Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1895 Vol. 20 N. 14

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io
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
The Moen Case.
T H R R E L A T I O N S OK " l ) O c " WILSON WITH THE
W I R E M A N U F A C T U R E R S OK WORCESTER Wll.I.
AGAIN HE H E A R D BEFORE THE COURTS.
WILSON
CLAIMS TO HE T H E SON
OK T H E LATE P. L. MOEN
T
HIS department is edited by Bishop &
Imirie, Patent Attorneys, 605 and 607
Seventh street, Washington, I). C. All re-
quests for information should be addressed
to them and will be answered through these
columns free of charge.
A
MUCH T A L K E D OK AND •
STRANGE CASE.
T
HE celebrated Moen case bids fair
again to occupy considerable atten-
tion of the public.
PATENTS GRANTED MARCH 19, 1895.
"Doc" Wilson, whom the late Philip L.
Moen, of the Washburn-Moen Co., the mil-
lionaire wire manufacturer of Worcester,
Mass., accused of blackmailing him out of
nearly half a million dollars, .is still in evi-
dence. Furthermore, he intimates that a
suit will soon be brought, which, in sensa-
tionalism, will make the other cases sink
into insignificance.
According to the New York Herald, the
"Doc" Wilson of newspaper notoriety in
535,807.
Keyed Wind
Instrument.
1885-6, was a gay, roystering fellow, oc-
William Anthony, Columbus, C). The ob-
cupying a menial position, who spent
ject of the invention is to provide keys and
money freely. He built princely stables,
mechanism whereby the sounding hole and
magnificent hotels, gave diamond necklaces
the proper vent holes may be opened and
to actresses, drank, gambled, smoked, and
closed with the least possible shifting of the
in fact, ran the whole gamut of a fast and
fingers. Employs a rockshaft and two sets
dissipated life. According to the stories
of keys secured to and mounted on the
published at the time, numerous suits were
same so that when one key is operated it
brought against Wilson for breach of
will act on others.
promise, and fathers were vowing ven-
geance against him in all parts of New En-
gland.
His extravagance was shown by the as-
sertion that he had spent ^450,000 for his
personal pleasure in less than eight years.
In fact, Wilson was held up to view as a
sort of Monte Cristo, whose source of
wealth was unknown and fabulous.
The trial of his suit against Philip L.
Moen for $150,000 on an alleged breach of 4
contract, developed the fact that it was
536,081. Stringed Instrument. William from Moen that he obtained his money.
H. Howe, Watertown, Mass.
Graduates The reason why he obtained it, however,
the top or back of the instrument, prefer- was never made clear. Moen claimed that
ably both, from the centers of the lobes so Wilson had detected some one in crime—
that the edge will be the same thickness all the details were never made public—and
around. The general vibration is thus en- that he paid the money rather than have
hanced and the local sensitiveness to cer- the affair made public.
tain notes eliminated, so that the "wolf" is
There was not force enough to this story
not present.
for an incredulous public.
Facts were
missing to give it credence, so another
story was put under way. This showed
that Wilson was Moen's illegitimate son.
The millionaire occupied a high place in
Massachusetts society, was a vestryman in
the church, and it was argued that he paid
the money rather than have his early dis-
grace made known. But the public still
remained incredulous.
This much was known: Philip L. Moen
had paid a man called "Doc" Wilson more
536,111.
Stringing Pianos.
C.
S. than $400,000 in about eight years. Why
Weber, San Jose, Cal. A sound board of he paid it, how he paid it, what his rela-
approximately box form held in suspension tions with Wilson were, and who Wilson
on the musical strings and properly bal- was have always remained a mystery.
That an important secret existed between
anced by a set of tensional supports.
the two men there was not a shadow of
doubt. What that secret relation was will
be disclosed when Wilson's statement is
made public. The reason why Moen gave
him the money, the manner and time when
it was given, and the methods which were
used in spending it will also be fully ex-
plained.
This much is known at the present time:
"Doc" Wilson, or L. W. Moen, which he
says is his proper name, will claim that the
late Philip L. Moen was his father. He
will assert that he acted like an honorable
man in receiving the money from him, that
much of it was spent contrary to his ad-
vice, and that if he had been given free
sway with the finances different results
would have ensued. In fact, the Newark
man will try to prove, it is believed, that
the chief sinner in the days gone by was
Philip L. Moen, not himself.
Moen is afraid that baleful influences are
at work against him from Worcester. He
says that detectives have been watching him
for the last four or five months, and he can-
not imagine where they come from unless
they were sent from his ole 1 home.
If Wilson's story is correct, and his rela-
tions with Philip L. Moen were honorable,
it is possible that some of the secrets of the
wire trade may come out in the trial. The
years from 1875 up to the time the original
suit was begun, were exceedingly bad for
the barbed wire business. This material
had begun to be extensively used in the
West, and many a protest went up from the
owners of cattle and horses which were
mangled by the sharp points on the wires.
The methods of making the wire have
changed since then, and the material vised
is now comparatively harmless.
Wilson was educated in mechanics, and
received patents for several inventions. It
is possible that a portion of the vast sum
paid to him by Moen was for patents he had
taken out, and another portion for securing
rights which had been obtained by others.
Several valuable wire patents were taken
out about that time, and the parentage of
some of them is in doubt. Some of Wil-
son's Newark friends contend that he was
more deeply interested in the Washburn-
Moen works than was known at the time,
and that it was partly on account of this
connection that the money was paid.
Mr. McDermit, L. W. Moen's attorney,
says that all these things will be made clear
at the trial, when a story of marvellous in-
terest will be told.
The attorney of Philip W. Moen, the
only son of Philip L. Moen, said to a news-
paper man this week in Worcester: "This
man Wilson has absolutely no claim what-
ever against the Moen . estate,'' and he
continued, "it will be so proven, if the
necessity arises. No, neither his lawyer
nor himself has communicated with us
about the case, or made any overtures to
us, and if they did such communications
would be immediately returned, and their
overtures contemptuously rejected.
We
shall have absolutely nothing to do with
him or his lawyer. "
..',
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
The Great "Crown"
Maker.
G
.EO. P. BENT has
every right to
the title of "Napoleon
• of the music trade."
In the great "Empire"
of the West he has be-
come a power, and his sovereignty is sig-
nalized by the "Crown" he wears—or rather
manufactures. Like Napoleon, he has in-
vaded foreign lands, as witness his sub-
jugation of Mexico. His methods, how-
ever, are not sanguinary—just the reverse
—he is a man of peace.
Geo. P. Bent is a "Crown" maker, not
because he desires authority or power, but
he wishes to bring into the homes of the
musical public an element of pleasure in
the shape of the "Crown" piano, which,
with its many attachments, afford delight
and gratification to all.
The "Crown ' piano in itself won many
tributes at the World's Fair, and since then
its growth in popularity has been "upward
and onward. " Its worth was accentuated
some time ago by the addition of the
"Crown" orchestral attachment and prac-
tice clavier, which, almost free of extra
expense, enables the purchaser of a
"Crown" instrument to have in his home
a harp, zither, mandolin, guitar, music box
and bag-pipe, which can be utilized at the
player's will.
A strong feature is the "practice clavier, "
for which Geo. P. Bent should get a special
medal from the Government, because it
prevents the "next door neighbor" from
being worried to death by the incessant
"strumming" which adds to the horror of
living in the modern flat house. By means
of this invention a perfect technique and
true piano touch can be secured by students
of the instrument, and this without injur-
ing the hammers in any way.
This invention is one of the great modern
successes, and dealers have eagerly caught
it up, recognizing it as one of the best
"selling points" of the day. Only recently
F. W. Primer, as Mr. Bent's representa-
tive, visited Mexico, and there established
agencies for this instrument in the prin-
cipal cities, and during a short trip made
by Mr. Bent through the vSouth a few weeks
ago he established thirteen new agencies in
that section of the country.
The demand on Mr. Bent for "Crown"'
goods has been such that he is anxi-
ously awaiting the completion of his
handsome new factory to fill his rapidly in-
creasing orders. By the first of next month
he hopes to be able to be "at home" in his
new building. The manufacturing facili-
ties of this capacious factory will give
him an opportunity for making new con-
quests, and judging from the aggressive
THE
business policy adopted by the great
"Crown" maker of the West, he will suc-
ceed.
Karl Fink Returns.
K
ARL FINK returned last Monday
night from his sojourn in Bermuda.
Mr. Fink has been a severe sufferer since
he left us, three abscesses having formed
on the lower part of his tongue. These
were not only very painful, but were ex-
tremely dangerous. Mr. Fink at one time
was quite ill. His illness was accentuated
by reason ot the sad news which he received
by cable of the death of his old-time friend,
Col. Moore. There is no man in the trade
who has stood closer to Col. Moore than
Karl Fink. For twenty years they have
been fast friends. In a few weeks Mr. Fink
will leave for Europe, where it is probable
that he will remain until next fall, remain-
ing a while at the Springs, w r here he will
recuperate in health and strength.
Bush & Gerts' New Catalogue.
T
HE Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Chicago,
have sent us a copy of their new il-
lustrated catalogue for 1895. As might be
expected from the Ketterlinus house, it is a
handsome specimen of letter press. Some
excellent illustrations of the different styles
of upright and parlor grand pianos are
shown; also a very complete list of pur-
chasers of Bush & Gerts pianos for the
years 1892, 1893 and 1894. The methods
of construction, the facilities for manufact-
uring, as well as the special improvements
embodied in the instruments, are explain-
ed, and the numerous testimonials in the
catalogue are a feature of interest to the
reader. A glance through the pages of this
book will give an idea of the wide constitu-
ency which the Bush & Gerts pianos appeal
to.
From an output of two hundred instru-
ments in 1884, they have manufactured al-
most twenty thousand pianos, which
have been introduced into every section of
the country.
In this connection, they say:
"From date of completion of the first Bush
& Gerts piano manufactured by us, the pro-
gress of the piano has been extremely
rapid, in fact, phenomenal. At the same
time it has been in such a thorough and
substantial manner and upon such an ex-
cellent foundation, that the progress which
has been so rapidly made possesses no ele-
ment of a temporary nature, it being due
almost entirely to the excellence of the
piano itself, and not accomplished through
any experimental or booming methods by
which such rapid progress in piano manu-
facturing is usually accomplished."
THK Blasius & Sons piano will adorn the
parlor of the new Chittenden Hotel, Colum-
bus, O. W. H. Grubbs made the sale.
CELEBRATED
STEGER
11
Ditson Takes the Briggs Agency.
THK Oliver Ditson Co., Boston, will in
future handle the Briggs piano in their
Boston house, to run second to the ' ' Knabe.''
The Ditson house in this city has had and
is having quite a success with the ' ' Briggs.''
These instruments are popular everywhere.
A California Incorporation.
IHK A. L. Bancroft Co., of San Fran-
cisco, has been incorporated under the laws
of the vState of California, to do a general
music business, with a capital stock of
$100,000, of which a nominal amount has
been paid in. The directors are A. L. Ban-
croft, W. C. Hamilton, P. G. Somers, T. L.
Hardie and F. W. Bancroft.
E. D. BRISTOL, with the Chas. Parker
Co., manufacturers of piano stools, etc.,
Meriden, Conn., was in town the early part
of the week.
A KKNTINC department has been opened
by the Geo. C. Crane Co., Eastern repre-
sentatives of the Krell Piano Co., Cincin-
nati, at their warerooms, Fifth avenue and
Seventeenth street.
THK Cleveland, ()., I'vice purchased re-
cently a handsome Wissner cabinet grand
piano from the B. Dreher's Sons' Co., which
the}* will donate as a prize to the secret so-
ciety in that city that will turn in the
greatest number of subscribers.
FRANK PLACK, an employee of Otto Sutro
& Co., Baltimore, Md., has been sentenced
to six months in jail for stealing musical
instruments from that firm.
THE Henry F. Miller & Sons' Piano Co.
have been displaying the handsome Grand
made especially for the World's Fair, in
their show windows in Boston.
THK current issue of the Review of Re-
views contains two very handsome adver-
tisements in colors of the autoharp. They
are quite artistic.
THK Saalfield Publishing Co. are about
to open up business at 13 East Fourteenth
street, formerly occupied by Hamilton S.
Gordon.
R. S. HOWARD, with J. & C. Fischer, is
on a Western trip which will extend as far
as California.
He will be gone five or six
weeks.
GKO. STKCK. & Co. have received a strong
testimonial from Mrs. C. A. Lang, a promi-
nent teacher in Montpelier, Vt., bearing on
a Steck Baby Grand, which she purchased
some time ago.
WM. RHF.INHARD, lately with the Hockett
Bros.-Puntenney Co., Cincinnati, has re-
signed from that concern owing to ill
health.
PIANOS
M
PATENTED 1 8 9 2 .
t.rc noted for their fine singing quality vA
tone and ^reat durability.
The most
profitable Piano for dealers to handle,
STEGER & CO., Manufacturers,
Factory, Columbia Heights.
235 WABASH AVENUE, CHICAGO.

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