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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
In the State.
Trade at Albany—Things Are All
Right—Also at Oneonta—Mal=
colm Love is Hustling—
Foster is Busy Like=
wise the Brock=
port People.
WILLIAM BARTON STONE.
William Barton Stone.
j^ILLTAM BARTON STONE is a West-
erner by birth, being a native of In-
diana. For several years prior to 1882 he was
connected with the piano trade in Indianapolis,
in which city he also acquired considerable fame
as an organist and pianist. The great metropo-
lis held out attractions to him, and in 1882 he
moved to New York, where he has become
widely known on account of his geniality and
musical ability. Mr. Stone has been associated
with R. M. Walters, the well-known piano
manufacturer, of 57 and 59 University Place and
12th street, New York, in the capacity of man-
ager of his retail business for eleven years.
The Walters piano is well known as having
been used in the New York public schools for
the past ten years and many of the largest edu-
cational institutions of all denominations in the
city of New York.
Mr. Walters began his career as piano manu-
facturer when he purchased the Narvesen piano
factory, established in 1847, from Messrs. Nar-
vesen & Hangard, who are still retained as super-
intendents of their respective departments.
Mr. Stone has shown that he possessed busi-
ness ability of a high order. In the piano trade
Mr. Stone has made many warm fiiends, but it
is in the field of musical composition that he
has won a wider reputation. His musical com-
positions are numerous, and have given him a
much wider fame than the limits of New York.
Among his most noted compositions are the
"Lamb's Polka," "The Drovers Waltz" and
"The Cllquot Waltz." One of his later com-
positions, however, which, perhaps, is as noted
as any, is the " Parnell Funeral March," which
was played at the Academy of Music at the Par-
nell Memorial Meeting, on November 15th, 1891.
During the past five years he has been organist
of the First Union Presbyterian Chftrch, and he
officiated at the First Presbyterian Church, 5th
avenue and n t h street, as organist on the occa-
sion of the funeral services of the lamented Con-
gressman S. S. Cox. He has also assisted at
the Catholic Orphan Benefit at the Metropoli-
tan Opera House for the past ten years. Numer-
ous testimonials from musical sources attest the
high estimation in which he is held as an or-
ganist.
Mr. Stone is still a young man, and if we are
able to judge of what his future may be from his
past record, we are safe in predicting that it
will be painted in roseate colors.
The Emerson Piano Company.
f
HE new catalogue which has reached us
from the Emerson Piano Company,
Boston, is like everything coming from this
house, handsome in appearance and written
with a desire to convince, simply by statements
of facts. It contains considerable information
concerning the numerous improvements in their
instruments, and is illustrated with fine cuts of
their pianos, showing also the interior mechan-
ism of the instruments—iron plate with patent
flanges, patent soft stop, the pin-block and the
construction of back of uprights. An excellent
cut of the new Emerson factory at Harrison ave-
nue, Boston, is also shown. The opening article
in the catalogue closes in this wise : " The Em-
erson piano of 1894 is the culmination of nearly
fifty years honest and intelligent effort to pro-
duce a perfect instrument. If it has a fault or a
weak spot in its construction the members of the
company don'c know where it is,"
is no mistaking the fact that Brard-
man & Gray are more than holding their
own, and it is the intention of this firm to reich
out during the coming year for mw trade. The
Boardmau & Gray piano has always maintained
a good standing, but a conservatism on the part
of the manufacturers has not caused it to be as
widely known as some other first-class pianos.
In Albany things are looking decidedly better.
At the Marshall & Wendell factory Mr. McKin-
ney informed me that they had been experien-
cing a good trade right through the fall, and it
was unusually brisk for the holidays. He will
shortly take a trip through Virginia, which of
course, means additional orders for the Marshall
& Wendell piano. There is no mistaking the
fact that under the new regime the Marshall &
Wendell has been greatly improved.
R. W. Tanner & Son are always bringing out
novelties in'the line of piano hardware. In this
respect the senior Tanner is a genius, and others
seem to appreciate his genius too, judging from
copies which are made of his inventions. No
doubt in the near future there will be something
to announce regarding business intentions of
this firm.
The dealers in Albany have found trade during
the past month very fair ; previous to that it was
dull, very dull.
At Oneonta you will find a busy factory.
Since the reorganization of this old-time concern
there has been a thorough overhauling of the
business, and the result to-d*ay is seen in the
fact that they are manufacturing a large number
of instruments, and the dealers generally recog-
nize the fact that the McCammon piano is an in-
strument which it pays to handle. The future
of this concern seems to lay through paths that
are bright.
In Wa'erloo I found a busy condition of affairs
prevailing at both the piano and organ factory
of the Waterloo Organ Company. The demand
for Malcolm Love pianos goes rattling on apace.
They are busy, and have been compelled to work
far into the nights to fill their orders with any-
thing like promptitude. The Malcolm Love
piano is steadily looming up on the piano
horizon.
Foster & Co., Rochester, N. Y., are getting
out some new cases in fancy veneers which are
decidedly attractive. Mr. Foster has now a
goodly number of agents, and has no trouble at
all in disposing readily of the product of his
factory. As evidence there are only two pianos
finished in stock, and they were passed upon
finally by him for shipment the day that I
called.
Up in Brockport, N. Y., the Brockport Piano
Company, manufacturers of the " Capen "
piano, seem to be getting along comfortably.
There has been a rumor that this firm might
withdraw from manufacturing, bnt the report is
false. They have no intention of doing this,
and in the spring the trade will learn that the
"Capen" piano will be pushed with a vim-
The firm are at present at work on a new scale,
which will be ready about February. Taken al-
together things in New York State are in a very
prosperous and contented condition for the open-
ing of the New Year,