Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
2O
Single piano organ, mounted on wheels, is
sold for from $150 to $250. The organ
builder usually rents organs out by the
day. It seldom happens that the ambitious
musician is at first able to buy an organ for
himself. The large organs are rented out
SKILLFUL
ORGAN
GRINDERS
MAKE
FROM
for $1, and the smaller for 50 cents a day.
$ 5 TO $ I O A DAY THE VARIOUS KINDS
OF HAND ORGANS
FORTUNES IN THE
A new cylinder of tunes for an organ
BUSINESS.
costs about $10. The grinder, however,
seldom feels called upon to change his rep-
ELIABLE statistics show that more ertory.
The cheapest organs—those which play
money is paid to the organ grinders
who furnish street music to New Yorkers but one or two tunes, such as "Home,
than is paid for the grand opera season at Sweet Home" and "Yankee Doodle"—are
the Metropolitan Opera House. In fine usually sold to blind members of the pro-
weather a single organ grinder frequently fession, or to the very poor-looking old wo-
makes as high as $10 a day, and sometimes men who sit all day long in some sheltered
the amount he receives exceeds this figure. doorway.
The next step in the profession is to own
Two hundred and fifty licences have
been issued in New York this year to organ one of the box-like organs which the organ
grinders. The license is ^i a year, and an grinder carries about with him. These
ordinance passed two years ago limits the are usually supplied with a stout stick,
number of our street musicians to 300. But which is used as a supporting leg while the
the law is not very rigidly enforced, and Italian's two legs complete the tripod.
These organs make a very heavy load to
the actual number of organs about town at
carry about all day, and a more popular
present far exceeds this number.
Like all other professions, that of the form is the organ mounted on a small
organ grinder at times suffers from depres- wagon. These are often made Tip by using
sion, but on the whole it is surprisingly a child's express or toy wagon. The most
profitable. The most profitable audiences improved form in hand organ construction
are usually found in saloons, and next to is the regular piano organ mounted on a
these the organ grinder prefers the fashion- specially prepared truck.
able neighborhoods.
At present the street music of New York
The most enthusiastic audiences are to is supplied entirely by these noisy instru-
About two years ago a law was
be found, however, in the crowded streets ments.
on the East side. An enterprising Italian passed doing away with all street music.
can usually manage to play before as many The street band disappeared at this time,
as 300 audiences in a single day, and some- and so did the familiar organ grinder's
monkey, but public opinion restored the
times he plays much oftener.
The manufacture of hand organs has also street organ.
The Italians are a very frugal people, and
grown into a very important industry. A
Money in the Piano=
Organ.
R
in time the organ grinder usually accumu-
lates enough money to buy an organ for
himself. After this point is reached the
Italian's fortune is practically assured.
As in every other business, there are
some unsuccessful organ grinders, but the
percentage of such is said to be very small.
In many cases, however, the organ is
used simply as an excuse for begging. The
organs used for this purpose usually play
only very dismal tunes, which, it is sup-
posed, will put the passer-by in a proper
spirit for alms-giving.
In more than one instance it has been
found that a forlorn looking child has been
borrowed to sit beside the organ to excite
sympathy. Some of the most profitable
organs are those which are decorated with a
tin cup at the well-known " I am blind 1 '
sign. In some cases a stock of shoe-strings
or of lead pencils is added to the outfit.
The Bush & Gerts Piano Co.
T
HE Bush & Gerts Piano Co., Chicago,
are receiving many proofs of the ap-
preciation in which their instruments are
held by Eastern dealers to whom they
shipped a surprisingly large number of
their different styles during the past few
months.
That they give satisfaction is
best evident from their popularity. The
latest styles of Bush & Gerts pianos are ex-
cellent "sellers," and dealers everywhere
sav so.
HORACE F. BROWN, who has been making
an extended trip in the interest of Behr
Bros.' Co., has met with substantial success,
having booked many orders for his house.
Gain Knowledge
Of the <4 innards " of a piano by a little reading.
You may have
been a dealer for many years, you may have been a tuner for a
like period, you may have played a little—maybe more; but is
it not well to get a little more practical knowledge?
Some-
thing to bank on—an authority on all matters relating to tun-
ing, repairing, toning and regulating, scientific instructions—
everything? 'Written by that eminent authority, Daniel Spillane.
The cost is only a trifle—a dollar.
The book is illustrated,
cloth bound) over a hundred pvgee.
Xt is called "The Piano."
EDWARD LYMAN BILL,
PUBLISHER,
**' % B a s t 14U1 Street, N e w York.