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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
in amount of liabilities. The number of estab-
lishments reported as resuming work, thirty-
one wholly and twenty-six in part, still exceeds
the number closing, thirty-three for the past
week besides ten reducing force, so that the
hands employed have somewhat increased. The
number unemployed is still very large, the
great industries are still far below their normal
productiveness, and part of the resumption of
work has been secured by lowering prices and
reducing wages. But business is pulling itself
together, and even the crop report has caused
little depression in stocks."
in Foxcroft, Maine, there is a hustling
progressive firm—Dyer & Hughes—they
were in the field early as organ manufacturers,
and achieved renown in this particular line.
They are still shipping organs to all parts of
the world. When they turned their attention
to piano manufacturing it was their intention
to construct their instruments on the same
thorough principles which has characterized
their organ business. They were successful.
The Dyer & Hughes pianos are growing in
popularity ; the dealers who have handled them
are warm in their praise. Regarding their loca-
tion, the firm say, " Our facilities for shipping
organs to our customers on both sides of the
Atlantic are unsurpassed. We are located
within thirty-five miles of tide-water, with
•which we are connected by railroad. The Cana-
dian Pacific Railroad, which spans the Conti-
nent from East to West, is at our door, while
other roads connect us with all the lines of
freightage for distant points.''
judges on musical instruments sent
the appended circular to the exhibitors
under date of Sept. 9th: " I t seems proper,
now that the examinations of musical instru-
ments are completed and awards made, to
briefly give the plan pursued by us. The
judges visited the various booths together, and
together made examination of the instruments,
each judge carefully noting the points as they
occurred to him, fully entering them in the
book he carried for that purpose. When the
examinations were completed the judges acted
as a body in deciding the relative merits, and
it may be mentioned that only in two minor
cases was there any disagreement whatever,
and that merely on a trivial point. Our jndg-
ment was unanimous. The awards are the re-
sult of the examination and judgment of six
men, not of one man. We have kept a com-
plete record, and if our verdict is changed by
other authorities we shall be enabled to show
just where the change lies."
[HEN the Seaverns action was first intro-
duced to the American piano trade, in
1851, nearly every firm produced their own
mechanism, and square pianos were the favor-
ites. That was long before action making as a
special branch was known in New York, and
the difficulties and prejudices the Seaverns peo-
ple had to encounter and overcome can hardly
be realized. But they did overcome these dif-
ficulties, and proved to manufacturers that a
Seaverns action was in every particular a safer
and more reliable mechanism to use than those
made in piano shops with limited facilities.
We owe to this old and prominent New Eng-
land house the recognition that its founders
were among the first to establish the now im-
portant branch of action making in America.
What of Seaverns actions to-day ? Well,
simply this, that their extensive employment
in the largest shops, and the solid financial
reputation of the Seaverns Action Co., speak
eloquently for the character of their product.
This is not an age of mediocrity, and it would
have been impossible for the Seaverns Co. to
grow and prosper during a period embracing
nearly half a century, had its members not kept
pace with the demand of evolution, and main-
tained a standard of improvement commensurate
with progress in other lines of piano manufact-
ure. Let readers study these points. While
the Seaverns Co. have no liking for a certain
species of flappant trade puffs, we feel that it
has not been amiss to touch upon the achieve-
ments of such a stable old firm in this manner.
FAIR PLAY.
N. STETSON & CO.
a recent trip South, we had the pleasure
of visiting, while in Philadelphia, the
extensive warerooms of N. Stetson & Co. We
were strongly impressed by the improvements
and changes which had taken place in the
warerooms since our former visit, and the ex-
tension of wareroom space to double the capacity
at the time of the formation of the company.
The original warerooms, which are on the right
of the main entrance of the magnificent Hazel-
tine building, will be devoted exclusively to the
sale of Stein way pianos. Their stock, which is
now in position, will number one-hundred and
twenty-five superb instruments, showing a
variety of styles and woods manufactured by the
Steinway firm, which will probably be unsur-
passed by any other exhibit in the United
States. Let us imagine a room of two hundred
and fifty feet in depth, splendidly arranged into
artistic showrooms, and in which are placed
the maginificent stock of Steinway pianos.
The other department of the establishment
of the Stetson firm is the same in extension
as number 1418, and in this are found
in great variety Bradbury, Webster, Henning,
Hallet & Davis, and other makes. It was ob-
vious at the start that when the corporation of
N. Stetson & Co. was established that its in-
corporators intended to control a vast trade in
the instruments which they proposed to handle.
Officered as it is by the most prominent men in
the American music trade there can be no
doubt as to the great magnitude and far-reach-
ing influence radiated from this business estab-
lishment. N. Stetson & Co. show by their en-
terprise and ability that they not only intend
to control a large trade outside of the city, but
the magnificent showing of the instruments in
their warerooms prove also that they mean to
give the Steinway piano a proper representation
in the old and historic city of Philadelphia.
That their establishment is appreciated by the
residents of the Quaker City is best evidenced
by the increased sales which have been made.
is unfair to condemn an individual before
he has had an opportunity to state his
side of the case. Trials by self constituted
newspaper juries are notoriously sensational,
and reduce the element of fairness to a mini-
mum. They are always prejudicial, one sided,
and are intended to influence the opinion of the
people in the way the sensational or corrupt
writer inclines. The question of the fitness of
.judges of awards in the musical section of the
World's Fair has assumed definite—legal form.
Charges have been made, and they will be
either sustained or refuted at the proper time.
In the meantime, every paper which lays any
claim to honesty or fairness in its conduct
should refrain from filthy attacks upon the in-
dividual members of the jury. There should be
THE new location of J. H. Kurzenknabe, Har-
an abandonment of the journalistic—highway- risburg, Pa., was opened September 1st. The
men methods ; there should be no ventingof per- local paper says of the entertainment : Kurzen-
sonal spite, of disappointed ambition ; no dis- knabe's temple of music on North Second street,
crediting of men or methods until they have above Market, was crowded last night with
lovers of music from all parts of the city. The
been proven unworthy by fair trial. The in-
new store at 22 North Second street was thrown
herent love for fair play dominates the Ameri- open to the public yesterday, and the concert in
can people. They believe in it—they demand the evening, which was participated in by
it. We believe, until they are proven otherwise, some of the best talent in the city, celebrated
that the jury selected to pass upon the musical the event. The large room was tastefully
exhibit is a representative one, and that they decorated with palms and potted plants and
presented a very inviting appearance. A novel
are entitled to all the courtesy due men occupy- attraction was the symphony organ, which
ing official appointments of trust and honor. plays music from a roll, the performer only
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW believes that the
managing the stops.
The artists acquitted themselves well and all
dignity and respect of the music trade is at
who
heard them went away pleased with the
stake in this matter, and it should not be as-
evening's entertainment.
sailed by adventurers who assume the cloak of
journalism to conceal their villainous practices.
A small fire recently occurred in the factory
Journalism is a dignified, honest profession, of the New England Piano Co., Boston, Mass.
but, unhappily, in the music trade there exists It was discovered by the watchman who turned
an element unworthy to be classed as journalists. in an alarm, and the fire was extinguished be-
Vultures would be a better name—more appro- fore it had reached great proportions. The loss
priate.
was very slight.