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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
7
Pianos have been a depository for many
curious things. Tuners can bear witness
to this fact. Up to the present time I have
not heard of their being used as a clothes
safe, but the following little tale, which has
been related b)^ a man, whose wife was in
the country this summer, shows that the
feminine gender can always be trusted to
contribute something new and ingenious.
But to the story: A few evenings ago, to
while away a few dragging moments, he
sat down at his piano in his handsome little
flat, and at the striking of the first chord
upon the instrument he was surprised by a
strange "ping" which the wires gave
Wessell, Nickel & Gross are testing the forth. An investigation as to the cause of
capacity of their large and well-equipped the curious sound led to the discovery of
factories these days. They are rushed the absent wife's Winter cape, wrapped in
with orders, and as a member of the firm newspapers and tucked away in the front
said to me a few days ago, "There is no of the piano, over the pedal attachment.
busier house in the United States than The garment had been snatched from its
ours." This tells the story in few words repose in a cedar chest and put into its
of the improving business and general ac- queer hiding place as the result of a happy
tivity of piano manufacturers in all sec- anti-burglar last thought.
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tions.
The iron trade papers report that a
marked increase in the demand for wire
In constructing an advertisement there has been noted of late as a feature in the
are two things to be avoided—saying too general revival of trade. Whether this re-
much, and not saying enough. No reader fers to piano-wire or not, matters little,
will wade through a page full of solid but anyhow, it is well to note that piano
brevier, particularly when the manufact- wire is also in greater demand than ever
urer himself is speaking. Much better before, thus emphasizing the considerable
would it be to have the strong points em- increase in the output of pianos.
phasized in a readable, colloquial style—
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points that will impress themselves on the
memory of the reader and be so explana-
French scientists are a wonderful people.
tory that they cannot fail to make clear They seem to find the piano a fruitful
what the advertiser desires to convey.
source of study. A short while ago they
As far as not saying enough is con- told us about the exact physical force ex-
cerned, it can safely be said that the ma- hausted in producing a certain piece of
jority of advertisers always lean toward music on the piano; again we were told
saying too much. To express an idea about the value of the piano as a thera-
briefly and clearly is not vouchsafed to peutic agent and its aid to concentration in
everyone, and the man who is able to do study, and now I read that a large number
so has the advantage over those who desire of the nervous maladies from which girls
to expatiate.. It is better to incline to suffer are to be attributed to playing the
fewer words than too many, and these piano. He shows by statistics that of
words should be to the point and in no way 1,000 girls who study this instrument be-
equivocal. Such an ad. would be helped fore the age of 12, no less than 600 suffer
out considerably by appropriate cuts.
from nervous disorders, while of those
When I come across poorly constructed who do not begin till later there are only
ads. weighed down with surplus reading 200 per 1,000, and only 100 per 1,000
matter, I thoroughly realize that artistic among those who have never worked at it.
and effective advertising is truly one of The violin., he says, is equally injurious.
As a remedy he suggests that children
the modern arts.
should not be permitted to study either
instrument before the age of 16, at least,
This is a funny world. A year ago work- and in the case of those possessing delicate
ing men were crying for employment, any- constitutions not till a still later age.
• *
thing to keep them occupied; and now
afe
when they are able to earn something they
There is one locality in the United
become dissatisfied and "go on strike"
States where there seems to be a limit to
seemingly for the "fun of the thing," and
litigation. This is as surprising as it is
not only that, but they intimidate and in-
cheering. The discovery has been made
duce others to follow suit.
by a San Francisco lawyer, w-ho says that a
decision in any case in the Alaska courts is
final, no provision having been made by
SOME important improvements have been
Congress for taking appeals to the United
effected in the Plectraphone Attachment, States courts.
which is widely recognized through its as-
* *
sociation with the Everett piano. Many jJfA. M. WRIOHT, president of the Manu-
new effects have been added, and it is in facturers' Piano Co., Chicago, left for
every respect a more effective specialty home after making a complete selection of
instruments to be sent West during the
than before.
coming season.
from the Green Isle stop to listen, do they
hear 'The Boyne Water? 1 Nit. I cater
to the customers, and I can reach their
nationality and character at a glance. That
is why [ have been here for fourteen years.
I am Paderewski and more, I am 'the
Professor;' everyone knows me. If I was
not so diffident, ah! who knows what I
might not be? I play 2,000 pieces and over
from memory, and I have played for sev-
enty-two hours without taking both hands
from the piano at once. Yes. Beer, of
course!"
ITHIN the past couple of years thera
has been a noticeable increase in the
number of women engaged in the piano
business. In many instances they have
demonstrated that they are as capable of
achieving success m that field as men—the
"lords of creation." In Rochester and
Decatur, 111.—where Mrs. C. B. Prescott,
widow of the late C. B. Prescott, is carry-
ing on a music business—we find ample
testimony that the era of woman is here.
As Martha Sutton Briscoe writes, a great
change has come over the ideas of business
women, who have learned that all advan-
tages which manliness and force can win
for a man in the business world may be
won by a woman by exhibiting faculty and
intelligence. Not by assuming mannish
ways, but by remaining true to her own.
A woman's tact, her native gentleness, her
adaptability, are all as useful to her in a
business career as are the more forceful
characteristics of man. Just as he may, by
sheer force of nature, by dominating power,
drag success to his standard, so may she
draw it to hers by the subtler influence of
her more gracious personality.
W
Joseph Bareuther has recently returned
from a flying trip West as far as Kansas
City. Mr. Bareuther met with very satis-
factory success, and tells me that the busi-
ness outlook is very gratifying indeed. In
Chicago, the Gabler firm are doing a nice
business with the Clayton F. Summy Co.,
and have recently made some goodly ship-
ments to them. While in the Gabler ware-
rooms I inspected some of their latest
styles. They impressed me as being de-
cidedly up-to date in every detail, and I
know from my travels that the improve-
ments which have recently been intro-
duced into the Gabler pianos are very much
appreciated by the firm's agents.
Down at Coney Island the} r boast of a
long distance piano player who can not only
knock spots out of an electric piano at-
tachment, but is also a student of human
nature. In a talk a few days ago he said:
"Paderewski is well enough in his place,
but here on Coney Island, what would he
amount to? That! (A snap of the finger).
To play the piano acceptably here one must
be more than a mere artist. He must be
a judge of human nature. When a party
of Germans come in and sit down to enjoy
their beer do I treat them to the 'Mar-
seillaise? 1 And should some who hail
v-
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