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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
it a most effective and popular seller. Business
with the Miller Organ Co. for the past few
months has shown a marked improvement, and
the facilities of their factory are now taxed in
filling the increasing demand.
wide awake young house, The Clafflin
Piano Co., are fast winning their way into
the affections of the piano-buying public. Their
ingenius and original methods of keeping them-
selves before the trade in an advertising way
is bearing fruit. The Clafflin piano is being
eagerly caught up by dealers who '' know a
good thing," and wherever one has been or-
dered others have followed. It is being handled
to-day by some of the largest houses in the
trade. The pianos manufactured by the Clafflin
Piano Co. have won a distinct place in the
piano world because they are good pianos sold
at a popular price. The present advanced
standing of the Clafflin concern can be largely
attributed to the unusual ability displayed by
Mr. E. P. Hawkins. He is a gentleman of ripe
experience, and he has placed the business on
a firm and advanced basis.
possession for over three years. Yet they did
not think the matter of sufficient importance to
act on it before. Now that the matter has
drifted into the courts for judicial decision, it is
outside our province to discuss its legal aspects.
The case, however, cannot fail to give rise to
some interesting developments in the law of
patents.
«
IN WASHINGTON.
HE Kimball grand piano made its formal
debut in the Capitol City last Saturday
night, and from reports furnished by a repre-
sentative of T H E MUSIC TRADE REVIEW who
had the pleasure of being present, its many su-
perior qualities made a profound impression on
the very critical and fashionable audience
present.
The artist selected to display its musical
charms was Mr. Emil Liebling, one of America's
greatest pianists. In a varied and interesting
program he served to demonstrate that the Kim-
ball concert grand piano is a formidable rival to
any on the market. It is an instrument of
wonderful sonority, and the quality of tone is at
once brilliant, clear, and of a refined delicacy,
that showed a responsiveness to the performer's
amusing contretemps occurred at a con- manipulation which created a pleasing effect.
cert which Mme. Patti gave in Montreal
The magnificent enterprise of the W. W. Kim-
last week. It is always customary at the close ball Co. in thus inaugurating the opening of
of concerts in Canada to ask God—through the their new business in Washington must be pro-
medium of the orchestra—to save the Queen of ductive of the very best results. The presence
England! However, it happened that the of such a noted assemblage of public men and
orchestra in this case was from the land of many representatives of foreign countries resi-
"stars and stripes," and they forgot all about dent in Washington, was an excellent oppor-
the customary finale. It is needless to say that tunity for displaying the musical qualities of
this caused consternation, but Lord Aberdeen, their instruments. It was a triumph for both
the Governor-General, who was present, was artist and instrument.
equal to the occasion, and after an embarrassing
Much credit is due Mr. W. B. Price, the
silence of a few minutes, he commenced to sing Washington representative of the W. W. Kim-
the national anthem in which he was joined ball Co. for his excellent management of this
later by the audience. Lord Aberdeen remon* weighty and important affair. He helped to
strated with the manager of the Academy of launch the Kimball piano into the first circles of
Music after the performance, and made him feel Washington in a manner to prove that he is a
that such an act of lesse majestie was equivalent capable representative of a very progressive
to losing his head. The unfortunate manager, house.
however, laid it all on the American orchestra.
CHICAGO can boast of the first woman setter
Up to going to press we have not heard that the
of music type in the person of Mrs. L,. S. Jones.
British minister at Washington has been re-
THE Clafflin piano is meeting with a large
called.
popularity in the West. The W. W. Kimball
Co. report it to be a good selling instrument,
and purchasers in every case are highly pleased
Automaton Piano Co., of this city,
with it.
through Abram de Frece, receiver, have
ALBERT B. STRAUCH, of Strauch Brothers,
brought suit for an injunction against Stratton has taken out a patent for a piano damper.
& Scribner, the agents, and Earnest Hupfeld; The junior members of the Strauch firm seem to
the manufacturer of the Automaton-Hupfeld be always adding to the long list of their pat-
mechanical piano, to restrain them from manu- ented improvements.
IT is expected that the new designs which the
facturing, importing or selling a mechanical
Starr
Piano Co., of Richmond, Ind., are prepar-
piano, which, it is claimed, resembles the attach-
ing for the spring trade will be ready in time
ment manufactured by the Automaton Piano
for their new factory, which is rapidly approach-
Co., this city. A counter suit has been entered ing completion. When completed this factory
by Mr. Hupfeld against the Automaton Piano will be a thoroughly equipped one in every re-
Co. for infringing certain letters patent issued spect.
June 3d, 1890, to Emil Capitaine for a me-
MESSRS. HIRSCH & Co., Hatton Garden, Lon-
chanical keyboard, which patent was subse- don, are very enthusiastic over the selling
quently assigned to Mr. Hupfeld. This opens qualities of the organs manufactured by H.
Lehr & Co., Easton. Pa. By the way, business
up a very interesting piece of litigation, as the
with H. Lehr & Co. is up to the mark. They
several parties to the suits have had the com- are working full time and find difficulty in fill-
plete knowledge of the facts of the case in their ing the orders which come their way nowadays.
A PIANO made for Napoleon in 1810 has been
unearthed in London. In shape it is a grand
with silver keys and, curiously enough, there
are five pedals. Two of these work a drum and
cymbals and were presumably added in compli-
ment to the military tastes of the Kmperor.
THE celebrated Midway Plaisance at the
World's Fair is to have a duplicate at the Ant-
werp Exposition. This Midway Plaisance fever
is evidently contagious. There is one in San
Francisco, one in New York at present, Ant-
werp comes next, and now they are about to
open one in London.
MR JOHN EVANS, of the well-known firm of
Newby & Evans, is "doing " the East, and is
meeting with considerable success.
MR. GEO. P. BENT, of " Crown " piano and
organ fame, is out with an attack upon the
citadels of '' protection.'' He affirms his econo-
mic creed in words that are truly characteristic
of a son of the hustling West.
THE Cunningham Piano Co., Philadelphia,
are negotiating, it is said, for a building on 40th
street, this city, to be used for factory purposes.
MR. THEODORE
PFAFKIJN
commenced
his
engagement with Crawford, Ebersole & Smith
at Cincinnati, Ohio, last Monday. Mr. Pfafflin
has the best wishes of the trade in his new posi-
tion.
MR. J. HARRY ESTEY, son of General Estey,
is making a trip through the South in the inter-
ests of the Estey concern. It js evidently the
purpose of this concern to give the younger blood
a chance, and a very gcod move it is. Mr. Estey
has many qualities to insure a large popularity
with the trade.
DECKER BROS, report business as moving
along swimmingly. The large number of orders
flowing in from all parts of the country is an
excellent indication of the improved condition
of business. *
•
.•> .
MR. L. S. PARSONS, of Waterloo, Iowa, is an
enthusiastic advocate of the Kimball wares. He
is a progressive dealer, and has a fine music
hall in connection with his new store.
THE A. B. Chase Company, of Norwalk, Ohio,
are experiencing a spring boom. The A. B,
Chase piano has many qualities to recommend
it to wide-awake dealers.
THE B. Shoninger Co. have leased the pre-
mises, 182 and 184 Wabash avenue, Chicago.,
lately occupied by Hardrnan, Peck & Co., and
will move there in a short time.
MR. P. J. HEAI,Y, of Lyon & Healy, on his
recent visit to the East, gave Knabe & Co. and
J. & C. Fischer some very heavy orders. Mr.
Healy is optimistic over the outlook for the
spring trade.
MR. JOHN NORMS, formerly with Gilde-
meester & Kroeger, is now connected with the
Mason & Hamlin Organ & Piano Co.
A FEATURE of interest in the windows of
Decker Bros.' very attractive warerooms last
week was a handsome baby grand with the
Janko keyboard. It proved a source of interest
and much attraction to passers by.
J. C. GROENE & Co., music and music book
publishers, Cleveland, O., have branched out
into a piano business. They are handling the
Baus and Weser instruments.