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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
tributes nearly seventy^thousand dollars
per week to wage earners. When a man of
such importance looks forward confidently
to future business his opinion counts for
something. Does it not?
I
S Philadelphia slow? If I had previous-
ly entertained an affirmative opinion
regarding the above, that opinion would
have been dissipated by the experiences of
the past week, when it was my pleasure to
be present at the International League of
Press Clubs convened in that city. I am
not a tender-foot in the matter of conven-
tions or celebrations — sky-rocketty and
otherwise—but I openly acknowledge that
the enthusiastic reception accorded the
members of the press last week by the peo-
ple of Philadelphia surpassed anything that
I have hitherto encountered. The cyclonic
celerity with which they carried the entire
program through to the end was something
amazing, and it occurs to me that they
omitted nothing. New York may well learn
from Philadelphia in conventional courtesy.
We held the conventions within his-
toric walls — Independence Hall being
thrown open to us, and it was there that
the Mayor passed over the keys of the city
to our keeping—the gates being locked.
We had numerous receptions at the vari-
ous clubs, were serenaded by the United
States Marine Band, received by the Gov-
ernor and his staff, and many other nota-
bles—Philadelphia was ours. The week's
entertainment terminated down at Atlantic
City, where we could test the efficacy of the
cool breezes from off the sea in reducing
the temperature engendered by the excite-
ment of the week in encountering the fierce
Philadelphians, headed by President Me-
gargee and the other members of the Pen
and Pencil Club. Talk about royal enter-
tainment! If there was a member present
representing the various press clubs
throughout the United States who did not
carry back with him pleasant recollections
of the generous treatment accorded by the
citizens of the "City of Brotherly Love,"
he must indeed be devoid of a fair sense of
appreciation of the generosity of the hos-
pitable people who reside in that ever-
abused city—Philadelphia.
Included in the program was a trip to
Cramp's shipyard, which was of especial
interest. I had a pleasant interview with
Mr. Cramp upon the business conditions of
the country, and I can say that he stated
confidently to me that he anticipated a
splendid business throughout the country,
beginning early in the fall. Mr. Cramp's
opinion upon matters of business and com-
merce cannot be lightly passed upon, as he
is an employer who carries upon his pay-
roll a list of five thousand men, and dis-
9
worse for a piano than standing untuned."
"Do you think you can tune it?"
"Certainly."
" I don't believe you can," said my
friend.
"I'd like to know why not. I never saw
* *
a piano yet I couldn't tackle."
This is how the World takes up the
"There's one very good reason why you
cudgels in behalf of New York: Chicago can't in this case."
continues to amaze us with her ingenious
" I should like to know what it is."
census figures. Gradually she is swelling
"You want me to tell you, do you?"
herself toward the 2,000,000 mark. But,
"Yes."
O Chicago! It is time wasted. Even should
"Well, it's because I haven't got any
you leave this city's population far behind piano."
in numbers—which you probably will never
Then the man put his bag under his arm,
do—you would not be New York. Figures wiped his brow thoughtfully, and left for
are unimportant in some things, O Chi- town.
cago! The centipede is not as great as the
*
race-horse, although he has twenty-five
I
met
young
Henry
Behning the other
times as many legs. When you have done
day,
and
he
informed
me
they were getting
your counting ask yourself how many Chi-
on
very
nicely.
Henry
Detmer, of Chi-
cago men it takes to make a New York
cago,
is
doing
well
with
their
instruments,
man, and you will realize how vain your
and
Gustave
Behning
just
left
for a short
arithmetic is.
trip through the Middle States.
* *
•
* *
I dropped in one day this week to the
L. W. P. Norris, president of the newly
new factory of Haines & Co., corner of organized Lindeman & Sons Piano Co., is
Park avenue and 131st street. John Haines out on a trip through the West as far as
has accomplished a prodigious amount of Minneapolis. By the way, have you seen
work since he first located in this building. the new style Lindeman pianos? I ex-
Since he commenced to manufacture the amined some at the factory recently, and I
Haines & Co. pianos, he has met with man} 7 can predict with absolute certainty a big
obstacles, but it seems he has thrust them sale for them. They possess about the
lightly aside, and is now making regular most unique invention in the fall board
shipments of pianos—good ones, too— that I have ever seen.
judging from the instruments which I saw
* *
*
on the floor.
By
the
way,
Nordau
said a good thing
* *
*
about Wagner which I have failed to see
Said Hugo Sohmer this week: "Yes, I noticed in the musical papers. "Wag-
anticipate a very good business in the fall. ner," he observes, "derives his substance
At present, however, we have nothing par- from the legacy of mediaeval poems, and
ticular to complain of, as we are operating dies of starvation when the remittance
our factory on full time. Of course, we do from the thirteenth century fails to ar-
not expect this to last entirely through the rive." Nordau might have added that
summer, yet I think it is very reassuring, Wagner, who got all his material from the
times considered." This modest statement past, shoved all his presumption into the
of Mr. Sohmer's—and Mr. Sohmer's state- future.
ments are always modest, because he is
* *
not prone to make bombastic utterances
The head waiter of a well-known sum-
regarding his business—means a good deal.
mer
resort in this city, which boasts of a
Sohmer & Co. are entitled to all the honor
very
fair band, has made an interesting
which they have attained; unobtrusive,
yet progressive, they have helped to dig- study of the effect of different composers
on the appetite, with the following result:
nify the piano trade.
"On Wagnerian evenings I supply five
times as much lager beer as usual. When
I happened to be visiting one of my sub- Mendelssohn is performed there is no de-
urban friends recently, and was sitting on mand for ham sandwiches. Strauss is the
the front piazza of his pretty cottage, when composer who makes the wine flow. Di-
a man came along with a hand satchel, and rectly a Strauss waltz is played champagne
is ordered largely."'
addressing my friend, said:
* *
"Is your piano out of tune?"
"No, I don't think it is," said my friend.
So Marc. Blumenberg quietly folded his
"Ain't you sure about it?"
tent on a hot morning in June and sailed
"Well, pretty sure."
away to enjoy the cooling breezes of the
"How long since it has been tuned?"
billowy Atlantic.
" I t has never been."
*
"Then, of course, it ought to be tuned
I cannot for the life of me understand
at once. You'll ruin it, if you don't have
it attended to."
why some of the trade papers continue to
" I don't think I shall."
make lengthy references to the internal
"Oh, yes, you will, though. Nothing's affairs of the Haines family.