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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
cry of " Corruption " raised by "Sour parlor. It was a new instrument, just sold by
Grapes " Marc is rampant in the last the New York firm in whose warerooms I was
engaged. I had elevated the top conveniently
issue of his paper. Marc's chagrin and disap-
for tuning purposes by propping it tip with the
pointment are so evident, and displayed with desk, and could see everything occuring behind
such a childish air of sulk, that it is furnishing me.
all of his contemporaries with considerable
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After
starting,
I
noticed
the
owner
of the
amusement, and none of them love him very
give the following from the Elkart, Ind.,
piano,
a
very
self-conscious
and
good
looking
deeply. Why has fate treated poor Marc An-
Truth : " A fact that has not been pub-
lady, watching me earnestly. She was presently
thony so unkindly in this matter of awards ?
joined by another lady, a younger edition, and
licly mentioned is that the Connecticut band
There would be no possibility of '' Corruption '' both soon began to whisper and giggle with in-
instrument factory is far from being completely
with such a moral guide and teacher at the tense suppression. I could see them through
shut down, as some reports have it. In the
head of affairs. To question the fitness of Dr. the top plainly, and grew at first surprised,
manufacturing department an average of 51
Clarke and Dr. Ziegfeld on the ground that then curious to know the cause. Then I got
workmen are kept in work constantly. In the
they have not had practical experience as piano mad, and in such a temper tuning was impossi-
ble.
At last I suddenly turned around and
music printing department and office are 13,
makers, is impudent enough on the part of a looked at them. They wore serious faces. I
making a total of 64, or more than one-fourth
man who never worked at any branch of piano- leaned over again and continued to tune. They
the full force. The employees of the manufac-
making himself, but to attempt to preach to the again began to grin with suppressed amusement.
turing department take turns at working, and
"Excuse
judges on "Corruption " from the standpoint I was unmistakably the target.
thus all are afforded an opportunity to earn
of superior virtue is too amusing for anything. me, " I said, turning quickly around. " I can't
something."
tune this instrument while you are in the room.''
The trouble with Marc is that he takes too
"What," began the owner of the piano, "We
serious a view of life.
are not surely disturbing you?" Her voice
was respectful, if a trifle icy. "Well, " I ex-
5UGUST POLLMAN has taken the Ameri-
claimed, unequivocally, " I can see through the
can agency for a piano orchestrion, which
top, (pointing), what takes place behind me."
a formal communication recently address- That was enough ; both ladies blushed, and
he says is the best of its kind now on the
ed
to the Committee on Awards, Hardman, slowly retreated from the room. Then I looked
market, and remarkable as an example of musi-
Peck
&
Co. say: " I n the Hardman upright around furtively, and ran my hand quickly over
cal automata. It can be employed in ball
pianos
exhibited
we claim largely the same re- the dressing of the back portion of my figure,
rooms, lodge rooms, dining halls, and supplies
and discovered the cause of the fun. Those
the place of an orchestra. It is about 8 feet markable resonance and concert grand tone ladies were afterwards wiser, and "The Re-
long and 6 feet 6 inches in height, and is quality through the employment of our own viewer " was more careful.
operated by hand or steam power. Among methods of construction, aided, in some of these
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other effects, it has a complete 7X octave piano uprights, by the Patent Resonating and Skeleton
Tuners enjoy exceptional advantages for
attachment, a set of two octaves of violins, Head, now exhibited for the first time. By its the study of the inner side of Metropolitan life.
a similar number of orchestra bells, cymbals, use the entire upper portion of the piano, which Their profession is unique in that respect. One
day I tuned a piano for Max Maretzek—an in-
base drum and tenor drum. The case is of black in the upright made by the old method is .an
strument
I tuned for several years—and then
nutwood, with gold ornaments, the panels being inert mass of wood and iron, is not only rend- called at the palatial home of an aristocrat on
satin plush very tastefully hand painted. Eight ered vibratory, and by this means a contributor Madison avenue, after which I had to go to a
tunes can be played on each barrel, and any to the general resonance of the instrument, but notorious Bowery dive. Here the top of the
number of barrels can be ordered from stock or the openings between the wooden supports at square piano—it was a rented square- -served to
made to special order. Mr. Pollman expects to the back permit free egress of the tone generated reveal several stirring incidents which a good
sensational reporter might dish up into an in-
be able to excite a large demand for the in- behind the soundboard. This tone is much teresting article. After leaving the Bowery I
strument by judicious advertising and sys- greater in quantity and of finer quality than that had to go to a tenement in Roosevelt street, to
produced in front of the instrument, and in the look over an old square which had been sold
tematic pushing throughout the country.
uprights made with the improvement referred several days previously to a poor family for $60,
to the critic will remark a radical change in on the installment plan. And what a sight the
upright piano tone. Every portion of the piano inside of those apartments presented ! What
by this invention is made to assist in the form- misery, what dirt, and what an atmosphere of
ifeMRJOHNSTAINER'S declination to serve
utter ignorance prevaded the place; relieved
ation of tone, on the principle of the 'cello, somewhat by the ambition of the girls to have a
*©* on the jury of awards at the World's
violin or contra basso, as should be the case in piano. While engaged with another firm I had
Fair is viewed with approval by the London
every musical instrument, the piano first of all." to go into aristocratic and quasi-aristocratic
Music Trade Review, which says in its last
houses and flats exclusively, and here my oppor-
issue: "Sir John Stainer has wisely declined
tunities for estimating the great variety of
the invitation to act as judge in the Musical
character and conditions which constitute fash-
U/I?at a
saw.
Instrument Section of the Chicago Exhibition.
ionable society have been in certain directions
The office in any case would be a thankless one, SQUARE PIANO TOPS AS REFLECTORS—AN EX- invaluable. Returning to this subject later I
shall then relate several other amusing inci-
particularly to a gentleman who, great as his
PERIENCE IN A BROOKLYN PARLOR—PIANO
dents to illustrate this fact.
knowledge of music may be, would hardly be
TUNERS AND THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE REVIEWER.
STUDYING THE INTERIOR OF HOMES.
considered a practical expert in the details of
piano manufacture. Sir Joseph Barnby has
OSCAR GREINER, a well-known violinist, died
also been offered the post, which he would, of | J H K Pittsburgh Dispatch is responsible for in Lowell, Mass., August 24th, at the age of 77
years. The deceased was a native of Alsbach,
course, hardly be willing to accept. Mr. >*D the following joke :
Mrs.
Strongmind—"
Why
should
not
women
Germany.
Adolph Schiedmayer has likewise declined the
do
all
the
piano
tuning
in
the
country
?
Tell
T. K. MILNE, late manager of the Emerson
offer of the World's Fair authorities to act as
me that.''
Piano rooms of Plattsburgh, N. Y., and A. E.
juror, which has, it is said, been extended to
Mrs. Dewagg—"They might manage with Dutson Smith, an experienced piano maker,
Mr. Max Schiedmayer. Of course the matter uprights, but they would never get through have formed a co-partnership for the manufact-
does not in any way affect the English music with the other kinds. When the lid of a square ure and repair of pianos. This is the only es-
tablishment of its kind in the northern part of
trade, but it seems strange that the European or a grand is raised it becomes a mirror.''
New York.
That reminds me of an incident in which the
continent is thus being ransacked while there
MR. F. A. WINTER, Altoona, Pa., made a
writer figured. Some years ago, while follow- grand
display of musical instruments at his
are plenty of first-rate experts in the United
ing the profession of a tuner, into which circum- opening, which was given in honor of his new
States." That is certainly a generous and lib- stances thrust me for some time, I was tuning store in the Nicholson Building, into which he
eral view of the question.
a square piano in a very pretentious Brooklyn just moved,
SETR. JOSEPH KELLER, of Keller Bros. &
SJSFi Blight, has just introduced his new up-
right action. It is highly spoken of by prac-
tical piano-makers who have examined it.