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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
224
piano style on three legs; or may be placed in upright
case, giving the exact appearance, when closed, of an
upright piano."
It will thus be seen that in the construction of the
Piano-Harp a combination of the violin principle and
the piano principle have been brought to bear.
pressed sawdust embossed work have been on the
market fora long time, and but few people mistake
them now for handwork. Anew process, however, is
MR. j . A. MACKENZIE'S INTERESTING INVENTION.
said to have most deceptive results, but they can only
be successfully produced upon softwoods. Basswood,
for instance, can be compressed to a very large extent,
Y special invitation of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Mac-
and will swell out again to its original proportions
kenzie, we inspected a few days ago at "No. 15
upon being steamed. This property is utilized in the
GEORGE BOTHNER.
, West Twentieth street, N. Y., a specimen of the
following manner: A piece of the wood is subjected to
"piano-harp" invented by the former, and which is ex.
great pressure under a die or stamp. This stamp
SOUND CONDITION OF AN OLD FIRM—MR. BOTHNER, JR.
citing considerable interest in the musical world.
presses down parts of the soft wood in a more or less
This instrument has a full chromatic scale. It is
elaborate pattern lower than the rest of the surface.
played upon either by the fingers or by double elastic /"7E0RGE BOTHNER, if not the oldest piflno-forte This process can lje quickly performed, and the piece
action maker in New York city, is certainly an of wood is then passed to a planing machine, which in
reversible hammers, and is susceptible of much diver- I
exceedingly good second. His grand, square> a twinkling planes down the surface of the wood just
sity of tone shading and other musical effects. Mr.
Mackenzie's great object for more than twenty years and upright actions have been favorably known to the even with the top of the compressed pattern. The
has been attained, viz., the production of an instru- piano trade for more than a generation, and his, pres- piece is then taken over to the steamer where the warm,
ment, with full chromatic scale, which should give both ent brisk trade is a proof that his excellent work is damp vapor soon swells the compressed parts back to
piano and harp effects, and this without the use of appreciated as of yore. The Bothner factory in Chrys- their original size. Thus a handsome raised pattern is
pedals, "so that the most classical music could be exe- tie street is all the time busy, and with some difficulty produced on the planed surface of the wood. Anybody
cuted with the same rapidity as upon the pianoforte."' manages to fill with tolerable promptitude the numer- can see that it is not glued or fastened to the surface in
The following extract from the specification will con- ous orders constantly received from admirers of the any way, and not pressed out from underneath. In fact,
vey a tolerably clear idea as to the mechanism and Bothner action.
it cannot be distinguished from genuine hand carved
We are sorry to say that the elder Bothner—a fine, work and if it could only be applied to hard woods, on
capabilities of this novel and ingenious invention:
" First, there is a recessed cast metal frame in the rugged, honest specimen of humanity—has latterly which alone it is worth while to expend hand carving,
instrument, of a double harp like contour, and within been suffering from a severe cold, but we trust that no
the hollow of said frame and fitting it are sounding serious consequences may arise from the temporary the inventor might make a fortune of the idea.—New
York Tribune.
boxes over which the strings pass. The bass sounding
boxes do not quite touch the treble box at their adjac- indisposition. Mr. Bothner, with excellent reason,
ent edges, in order that each may be free to vibrate in- places every confidence in the management of his
dependently. The treble box is nearly in the centre of business, during his absence, by his son, Mr. George
ELECTRIC CHIMES.
the instrument, and extends from front to back of the Bothner, Jr., who for a long time past has been in the
same. Two sets of strings are so arranged as to give
access to them for picking or playing. To effect this, habit of holding the reins of the concern, and has
the strings are elevated at certain points so that they shown high ability in the conduct thereof.
R. ALVA OWENS, of Chicago, 111., says the
may be played upon, and depressed at other points so
Western Electrician, recently constructed a
as to be out of the way. The strings of the two bass
somewhat unique musical instrument. The
sets alternate with each other and are oppositely in-
M.
LEIDT
&
COS
PUBLICATIONS.
clined in a vertical direction, being at the same level
apparatus, which might be described as a set of chimes
along a certain line, whereby one set is elevated at one
to be rung by electricity, was designed for advertising
SOME RARE AND BEAUTIFUL SONGS.
side of said line and the other set is elevated at the
purposes. The instrument, it is intended, will be
other side of the same line. The treble strings are e'e-
carried through the streets on an electric tricycle and
vated above the bass strings at both sides of the treble
LEIDT & CO., successors to The American
bridge, and are inclined so as to pass below the bass
will be played on the trip after the manner of an or-
Music Company, No. 18 E. 17th street, N.
strings and be out of the way. The treble strings also
dinary piano. The details and operation of the device
1
Y., publish the following:
alternate in position with the bass strings. Thus the
are so simple as to require but little explanation: At-
treble strings may be played at either side of the main
A series of Easter Carols, constituting, with respon-
bridge, the tone at the right being half a tone lower sive readings, etc., an order of service for the Sunday tached to each of the thirty bells hung on the rack
than thai at the left. To produce a chromatic scale of
above the keyboard is as electro-magnet. The keys
tones on the treble strings, if the right hand commences school festival of all the churches. The musical por- make the circuit from a battery in the base to the elec-
with F sharp, at the front of the instrument, the left tions of this work are exceedingly simple and tuneful,
hand would take G, the lowest at the left, it being a and admirably adapted to the occasion for which they tro-magnets at the bells.
half tone higher than F sharp, on the right. Next, the were designed. They are published under the general
right hand would take A flat on the right, half tone
THE following speaks for itself:
higher than G, on the left, and next A, on the left, is title of " Jesus, Our Risen Lord!"
HAKRISBURG, PA., NOV. 3, 1890.
Other publications by the same house are (1) " By
played. Thus each succeeding note played is a half tone
higher than that last played, the playing alternating the River,"a sweet and plaintive song, music by John WILCOX & WHITE ORGAN CO.,
Meriden, Ct.
from side to side of the treble bridge. The two sets of de Witt; (2)'-My Katie," words by Geo. H Rares-
bass strings may be played on in the same manner,
GENTLEMEN- The " Pneumatic Symphony " received
hide,
music
by
P.
F.
Campiglio,
a
bright
love
song;
they producing a chromatic scale of tones on the bass
from you exceeds my expectations. It speaks for it-
strings. The bass strings are "two string unison;" (3) " The Song of the Stream," by John de Witt, truly self. After thoroughly testing it I was surprised and
that is, there are two strings in each group played poetic in sentiment and with fitting music, and (4) " La
upon together; and there are two of these groups or Marguerite Valses," composed by F. L. Young, being a delighted at the wonderful effects produced. It is the
only automatic instrument that has ever proved satis-
double strings between each group of the treble strings,
whieh are " three string unison." The bass strings are series of cheerful, lively compositions, useful and factory to me, and I have tried them all.
played only on the left as in a piano. These strings agreeable to the piano student.
Yours truly,
give tones an octave below the treble strings of the
The works published by M. Leidt & Co. are of a
same letter. On the cast iron plate are raised supports thoroughly musical order, and well calculated to give
WM. KNOCHE.
over which the bass strings pass. They elevate said
pleasure
when
performed
by
the
domestic
hearth
or
in
string to nearly the same level as the bass bridges, so
PHILADELPHIA Music and Drama recently held a
that in straining the strings, the pressure on the bridg- the social circle.
ballot of its readers in order to determine which piano,
es, which is transmitted to the light sounding boxes,
in the readers' estimation, was most popular. After a
will be inconsiderable. The strings are kept down to
the bridges by fret bars, supported by screws, which
TO IMITATE WOOD CARVING.
spirited contest the Weber was placed at the top of the
screw down into the sounding boxes. Thus the strain
poll, with 4,135 votes.
or pressure on the boxes by the pressure of the bridges
NOTHER way of imitating by machinery the
is counterbalanced by the lifting strain due to the up-
product of laborious hand work is to be intro-
WE have received a copy of the beautiful and inter-
ward pressure of the strings on said bars, which is
^duced into wood carving. Of course ordinary esting catalogue of rare old violins just issued by
transmitted to the boxes through the medium of the
screws.J t The ^instrument is mounted in^ grand k square moulding and stamped work and the papier mache'and Messrs. Lyon*& Healy, Chicago, 111.
THE PIANO-HARP.
B
D
M
A
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