Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
How He Learned to Play in Ten
Minutes.
w|v£ GOOD story is told about an old farmer
C^=a who went into a dealer's shop upon some
errand, and was induced by the enterprising
salesman to buy an organ. He was shown one
of those mechanical organs which play certain
tunes, the sheets of which have been inserted in
the proper place, and, although the instruments
have a key-board like any other organ, they have
nothing to do with the playing, which is all
done by keeping the treadles in motion. It
happened that some especial favorite of the old
man's was uppermost, and as the music rolled
forth his eyes brightened and an unusual eager-
ness seemed to possess him. As the operator
finished the old gentleman said: "Well, if I
could play like that I would buy an organ this
minute." " I can teach you in no time if you
care to learn," said the wily salesman, an idea
coming to him. "The price of this organ is
fitty dollars. I will guarantee to teach you to
play it as well as I did in ten minutes, if you
will buy it." "That's a bargain," said the
granger, and he sat down and began fingering
the keys. The salesman saw to it that his cus-
tomer kept his feet in motion, and told him to
keep the keys working, and that he would be
unconsciously guided by the sound. "You
won't know why you press the proper ones, but
you will, all the same," said he, and to the old
man's wonder and delight out poured the music
of another favorite, never missing a note. It
required dexterous handling to make the old
party think it was his own skill that created the
melody, but the scheme worked admirably, for
he paid for the organ and ordered it to be sent
to his home. How much bragging he did among
his people of his accomplishment the salesman
does not know yet, but he has had a screen put
up in a corner of the shop and he keeps both
eyes open all day, ready to dodge into hiding
should he see the farmer entering.
"TV Highest Type."
* * *
RUSSELL
Evolution of the Folding Bed.
(Successors to STARK & STRACK.)
PIANOS
MANUFACTURED BY
Mrs. DeFlat—"Have you anything new in
folding beds ?"
Dealer—" Only this, madame, and it really is
quite a success. On arising in the morning you
touch a spring and it turns into a wash-stand
and bath-tub. After your bath you touch an-
other spring and it becomes a dressing-case,
with a French plate mirror. If you breakfast in
your room, a slight pressure will transform it
into an extension table. After breakfast you
press these three buttons at once, and you
have an upright piano. That's all it will do,
except that when you die it can be changed into
a rosewood coffin."
Hos. 171 and 173 South Canal Street,
CHICAGO.
THE
Sterling Company,
A Drum Major's Duties.
poets, drum majors are born, not
made. One may become a drum major in
a week, while you can't make one of another in
a lifetime. Without the knack of handling the
stick he will never be an artist, and will, prob-
ably, at the very moment when he should look
his jauntiest, commit the crime, unpardonable
in a drum major, of dropping his left hand to
his side. For the left hand should always, ex-
cept in two-handed movements with the staff,
rest, knuckles up, on the hip. Thus the drum
major's pose, when not marching or giving a
command, is to stand with his left hand on his
hip, his right hand grasping his stick just be-
low the head, the point of the stick resting on
the ground. He presents a fine, imposing figure
as he stands there, erect and tall, two paces in
front of the band.
Now comes the moment so glorious to the
small boy, when he commands "Play " and
"Forward—March" are to be given. Facing
the band, the drum major, with a quick turn of
the wrist, points the ferule upward, letting it
slant a little to the right. Then, raising his
staff to the height of his chin, he thrusts it the
full length of his arm to the right and draws it
back again. This is the signal to play. Then
turning, he points the staff to the front, thrusts
it the full length of his arm, and music and
march begin.
In the old days, the drum major then brought
tHe " cane, " as the staff was called in the tactics,
to the position of "carry sword." Now the
drum major beats time, setting the " cadence "
—the number of steps to a minute—of the
march. As a rule he simply repeats again and
a grain the thrust and recover, through which he
gives the command to play. Expert drum
majors, however, introduce some fancy move-
ment here.
-. MANUFACTURERS OF
Pianos and Organs,
FACTORY:
DERBY, CONN.
It is admitted by all thai; no piano ever put upon the
market has met with such success as THK STERLING
and thousands will testify to their superiority oi work-
manship and durability. Why ? Because they are made
just as perfect as a piano can be made.
THE STERLING ORGAN has always taken the lead, and
the improvements made this year puts it far ahead oi
all others. B2T Send for Catalogue,
Hal let & Davis Pianos
Ivory.
** 1T^\OES ivory differ much in quality? " I
W>- asked a man who works in one of the
stores where the ivory from all parts of the world
lies. The man smiled and gazed at me pity-
ingly. " I t differs from something like ,£130
for one piece to the value of nothing ; and
that all in the same animal. There's the tusk
of an elephant from Mombasa—only one, for we
never get two that size; its about seven feet
long and it seems as if the one tusk diminishes
to make the other twice the ordinary size.
Well, that tusk is worth over ^130 ; and here's
a tooth from the same beast not worth a farthing
a pound. Elephants' teeth are too hard and
brittle ; they can't be cut. You might make
paper-weights out of them if it was worth while.''
'' Apart from the size, are the tusks of some
elephants better than others ? ''
" Ivory from Mombasa and Siam is the best-
But we seldom get whole tusks from Siam ; the
natives keep the middle parts for themselves to
decorate their temples. They send us home the
ends. The hollow end, which is the largest, is
of course the least valuable, and only sells for 8
shillings the pound. It is used for piano keys,
combs and the backs of brushes. The solid part
of the tusk is worth 16 shillings a pound,
and is used for billiard balls and such like
things."
" What, then, is the difference between ivory
from Egypt and ivory from Mombasa and
Siam? "
" Egyptian ivory is more brittle, less flexible.
It is used chiefly for cutlery. If you were to
take a comb, for example, made from the best
ivory from Mombasa or Siam, you could bend it
almost double without breaking it. Or a billiard
ball of the same ivory would not break though it
ftll on stone. Egyptian ivory would never
stand that test. It is too hard and brittle. Con-
sequently it does not fetch such a high price.—
Pall Mall Budget
GRAND, SQUARE AND UPRICHT.
Indorsed by Liszt, Gottschalk, "Wehli, Bendel, Straus, Soro, Abt,
Paulus, Titiens, Heilbron and Germany's Greatest Masters.
Established over Half a Century. •
. „ BOSTON. MASS.