Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ICrTRM
EDWARD L\ MAN BILL
Editor and Proprietor.
PUBLISHED
EVERY
SATURDAY
3 East 14th St.. New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage) United States and
Canada, $3.00 per year; Foreign Countries, $4.00.
ADVERTISEMENTS, $2.00 per inch, single column, per
contracts.- special dis-
dis
insertion. On . quarterly or yearly contracts.
count is allowed.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Bnttredat ths New York Post Office as Second Oass Almtttr.
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 5, 1896.
TELEPHONE NUMBER 1745. — EIGHTEENTH STREET.
••THE BUSINESS MAN'S PAPER."
WILLIAM STE1NWAY.
ITH the death of William Sceinway a
great man is taken from the field of
earthly endeavor. William Steinway was
a great man in every way and no matter
from which side we may study his charac-
ter, the fact must impress itself strongly
upon anyone who is conversant with his
life and history, that he possessed not only
all the essential attributes of leadership to
a phenomenal degree,' but he still had that
peculiar and wonderful God-given gift of
swaying men and at the same time being at
all times in touch with the great heart of
the people.
It is seldom indeed that a combination of
such talents as he possessed is found em-
bodied in one human being. William
Steinway was an indefatigable worker from
his early boyhood to the close of his life.
Notwithstanding the fact that he began
to accumulate wealth faster than any man
could spend it, he never relaxed his efforts
W
in gaining, and at the same time his gener-
osity was practically without limit in dis-
tributing it. With him it was toil, toil, to
the end. But it was not vain endeavor, or
for selfish aims—the more rapid the accu-
mulation of properties for him, the wider
became the avenues for their distribution.
While there has been many speculative
theories as to the amount of money which
Mr. Steinway has given for charitable,
benevolent, and friendly purposes, yet the
amount will probably never be even approx-
imately known, because thousands—untold
thousands—were given away by this man,
simply with a desire to do good, and to re-
ceive no reward or notoriety for his gifts be-
yond the kindly expressions of the benefi-
ciaries and the knowledge that their aims
in life would be furthered.
His fame was confined to no land, for it
extended wherever music or art is known.
A German-American, and one of the
noblest types of that race, which has been
embodied to such a material degree in the
development of America. While he could
be called in the truest sense an American,
because he was scarcely more than a boy
when he landed on these shores, yet the
love for the German Fatherland was with
him developed to a large degree, in fact al-
most a passion.
Perhaps no man in America has done
more for the development of German litera-
ture, of German art and German music
than William Steinway. He sought to im-
plant upon these shores the love for those
great products of German intellect which
should become an indestructible part of
American institutions.
The piano trade has aright to feel proud
of William Steinway's record, because he
dignified and adorned that trade in which
his life was worthily spent. His aim was to
elevate—it was the art instinct rather
than the commercial which dominated him.
His business and executive capacity
were of prodigious breadth. His power
of discrimination were such that many a
man would spend hours in weighing this
and that, where William Steinway's power
of analysis was such that his decision could
be made almost instantly and was invari-
ably correct.
Seldom, if ever, has a manufacturer in
any line received such encomiums from the
daily press as have appeared in all parts of
the country concerning the death of Mr.
Steinway. It shows the greatness of his
stature in public esteem.
In this busy, bustling age, when great
men drop from the ranks of the living we
are too apt to forget and too quickly what
they have accomplished, not alone for them-
selves, but for the benefit of their fellow-
men. This we know, that the musical
world of America owes William Steinway
a debt because it was through his vigorous
personality and liberal dispensing of money
—through his time and influence, that
musical art has been fostered and encour-
aged to such an extent in this city. It is
possible that New York would have waited
longer for the initiative, but for his step-
ping into the breach and his generous
encouragement of that artistic spirit which
has been felt in all the musical circles of
this great metropolis, which has had a reflex
effect in all the art centers of the continent.
It was through his influence that the world's
greatest artists have been brought to our
shores, and by their presence have encour-
aged higher musical art.
It was his wonderful business capacity
that enabled him to carry out all his enter-
prises, whether industrial or artistic, to the
highest degree of success. He has won for
himself an enviable place in the musical
history of America. His name can never
be erased from the list of the world's great-
est names.
High up on the scroll of fame will for-
ever be the name of William Steinway.
Should New York easily forget what this
great departed personality has done for her
in an art and industrial sense? By afford-
ing our people opportunities in which to
cutivate a higher art which leads to a high-
er civilization this man was a public bene-
factor.
Should not something be done to per-
petuate in a fitting manner the name of
Steinway in the metropolis of the New
World ?
In the public parks of New York there
are statues of distinguished men. We
would suggest that there could be made to
our collection no more fitting addition
than placing in a prominent position in
one of our parks or public squares a statue
of William Steinway. Then Steinway's
name would be further perpetuated by his
face in enduring bronze which would look
down upon coming generations of Ameri-
cans. His illustrious career should furnish
inspiration to those who come after.
Men of all races would gladly contribute
towards the erection of such an emblem.
The German-Americans would gladly con-
tribute because William Steinway was a
man who loved his ancestral race and home.
Americans would gladly contribute because
William Steinway advanced and has helped
to make distinctive American art.