout the state as well. One of the most charm-
Prof. W. Masun Broad, who in days of yore was re-
ing spots in America is Mainton, and on my way to
nowned
for his excellence as a pianist, was tendered a
that delightful resort it is necessary for me to pass
benefit here last night, owing to his rapidly failing
through Colorado Springs, where I am pleased to note
health.
of the success that A. E. Aiken is meeting with. I don't
A New York music paper (the Courier) is sending out
for a moment doubt but that Mr. Aikin's establishment
postal cards to local music dealers, asking their views as
is ftie largest in the state handling Hallet & Davis,
to the holding of a national convention next August in
Ivers $ Pond, and Briggs pianos, as well as a number
New York, for the purpose of discussing the future of
of other style instruments. There is no reason why
the trade.
Mr. Aiken should not prosper ©ven if he has to meet
Lovers of opera are being favored this week by the
competition since the arrival of Messrs. Hoyt and Wil.
Bostonians.
Hams, two enterprising Canadian boys, who decided to
The music dealers of Denver (in fact, of the whole
take the late Horace Greeley's advice and establish a
piano and organ house in Colorado Springs, which they state), with their usual good grace, contributed most
have done, much to the delight of the local residents > liberally to the fund for the Johnstown, Pa., sufferers.
I was told an odd story, the other day, by a local
who more than encourage enterprise. I don't know
music dealer. Several weeks ago he received a circular
what instruments this new firm will handle, for when I
from an alleged firm in Leadville, asking the price of
was up in their pretty place the other day I was unable
certain instruments. A price list was at once sent, and
to find the time to pay my respects, but in my next
several days afterwards a. response was received to the
letter will give fuller details. As we are already in the
effect that a certain instrument was desired. It was for-
state, before returning to the metropolis we might as
well run up to the " Pittsburg of the West," more fa- warded and a forged check was remitted. Officers were
miliarly known as Pueblo. There fs only one music
at once sent to the Carbonate camp, where the offender
house in this place that amounts to anything, and that
was arrested and the instrument returned. When asked
is the one run by George Harper, who some time ago
for an explanation, the accused stated that his wife,
brought out O. G. Pettis. The downfall of Pettis was
who was a practical musician, had threatened to sue
somewhat singular. Pettis had for many years been a
him for a divorce if the instrument was not secured, and
member of one of the state regiments, with head- as a last resort the above means were resorted to.
quarters in Pueblo, and about election time he took it
After hearing the case the firm decided not to prose-
into his head to run for an office, but was defeated. As cute the fellow.
others would have done under the circumstances, he took
For the present, au rcvoir.
it good-naturedly, and began the arduous task of writing
J. S. HIRSCH.
articles for a local paper in which he tried to give his
successful rival an unsavory reputation. A military
BOSTON EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.
board examined into the case, and the result was the
dishonorable discharge of the accused. From that time
CUSTOM HOUSE, BOSTON, MASS,
on the business of Pettis seemed to run to ground. As
Collector's Office, June 20, 1889. \
a last resort, Mr. Harper came to the rescue of Pettis
and purchased his property.
Exportation of Musical Instruments from this port
One of the nearest places to Pueblo is Trinidad, where
J. H. Cooley seems to be doing a good business, some-
for month ending May 31st, 1889:
thing like his fair friend Mrs. Wooster in Leadville.
To England:
Since Mr. B. Barlow assumed the management of the
Two hundred and eighty (280) organs,
$12,567
King Piano Company here in Denver, the firm has been
One.(i) piano,
-
200
prospering. I don't think I have before alluded to the
All other and parts of
2,129
departure of Mrs. King from her former old established
house, so a few remarks now will not be out of place.
Total,
$14,896
Mrs. King, when the Stock company was first formed,
was selected as manager of the company, owing to her To Nova Scotia.
Two (2) pianos,
large acquaintance and excellent business qualities. It
All other and parts of
was through her indefatigable efforts that the company
52
has managed to come out as it has.», The contract for
Total, -
$502
Mrs. King's services was made for two years. Several
months ago the time was up, and instead of renewing
To Newfoundland, Labrador:
the centract the company decided to make a change,
Nine (9) organs,
and selected orie B . Barlow, of whom I know scareely
One (1) piano, -
400
anything. After leaving her old house, Mrs. King
opened up a small store of her own, where she handles
Total,
- $1,300
Hazelton and Vose pianos, as well as several organs.
MR. TREACY'S FISHING TALES.
AMONG THE ROCKIES.
I meet W.M. Montelius very frequently in the streets, To Br. West Indies:
and iudging from his remarks, he seems to be prosper-
Five (5) organettes,
ing in his new venture. What caused the dissolution of
his large music firm is easily explained. One of his
Total, -
-
$26
leading backers in the music venture was a Mr. R. T.
Walker, probably worth $250,000. Brains do not al- To Br. Poss. in Australasia:
Forty-two (42) organs, -
- $1,260
ways count. When times are dull, and as it happened
-
that times got dull more frequently than Mr. Walker
Total, -
1,260
was able to appreciate, it was decided to sell out the
-
instruments to the " highest bidder." Mr. Walker then
Combined total,
$17,984
went into the real estate business with Mr. Montelius
as his partner.
Importation of Musical Instruments into the Port of
The receipt fire in the store of Knight, McClure &
Boston during the month of May, 1889.
Company depleted the exchequer of the firm to the ex-
Countries.
Value.
tent of $1 $.000. Business with this house is always
France,
good. Among the consignments that arrived during
Germany,
-
3.38i
my visit to the store, the other day, were Steinway,
England,
-
26
Decker Bros., Weber, Knabe, Fischer, Everett, Kimball,
and C. A. Smith & Co's pianos, while among the organs
Total,
- $4,39i
that attracted my attention might be mentioned the
Es"tey and Kimball makes.
As yet I have not found the time for calling on our
WESER BROTHERS' (N. Y.) new styles of pianos are in
new firm of Brewing, Letun & Company, and as a mem-
great demand.
THE GREAT PIANO HARDWARE MAN BEGUILES THE UN-
SUSPECTING SALMON FROM NEW 1SRUNSWICK WATERS.
A
FEW days ago, we dropped in upon Mr. Daniel
F. Treicy, of the firm of Davenport & Treacy,
piano plate makers, New York,to thank him (or
his kindness in forwarding to us a reminder of his skill
in Waltonian exercises, in the shape of a splendid sal-
mon, caught by him while on a fishing tour several
hundred miles north of St. Johns, N. B.
The piscatorial prowess of Mr. Treacy is a never-fail-
ing subject of discussion among those of his numerous
friends who indulge in the pastime of the meek, gentle
and philosophical Izaak. As an angler, Mr. Treacy's
name is cast, so to speak, in the full iron plate. Follow-
ing his annual custom, he has been tempting the un-
wary finny ones away up in the salmon country of dis-
tant New Brunswick, in localities where piano hardware
is never heard of. His captures were very numerous,
many large fishes yielding to his deftness of hand and
general wiliness, among them being a big fellow of the
prodigious weight of 30 pounds 3 ounces.
The next best tiling to catching salmon yourself
is to be present while Mr. Treacy, in his pleasant,
modest manner, relates his piscatorial experiences. In
fancy you are taken to the grassy banks of some broad
stream, and arrange your tackle, fondly anticipating a
fine haul, and the subsequent enjoyment of the oatcake
and liquids that repose in the gripsack at your side. It
is^altogether too bad to be aroused from such a reverie
Probably this idea occurred to Mr. Treacy, who there-
upon sent us the fish in advance, as a sort of compen-
sation.
THE "ARIZONA KICKER."
SOME VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS AND HIGH MORAL
REFLECTIONS.
We extract the following from the last issue of the
Arizona Kicker:
Too PREVIOUS.—Ever since Harrison's election Col.
Hank Taylor, of this town, has been sweating the color
out of his blue suspenders in running after office. The
office he wanted was boss of the Custom House, and he
has been figuring that if he got it he would raise aspara-
gus in his front yard, horse-radish in the back and put
on all the style they do in Chicago. It was only yes-
terday that he suddenly became aware of the fact that
we have no custom house for him to boss. What he
had always supposed was a Government institution of
the kind turned out to be Desnoyer's storage house for
bones.
Col. Hank has our sympathy in this his hour of deep-
est trial, but that's the best we can do. We are in no
situation to either lend him a shirt or trust him for
groceries.
IT MADE US SAD. — Mrs. Judge Shiver passed the
Kicker office at 11 o'clock Tuesday night in a state of
happy inebriation, being on her way home from a high
lager beer given by Mrs. Prof. Westonhouse at her
elegant mansion on Bronco place. Mrs. Judge was
dragging her new bonnet along the ground by the star-
board tie and softly singing about pansy blossoms. We
were sitting on the front sfceps in the gentle moonlight,
thinking of the past and gone, and the event saddened
us more than we can express. We had a mother once.
She was not beautiful, and splitting wood while our dear
father talked politics at the grocery made her lopshoul-
dered, but she was good and temperate. Suppose she
had been in the habit of getting slewed ? Where would
we have been today ? Instead of being at the head of
a great weekly paper like the Kicker, which also runs a
harness shop, grocery, feed store and bazaar in connec-
tion, all under one economical management and the
same roof, we should doubtless have inhabited a con
vict's garb in some State prison. Veni, vidi curanter
which, if we remember correctly, means, " The mothei
makes the man what he is."
A SUGGESTION—We have nothing in particular against
the Government, neither do we wish Indian Agent Bab-
cock any harm. It seems to be our duty, however, to
call the agent's attention to the fact that he is making
an ass of himself and that he can resign any time within
the next three weeks. If we were running this Govern-
ment we'd run him head first into the soil about the
first thing we took hold of after breakfast Monday
morning.

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