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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
cigars. Of course, there is a suspicion that
the illicit traffic is known to the Customs
officers of both countries and connived at,
but that would be a hard matter to prove."
"What a shame it is that pianos weigh so
much," I sighed, as we passed on.
•
•
The wages of over 250,000 workmen have
been increased during the past month.
Many industries are prospering again, and
the times evidently are improving. The
cotton, coke, iron and woollen trades feel
the betterment most. Thus the good work
goes on. It means that there will be some
money laid by for the purchase in the fall
of that necessity in the American home—a
piano or organ.
* *
*
"
Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer, of Chicago
arrived in this city from Europe last Sat-
urday, and in a talk with a reporter, Mr.
Palmer said that during his European
travels he was continually asked about the
World's Fair medals, and had all he could
do to convince his interviewers that he in-
dividually had nothing to do with this de-
partment. He said he felt keenly the
bungling and mismanagement in connec-
tion with these medals. So does every
American. The whole business of medals
and awards is now reduced to the opera-
bouffe basis, for the real value of a medal
to the exhibitor is practically nil.
• *
Those whose mission in life is to enter
tain the public are always pestered by
friends and acquaintances for free seats at
their entertainments.
There probably
never was a singer or an actor or a pianist
who was not bored nearly to death by these
people, many of whom had not the slight-
est claim to ask the courtesy they de-
manded.
A pianist who was pre-eminently success-
ful in his day, and that day was not far
back, either, was Rubinstein, who traveled
nearly the whole world over, delighting
people with his genius. He, like all others,
was very much annoyed by requests for
complimentary tickets, but most of the
time he maintained his composure, even
though justly irritated. It is told of him
that just before one of his recitals in Lon-
don he was accosted by an old lady in the
entrance hall, and thus addressed:
"Oh, Mr. Rubinstein, I am so glad to
see you! I have tried in vain to purchase
a ticket. Have you a seat you could let
me have?"
"Madam," said the great pianist, "there
is but one seat at my disposal, and that
you are welcome to if you think fit to take
it."
"Oh, yes; and a thousand thanks!
Where is it?" was the excited reply.
"At the piano," smilingly replied Rubin-
stein.
This is the last story that Eugene Field
tells on James Whitcomb Riley: When
Riley gave some readings on shipboard,
while returning from Europe not long ago,
he had two enthusiastic Scots among his
auditors. "Is it no wonderfu', Donal',"
remarked one of them, "that a tradesman
sud be sic a bonnie poet?" "And is he
indeed a tradesman?" asked the other.
" 'Deed is he," answered the first speaker.
"Did ye no' hear the dominie intryjuce him
as the Hoosier poet? Just think of it,
mon—just think o' sic a gude poet divid-
ing his time at making hoosiery!"
JOSEPH P. SKELLY, the well-known song-
writer, whose ballads have been sung all
over the world, died in the charity ward at
St. Francis Hospital last week. Skelly
was a native of New York, and was forty-
two years old at the time of his death.
The Piano of the Northwest.
PIANO concern that is quietly but
surely forging ahead is the Schim-
mel-Nelson Piano Co., of Faribault, Minn.
They are backed by ample capital, and
with the manufacturing department in the
charge of practical men, they are turning
out instruments of admitted excellence
which they are going to make known to the
trade at large by the progressive methods
characteristic of the great Northwest.
A
In Defence of the Piano.
PROPOS of a recent article in the
Pall Mall Gazette, London, finding
fault with the shape and powerful tone of
the modern piano, Musical Notes received
the following stanza:
"POOR PIANO"INDEED!
Art lifeless? thou pulsating thing of Tone
In my drear hours of joylessness, alone,
Thou cheerest me. Enveloped in a zone
Of throbbing glory then, thou'rt like the
throne
Of some good king, whence grateful radi-
ance glows
As he, to many subjects, joy bestows
Through its prerogative. Aye! no man
knows,
Beyond the pianist, what debt one owes
Unto the keyboard of the "Poor P. F."
Mortality can ne'er indeed grow deaf
To mighty Beethoven—the pianist's chef
And sov'reign—who, like Peter, with a
"clef"
Unlocks, for good musicians, Paradise
Wherein their weary hearts may sanctu-
arize. , ...>,• . .„• . ,
A
GEO. N. GRASS, together with the other
boys of the popular Seventh Regiment, is
in town after basking in the smiles of
the pretty girls during the encampment at
Peekskill this week.
WKSER BROS, have been complimented by
the trade at large for their successful jail-
ing of Badlam, the piano swindler.
THE McCammon piano will in future be
sold by the Detroit Music Co., of Detroit,
Mich., and W. S. Holmes & Son, of Lan-
sing, Mich. These two important agencies
demonstrate that the summer temperature
is not interfering with the business prog-
ress of this house.
UNDER the management of A. G. Clem-
mer, the Cleveland, O., branch of the Hal-
let & Davis Piano Co. is transacting a
splendid business—in fact, a business un-
usual for this time of the year; but when
the public has money to spare it usually in-
vests in a "good thing;" that is why the
Hallet & Davis pianos are in demand every-
where.
THE Clarion Ledger, Jackson, Miss., says
Mr. L. T. Fitzhugh, president of Belhaven
College, Jackson, Miss., has just placed an
order with John W. Patton for seven beau-
tiful Kim ball pianos, to be delivered in the
college on or before September 1st. Mr.
Fitzhugh has also ordered a fine Kimball
organ, made in oak case, to be used in the
chapel of the college.
MARTINUS SIEVEKING,
the celebrated
European pianist, will come to this city in
the fall, and following his debut here will
tour the country under the management of
the Mason & Hamlin Co. Mr. Sieveking
is a Hollander by birth, and his appearance
here will be an event of moment in musical
circles.
A NEW concern will shortly be established
in this city for the purpose of manufactur-
ing name plates for piano fall-boards,
which will have the merit of originality.
The name or design is made in raised let-
ters of papier mache, and after being glued
Dyspeptic sceptic, prithee, don't despise, to the fall-board can be varnished and pol-
Nor wish our Piano in another guise.
ished just like solid wood.
E. HEUER & Co., the enterprising music
The Decker & Son Piano.
trade dealers of Mexico City, Mex., are ex-
PIANO which dealers should keep in tensively advertising the "Crown" goods
mind during the coming fall, is in the daily papers throughout Mexico, and
that made by Decker & Son, 971-5 East are consequently opening up an excellent
135th street. It has a splendid record, and trade for the Geo. P. Bent products.
its careful workmanship, fine quality of
LUMBER is going up, and the furniture
tone and responsiveness of action, cannot
makers
have decided on an advance in
fail to make and secure trade. The elliptic
prices.
Very probably this will tend to in-
scale, which is a feature of this instrument,
crease
the
cost of pianos.
has been pronounced by experts an im-
provement of great merit, and is in no
GEO. J. DOWLING, with the Briggs Piano
sense a novelty. It is the result of Mr. Co., is rapidly recovering from his late ill-
Myron Decker's earnest studies in the field ness. He expects to take the road in the
of acoustics,
.•'
early fall.
A