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HE 9RCAN
o
VOL. XVIII. No. ii.
published Every Saturday.
TH£ SUSPENSE AT
THE: WHITE; CITY
Declared,
£r;ded. f peae
ar;d tl?
Inaugurated. J ^ /lu/ards.
CHICKERING LEADS.
Jext of flu;ard$.
BUT ONE JUDGE SIGNS THE AWARDS—A SLIGHT
UPON THE EAST —WHAT A FIRM MAY CLAIM
—VALUE OF AWARDS—OFFICIAL RECOG-
NITION—THE RUB ACTIONS-LET MARC
SLUMBER—A STORY ON JOHN C.
PRAISE FOR THE MUSIC
TRADE REVIEW—JOHN
BOYD THACHER.
For the moment there is a lull in the storm.
The couriers have advanced canning outspread
banners of peace, and to many, banners of vic-
tory. Over the beautiful white city by the lake,
the dove, bearing the olive branch, flutters and
flits, and, yes, she alights, coyly but surely, and
over the disturbed waters in Section I the oil is
diffused, and peaceful is the flow of the murmur-
ing waves.
"The war drums throb no longer and the
battle flags are furled. " There are many who are
uncharitable enough to believe that the truce is
only temporary, that ere long the fight will
break out afresh.
Well, suppose it does;
human nature is much the same through all
ages. Environment and condition influence men
and things.
*
On the time worn and war tossed banner of
Chickering again appears the word—Victory.
For over sixty years it has undergone the
changes and vicissitudes synonymous with
business enterprises. Through three decades and
more the Chickering piano has upheld, and its
governing forces have largely assisted to main-
tain the standard of American pianos through-
out the world. In Chicago it has found no
Waterloo. On the contrary—to the Cross of the
Legion of Honor, the prize dear to all French-
men, may be added—the highest awards at
Chicago, 1893. The medal and awards to be re-
ceived by Chickering & Sons will bear the
words, regarding the tone of their instruments :
" The highest degree of excellence," this supple-
mented by endorsements of tone, scale, action,
touch, materials.
*
Let me here, by way of explanation state,
there is no first, second, third and fourth class, or
grade in which pianos and organs will be placed;
it is simply a question of official recognition
* flew Yor\[, October 7, 1893.
of the merits of the instruments and the word-
ing of that recognition in the diplomas given
the firm.
* * *
Some of our small Eastern papers have only
exposed their own ignorance of an important
matter, by stating that the awards would bear
the signature of all the judges. They simply
don't know whereof they speak. John Boyd
Thatcher adheres closely to his one judge system,
as will be verified by looking over any award,
but the entire committee appointed in the
musical section acted as one. In other words,
their verdict is the boiled down, concentrated
opinion of a competent body of men in one ex-
pression, with one signature. That is all.
84.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES, 10 CENTS.
The number of firms who received awards!
Aye, there's the rub. Well, THE MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW published the list last week. It's
numerous.
#
And our own only Marc ? Why speak of and
disturb memories of the past! If then, there
ever was a dead issue, a man who simply failed
to absorb and didn't absorb, it's our own little
Marc. He simply failed and now he wishes to
give the idea that he's fattening on Kimball
gold, but why stamp on his grave? Can't we
let the poor little fellow slumber ?
Speaking of Marc, recalls a little story, they
tell it here. When John C. was out, flushed
* *
with strength and Dolgeville ozone, the story
*
was told him that Marc had simply fattened on
Let me further state, that in every examina- the trade, that a cool forty thousand would not
tian the opinion of the entire committee was cover his profits made on promises of Judgeship,
consulted, but voiced through one.
not yet nor to be acquired. John's face was very
*
expressive, and the gossips tell the tale, that a
The value of awards ? Ah ! You know what large size hat might have been easily suspended
Kipling says: That is another story. I can from beneath his overhanging brows, as he
say this—that mark me and mark me well, whispered in accents low, " boys, I'm in it." •
the matters of interpreting adjectives will enter
You will print a few official decisions hand-
largely into the question. I have seen that ed in ; there are some who do not desire the
already here, and how much will the peaceful text of their awards printed in full ; not at
English be distorted in the future ? Quite an- present. I respect their wishes.
other question, and can better be answered at a
* * *
subsequent time.
It
is
indeed
gratifying
to note the many kind
*
expressions
of
opinion
regarding
the policy of
One firm may claim they have received a
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW during the "late
medal and award at the World's Fair. They
unpleasantness. " One of the best known
did truly, but its wording ?
Again the question of real values. No honest, members of the Chicago trade said to-day: " I
disinterested man can look at the exhibits in was against your paper in its advocacy of certain
Section I without saying it is a magnificent ex- men. To-day I will acknowledge this—your
Your
hibit of piano making as an art in the nineteenth principles ever have proven correct.
century. True—-but suppose the same rules had absolute independence and sincerity wins you
Complimentary?—Rather.
governed this exhibit which were applied to the another, point."
We
only
desire
just
a slice of the earth ; our
art exhibits !
* # *
tastes are modest.
* *
The relative position of firms ? Let me again
The value of awards to the different firms ?
emphasize my previous words. The interpre-
tation of adjectives will enter largely into the Let us dip into the future as far as human eye
position which some firms will assume, as will can see, and at the same time cast a backward
be shown in the public prints of the country glance. How have they figured in the past ?
* * *
later on.
*
The department of awards, presided over by
I can say this, I have read nearly all the differ- John Boyd Thacher, has been systematically
ent opinions of official experts regarding the in- engaged in solving the great problem of prizes.
struments entered for awards. The language It is only just to say that the scheme of awards
used in describing the Chickering product is the projected by Mr. Thacher, while at first creating
strongest—it is of the superlative degree ; the A. dissatisfaction, has been conceded by the ma-
B. Chase Co. come second, then Sohmer, Hard- jority of exhibitors to be perfectly fair and
man, Hallet & Davis, Conover, Kimball. There reasonable in its operation.
are others that I have seen, but I am now only
*
mentioning a few of the leading firms. Mason &
The names of the judges who signed some of
Hamlin have some recognition of their stringing
system ; there are special points named in the the leading makes are : Chickering & Sons,
Kimball pipe and reed organs ; Newman Bros, Max Scheidmeyer ; A. B. Chase Co., Max
have emphasis placed on their circulating air Scheidmeyer; Sohmer & Co., Dr. Clarke;
cells ; Chicago Cottage Organ Co. have marked Hardman, Peck & Co., Dr. Ziegfeld ; Hallet &
recognition, and many others which I can not Davis, George Steck ; W. W. Kimball Co., Max
Scheidmeyer.
EDWARD LYMAN BILL.
enumerate here.