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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
facturers of pianos and organs at Paternos-
ter Square, was brought before the presid-
ing iusticj at tlu Guildhall Police Court
on January 12, on a charge of obtaining
*
There is nothing especially new to speak goods by means of false pretenses. O'Byrne
of in connection with American organs is a clever rascal who has been carrying on
here. Business is fairly good and the pros- frauds for a number of years, having about
pects are bright. The travelers of most of twenty-two aliases to his credit. Under
the houses are on the road and their reports the firm name of "Harrison & Co." he ad-
are encouraging. From conversations with vertised liberally at home and in America,
the agents I can assure American manufact- and has defrauded quite a number of per-
urers that a much larger business in Amer- sons out of valuable music manuscripts.
ican organs will be transacted this year The case was adjourned, and I am unable
to give you the result as I write. The evi-
than last.
dence against him is strong, however, and
*
he will undoubtedly receive a long term
One of the pleasing events of the new
of imprisonment.
year was the sixth annual dinner of the Mu-
*
sical Instrument Trades Protection Asso-
I shall have something to say in a future
ciation, which took place at the Midland
Hotel Tuesday, January 15. There was letter about a very pleasant visit to the new
a large attendance of prominent members building of the Royal College of Music,
of the trade and many invited guests. Mr. where I was shown the splendid collection of
James Wallis, president of the Associa- ancient musical instruments collected by
NIRVANA.
tion, was in the chair. Mr. George D. Mr. Donaldson.
Rose, of Broadwood's, as chairman of the
piano and organ section of the Association,
made an interesting address, in which he
referred to the several important matters
undertaken by the Association during the
past year. Thomas J. Brinsmead (of Brins-
mead's) was another speaker.
A rather
FARRAND & VOTEY ORGAN CO., Detroit,
disagreeable feature #F*the evening was the Mich., filed annual report. Capital stock,
remarks of Mr. E. J. Moore, who criticized $300,000; $232,680 paid in; real estate,
the trade papers for lack of support in the $33. 26 4; personal estate, $175,577.63 ; debts,
vital questions affecting the trade. This $247,570.70; credits, $264,312.30.
attack was uncalled for, in my opinion, for
R. C. BURTON, Utica, N. Y., has opened
the trade papers, without exception, have a new music store in the School of Music
devoted columns to the leading question of building, 50 Seneca street, and will handle
the year—the hire-purchase system. The the Chickering piano.
dinner on the whole was a very pleasant
GEORGE GARDNER, Lowell, Mass., dealer
affair, and brought a number of men to- in musical instruments, etc., deceased.
gether who really see too little of each
K. R. PIERCE, musical instrument dealer,
other.
Manistee, Mich., reported as having placed
& Warren, and others that I have come
across during recent visits to the show
rooms of the principal agents in London.
OUR EUROPEAN
BUDGET.
CONDITION
OF TRADE
GREAT
KU'l'URK FOR
THE AMERICAN ORGAN IN THE UNITED KING-
DOM
ENGLISH
COMPETE
MANUFACTURERS
CANNOT
LARGER BUSINESS TO BE EX-
PECTED THIS YEAR THAN LAST DIN-
NER OF THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
TRADES
ASSOCIATION
*\VITH MR. ESHELBV
A CHAT
TO PUSH
THE STEINWAY IN PARIS
RECENT
A
ACQUISITION TO
THE BROADWOOD HOUSE
O'BVRNE
TRADING
CO." ARRESTED
ABLY
AS "HARRISON
&
AMERICANS PROB-
VICTIMIZED.
LONDON, Jan. 23, 1895.
DEAR MUSIC TRADE REVIEW:
Since I wrote you last the dullness in
trade circles, always in evidence after the
holidays, has to a large extent disappeared,
and this week dealers and manufacturers
are feeling pleased at the improved out-
look. The general opinion of the many I
have talked with recently is that we are
destined to have a satisfactory Spring trade.
The representatives of the American houses
are unusually optimistic, and I think the
secret lies in the following remark, passed
during a recent conversation, by a member
of a firm doing a large trade in American
organs. He said: "With such instruments
as we are getting from 'over the water' just
now, there is really a large and undeveloped
field to work in the greater portion of the
United Kingdom. The styles are unusual-
ly handsome, and the peculiar quality of
tone cannot be produced here. It is well
known that many of our manufacturers
have attempted to make American organs,
but they failed — signally failed. The
cases look like cheap sideboards, while the
tone is thin and the stop effects are poor.
Oh, yes," said this gentleman, laughingly,
"we are actually at the mercy of the
Yankees, in the organ field at least." And
this, in my opinion, is the general view
held by the trade as far as American organs
are concerned. Naturally, an Englishman
would prefer to see instruments of native
manufacture bought by the music-buying
public in this country, but as long as the
English manufacturers cannot produce as
good an instrument as the American, why
it is a blessing that we are favored with
such handsome specimens of parlor organs
as the Kimball, the Story & Clark, the
Miller, the Packard, Newman Bros., Clough
*
I had a brief chat with Mr. Edwin Eshel-
by, of Steinway & Sons, a few days ago. He
is quite enthusiastic about business in gen-
eral. He says the trade transacted by the
London branch during the winter season
was the largest in the history of the house.
By the way, he informed me that Monsieur
Moulle, recently appointed agent for the
Steinway piano in Paris, intends to push
this instrument in the French capital until
it is as well known there as it is in London
and New York. He will have the support
of the London and New York houses in his
efforts.
* *
*
William Carey Dobbs, a member of the
sixth generation of the Broadwood family,
has been admitted to partnership in the
old and distinguished house of John Broad-
wood & Sons. Mr. Dobbs is a great-great-
great-grandson of Tschudi, the founder of
the house. He is a college graduate and
has been actively connected with the house
for some time.
*
James Patrick George O'Byrne, who has
traded under a number of aliases, the last
being Harrison & Co., known as music
publishers, importers and exporters, manu-
chattel mortgage on record for $1,255.
JACOB HEIM, Wurtsboro, Sullivan county,
N. Y., is enlarging his music hall on Pine
street.
E. N. JENKINS, musical merchandise,
Salt Lake City, Utah, reported as having
placed chattel mortgage on record for
$8,400.
Y H. KETCHAM, piano, musical mer-
chandise, etc., Toledo, Ohio, reported as-
signed.
A. G. BEATTY, musical instrument dealer,
Columbia, Pa., reported as having entered
judgment for $528.
E. A. WILSON & Co., dealer in musical in-
struments, etc., Franklin, Pa., succeeded
by Jacob Sheasley.
H. N. HAGER, dealer in musical instru-
ments, Wells, Minn., succeeded by the H.
N. Hager Music Co.
E. P. BELL, music, Winona, Minn., suc-
ceeded by A. E. Pry out.
MOULTON & NUNNS, piano dealers, Coati-
cooke, Que., reported burned out.
DESJARDINS & PAGE,
pianos, etc., Mon-
treal, Oue., reported as having dissolved
partnership.
TAYLOR & ARMITAGE, music trade dealers,
Richmond, Oue., reported as having dis-
solved partnership.