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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
In this connection we might take a lesson
from German manufacturers who, instead
of sending literature such as circulars, cata-
logues, price-lists, etc., in the vernacular,
make it a point to supply information in
detail of their manufactures in the Spanish
tongue. This, in a great many instances,
our manufacturers fail to bear in mind.
The result is obvious.
Again, personal representatives, possess-
ing a thorough knowledge of the language
and conditions of Southern countries, rarely
visit the South—taking these facts into
consideration, it is surprising that our ex-
ports are as large as they are.
In musical instruments there is an inex-
haustible field which can be worked to ad-
vantage by wide-awake men, and there is
no reason why we should not dispose of a
larger number of small musical instruments,
organs and pianos than at the present time-
The United States should control the
musical instrument trade in the South, and
it can in spite of tariffs and poor facilities
for transportation if our manufacturers
study the requirements of the buyers in the
different countries and strive to win their
custom by careful attention to details.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW has some right
to speak with authority on this matter. It
is the only music trade paper which has
published an edition in the Castilian tongue,
bringing to the attention of music trade
dealers in the South American continent
the musical manufactures of the United
States.
From the inquiries that have reached this
office as well as manufacturers directly,
we can say without any undue boasting
that this paper was the means of marking
a new era in the development of trade with
South America.
A new interest is now rife in South
American affairs, due perhaps to the dispute
between Great Britain and Venezuela. It
has done much to awaken interest in the
resources of Southern countries, and the
chances of enlarged trade between them
and the United States. This knowledge
cannot fail to be beneficial in the end, and
may be the means of directing the attention
of manufacturers to a Continent whose
people are music loving and whose future
is destined to be a progressive one.
Change of Firm in Mexico.
T is said that Mr. Von Jenny, a Mexican
dealer, has retired from trade in that
Republic, having disposed of his business
interests to a company recently formed in
the City of Mexico under the name of the
Kegel Piano Co. Mr. Von Jenny has been
agent for the Muehlfeld and Haynes pianos,
also the Automaton piano attachment..
I
Hardman Pianos for the Hotel
St Charles.
OUR magnificent Hardman pianos—a
baby grand and three uprights — in
Corea wood, Hungarian ash and rosewood,
have just been sold to the managers of the
palatial Hotel St. Charles, in New Orleans.
The purchase was effected after a good
deal of competition, merit being the main
point in consideration. • In the letter con-
taining cheque, which the managers have
sent Hardman, Peck & Co., they express
their satisfaction with these instruments,
both as to appearance and tone.
In course of conversation with Mr. Dut-
ton yesterday, he said : '' We have met
with great success in placing our Baby
Grands in the houses of some of the best
and most prominent people of New York,
Philadelphia and Boston.
"Yes, we predict a great future for this
piano."
F
A Curious Decision.
WOULD PARALYZE THE INSTALLMENT BUSINESS
IN OHIO
WILL NOT HOLD AN APPEAL.
An important ruling, of interest to the
retail piano trade, was made by Judge
Fiedler in Cleveland last week, which in
substance affirms that a piano cannot be
seized from a renter on the grounds of non-
payment of installments unless the amount
of money already paid in is returned. As
can be seen from the following comments
made by the Cleveland Leader this decision
will be appealed to the Supreme Court:
"If Judge Fiedler's opinion in the recent
piano case tried in the Police Court is sus-
tained, there will be a turning over in the
installment business, so it is thought by
some of the men engaged therein. The
judge's opinion is that a firm has no right
to take a piano out of a house when part of
the purchase money has been paid, unless
that part of the purchase monej' is returned.
It is said on good authority that if this
decision is definite in the Police Court a test
case will be made and carried to the Supreme
Court. It is easy to see how the business
of the installment men would receive a
black eye with the decision sustained. One
dealer said yesterday that the sale of fur-
niture, stoves, sewing machines and many
other articles as well as pianos would
receive a shock from which it would not
soon recover, inasmuch as the protection
against loss was the right to retake the
goods."
C. F. SHELLAND, secretary of the McCam-
mon Piano Co., will leave next week for
an extended Southern trip He will journey
as far as Jacksonville, thence to New
Orleans and the principal cities through
Texas as far as Fort Worth.
A fletal Wrest Plank.
DESTINED TO MARK A NEW ERA IN PIANO
MAKING.
E
NGLISH manufacturers, following the
example of their German and Ameri-
can rivals, are now not only putting the
most delicate and elaborate work into the
casework of their pianos, but they are also
devoting their attention to rendering them
artistically excellent as to tone, power,
and all those essentials which go to make
an instrument of a high class. The latest
novelty in piano-structure emanates from
the fertile mind of Mr. Meldrum Christie,
of Bayham Place, Camden Town, who was
formerly for many years with Messrs.
Chappell & Co., says the Piano, Organ and
Music Trades Journal of London. The
invention consists of a new metal wrest
plank, which, it is claimed, will secure a
more reliable means than that employed at
present of sustaining the strain of the
strings and regulating their tension. It
comprises various ingenious details of ar-
rangement. The main feature in which it
differs from existing methods is that, in-
stead of governing the wrest pins by regu-
lating pins in a bar made integral with the
frame, they are attached to an independent
bar of malleable cast iron or other metal
hung on the top of the frame. By this means
the strain of the wires is equally distributed
throughout the frame, and there is; secondly,
little or no liability for it to break. Mr.
Christie is of the opinion that this new de-
parture bids fair to mark the dawn of a new
era in the art of pianoforte construction, as
it would entirely supersede the old wooden
wrest plank. In addition to the advantages
named, he claims for his invention that a
metal wrest plank will be far better adapted
to stand the effects of extreme climates
than one constructed of wood, and that its
employment would improve the tone of the
instrument, minimise its liability to get out
of order, and facilitate tuning. The in-
vention, it may be added, involves but a
trifling additional outlay.
/Eolian Happenings.
B. TREMAINE, of the ^olian Co.,
returned Monday from a Canadian
trip, where he made arrangements with A.
& S. Nordheimer, of Toronto, to represent
the ^Eolian in that city. The standing of
the Nordheimer house is a sufficient guar-
antee that the ^Eolian is going to get a
"good showing" in Toronto. Mr. Tremaine
also visited L. E. N. Pratte, the yEolian
agent in Montreal, and stopped off at Buf-
falo and Rochester, to visit agents there, on
his way home.
W
JOHN DEAN of South Kenton, O., has been
arrested on a charge of embezzling $200
from the Farrand & Votey Organ Co.,
Detroit. Dean has been handling organs
in the locality and the money collected for
same he converted to his own use.