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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Death of John W. Bill.
Klaber's Charge.
EMILE KLABER MAY HAVE TOYED WITH A
BOOMERANG—GEORGE H. DAVIS ENTERED
THE FACTORY ON WHICH HE HELD A
LEASE TO SECURE HIS OWN IN-
VENTION.
In The West.
A MAN WHO FILLED A LARGE PLACE IN THE
COMMUNITY.
A FORERUNNF.R OF FALL TRADE
J
OHN W. BILL, of Lyme, died at his
home in that place on Friday night at
10 o'clock, aged 82. Mr. Bill's death
EORGE HOWLETT DAVIS, the in- closes a long life of usefulness and promi-
ventor of the new electrical appliance, nent connection with important affairs, not
which was described in THE MUSIC TRADE
only relating to ordinary interests of his
REVIEW at length last week, was arrested native town, but to broader and more im-
on a charge made by Emile Klaber, man- portant interests with which he has been
ager of the Automaton Piano Co. Mr. more or less connected. He has lived in
Klaber charged Mr. Davis with breaking the house where he died, at Bill Hill, for
in upon the factory, at 96 Church street, on nearly three-quarters of a century. He
the morning of August 15th, and carrying was the eldest son of Judge Lodowick Bill,
away electrical appliances, patents, etc.
whose death occurred on Bill Hill, at the
In the hearing before the Court, Mr. age of 87.
Davis proved that he had a perfect right to
Mr. Bill represented Lyme in the State
enter the premises, as he held an unex- Legislature in 1843 and 1881. He has held
pired lease on them, which he produced in many important positions, forced upon him
Court. The special machine referred to by the townspeople, who had great confi-
was one of his own invention, and used for dence in his judgment and his peculiar
cutting perforated music.
ability to successfully manage public
He had six witnesses, among whom were affairs.
He was one of three brothers
Sidney Henry, an uncle of Mr. Klaber. and who have lived for more than half a cen-
Mr. Green, president of the Washington tury in the quiet independence of a
and Potomac Road, who testified to mat- farmer's life within a stone's throw of each
ters which were not complimentary to Mr. other, on a beautiful elevation, which de-
Klaber. and Police Commissioner Parker, rives its name, Bill Hill, from their long
who, by the way, is Mr. Davis' attorney, residence there.
asked the plaintiff some questions about
The brothers who survive him are James
the possession of a check, which was so A. Bill, president of the State Agricultural
touching that Mr. Klaber shed tears.
Society and a member of the State Fish
The result of the trial was this: Mr. Commission, and Benajah P. Bill. His
Davis still possesses the perforating ma- brothers have already passed the 80th mile-
chine which Mr. Klaber endeavored to stone of life, having spent most of the time
have placed in the custody of the Court, where they now live.
Mr. John Bill de-
which was adjourned until September voted most of his life to agricultural pur-
20th. Mr. Davis is preparing in the mean- suits, and has accumulated a competence
while a suit against Emile Klaber and the under circumstances requiring energy, de-
Automaton Piano Co. for $10,000 damages termination and constant application. He
for false arrest and imprisonment.
was a man of great mental strength, a
It seems to us that Mr. Klaber has made thinker, and one whose opinions on import-
a ridiculous charge which is likely to recoil ant subjects was much sought after. He
upon himself with disastrous effect. Mr. was for many years Judge of Probate, and
Davis is a young man who has made his held the office until he voluntarily gave it
mark in the inventive world. He is, by the up.
He has three sons living, Edward
way, scarcely thirty, but for years has been Lyman and J. Nelson Bill, who are asso-
drawing a pension from the United States ciated in New York in the publication of
Government for injuries received while in the largest paper of the kind in the United
frontier service. His military record has States, THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW, and
been one which reflects great 'credit upon Arthur L. Bill who is "carrying on the
himself.
farm.
OF C. C. CURTISS
THE SINGER FACTORY
HAMILTON ORGAN
G
Alex. Williams Breaks the Record
LEX. WILLIAMS, of the Astoria
Veneer Mills, closed a deal this week
which is perhaps the largest single sale of
veneers made in the piano trade. The
total sale approximated thiee million feet
of veneers, divided as follows: 1,100,000
feet of mahogany, 250,000 feet Circassian
walnut, 300,000 figured walnut, 300,000
one-eighth maple assorted. The sale was
to Jacob Doll, and furnishes strong evi-
dence that Mr. Doll is to be largely "in
it" this fall. Such an order means the
manufacture of a large number of musical
instruments. Alex, can go down with the
Palestine Commandery to Boston next
week in high feather.
A
RETIREMENT
A. M. WRIGHT SUCCEEDS.
COMPLETED THE
THE C. C. O. CO. *S
GREAT TRADE IN ORGANS—"CROWNS"
IN DEMAND
BATED
ABOUT
DR. ROOT'S WILL PRO-
P.
J.
GOOD
HEALY
TIMES
TALKS
HERE
AND THERE.
I
F the manufacturers and salesmen are to
be believed—and why shouldn't they—
Chicago is experiencing a forerunner of
fall trade. Business for the past week has
been very satisfactory, and I have heard
very few complaints. As far as the volume
of business is concerned, the present period
of the year must be taken into considera-
tion. We are now "betwixt and between"
the summer and fall, and it is yet too early
to "lush" the fall season.
Meanwhile
there is a decided spurt in retail trade, and
the factories are getting a "move on."
The news of the retirement of C. C.
Curtiss from the presidency of the Manu-
facturers' Piano Co., came to hand after
having written you last week. He has been
succeeded by A. M. Wright, who I need
not tell you is very popular with the trade
at large, and is moreover a man possessing
a great deal of administrative ability. The
other officers of the company elected at the
meeting held last week were C. B. Lawson,
vice-president, and Louis Dedrick as sec-
retary and treasurer.
I understand Mr.
Curtiss still retains a large share of stock
in the company. His retirement was en-
tirely voluntary, and he has the good
wishes of the trade in whatever course he
chooses to mark out for himself in the
future.
The new "Singer" factory is about com-
pleted, and the increased facilities will en-
able the Singer Piano Co. to fill the orders
which are rapidly increasing week after
week for this now popular instrument.
J. V. Steger has a great team in the
"Singer" and "Steger" pianos, and is go-
ing to make things "hum" in the fall.
I hear complimentary high[y remarks
about the magnificent line of organs
The funeral will be held at the family now being placed on the market by the
residence in Lyme, Sunday at 10 o'clock.— Hamilton Organ Co. They are certainly
Hartford Times, Hartford, Conn., August instruments that will stand the musicians'
17th, 1895.
test, and make trade for the dealer. They
are at present preparing a large shipment
118 Exhibitors of Musical Instru for England. Clarence Wulsin, the presi-
dent of the company, is spending a vacation
ments.
with his family at Atlantic City, N. J.
T the forthcoming Berlin Industrial
The Chicago Cottage Organ Co. are hav-
Exposition, which will be devoted ing a phenomenal trade in organs, and the
to the manufactures of the city of Berlin, demand for pianos is equally satisfactory.
space has been reserved in the group de- I understand that up to the time of writ-
voted to musical industries for 118 ex- ing they have received orders for almost
hibitors. There will be seventy-six ex- eleven hundred organs this month. Now,
hibitors of key and percussion instruments, this does not look like hard times, does it?
twenty-three exhibitors of mechanical and The organ is evidently in the field to
automatic and string and wind instru- stay, notwithstanding the predictions of
ments, and nineteen exhibitors in the some that it was to be superseded by the
kindred branches.
cheap piano.
A