Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
12
tise their business by exhibiting a painting
of Fujiyana, the sacred mountain. What
possible relation there is between a moun-
tain and rice whiskey, the unsophisticated
Western mind cannot easly discover, unless
it is intended to convey the information
that, as Fujiyana is unsurpassed among
mountains, so is sweet sake among liquors.
Hatmakers hang before their shops a long
string of hats which look like a row of gi-
gantic mushrooms dangling in the wind.
Hat dealers also sell straw sandals, or
wooden clogs with plaited grass soles, and
all similar articles, for the shoemaker and
the hatter are usually one and the same in-
dividual.
The grocer hangs out two tin fishes,
painted red, and fastened together at the
gills with straws, while the kite makers uti-
lize the cuttlefish as an advertisement of
their business. Floristsjplant a slender wil-
low tree at a corner of their houses as a
sign that they sell cut flowers. Lacquer
shops may be known by the sign of a chip-
box like those in which the lacquer comes
packed. The hair-workers have a very
singular sign; it consists of an octagonal
box with a fringe of hair suspended from
it, which makes it look as if some one had
tried to,put a wig in the box, but neglected
to tuck it all in.
The dealers in cosmetics, who sell that
metallic red the Japanese women spread so
thickly on their upper lip that the green
lustre frequently shows, are recognized by
the small red flag hanging over the en-
trance. Houses where ''soba," or buck-
wheat maccaroni, is for sale have a paper
•lantern in front bearing the name of the
house. Merchants who sell sushi—'the little
roll of rice and fish of which the Japanese
are so fond—put out a little banner with
the name of the restaurant and some of the
other articles of food they are prepared to
place before customers. ; '
In Tokio a few of the shopkeepers are be-
ginning to translate their signs into Eng-
lish with disastrous effect. One shop near
Ginza, the Broadway of Tokio, bears the fol-
lowing legend: "The honorable meet to
sail her." A substantial-looking building
on the Ginza itself recently attracted atten-
tion, for in front of it hung a great white
sign with black letters and on it were the
mysterious words: "The Before Station."
This was in reality an express office or for-
warding station.
Golden-Rod Piano.
ROM Portsmouth, O., we learn that the
first complete piano from the Golden-
Rod piano factory in that town was turned
out last week. The instrument bearing this
flowery name has been examined by local
musicians and pronounced a success.
Messrs. Brown & Walker, the proprietors,
have a number of instruments now in pro-
gress of completion, and it is said they have
contracted for a number for future delivery.
They have chosen an unique name for their
instruments. Success to the Golden-Rod
Piano.
F
A Chatty Letter.
WILL L. BUSH WRITES HUMOROUSLY OF THE
HEAT AND OF THE TRADE SITUATION.
ED.
LYMAN BILL,
3 East Fourteenth street, N. Y. City.
DEAR SIR:-—It has been some little time
since we have indulged in one of our periodi-
cal communications to your most esteemed
journal,and the writer, having just finished
looking through the columns of your last
number, wonders how you developed so
much steam or motive power under the un-
favorable conditions that existed in your
locality last week. Although we had the
thermometer up pretty close to the ioo
mark, the atmosphere was so intermingled
with the delicious and cooling breezes from
the ever-present and regaling Lake Michi-
gan we could run a ioo yards foot race, and
carry two or three pianos up ten flights of
stairs, and not faze a linen collar or a negli-
gee shirt front, whereas we can imagine
you at you editorial desk, wrapped in a
Turkish towel and bathed in your own pers-
piratior, grinding out interesting trade
items to be read by us beneath the shade
trees of our beautiful Garden City, amidst
the cooling drafts of the aforesaid Lake,
totally oblivious, for the time being, to the
grinding toil, perspiration and care un-
questionably bestowed by you upon your
favorite journal.
You are, undoubtedly, aware of the fact
that there is a terrific boom on in the piano
business here in Chicago, and the informa-
tion has undoubtedly reached you from so
many sources that it requires no verifica-
tion from us, but if you were to see the
multitudes (of flies) flow into the stores of
our leading dealers and manufacturers and
see how neatly they are handled by the
fascinating beings who are engaged largely
on account of their peculiar fascinations, it
would astonish yon, and when the wave of
prosperity shall have struck us, whic u , of
course, is to follow the election of the fav-
ored candidate, we shall have to draw on
New York for additional forces to handle
the volume of trade.
We are having all of our drays painted
with a fresh coat of red, white and blue, with
proper reference to the stars and stripes,
and the wheels made to imitate as closely
as possible the sound money basis on which
we expect to be later on.
We hope that when you come out here
on your annual or semi-annual visit, you
will bring with you all the necessary infor-
mation in regard to the proper handling of
a rapidly growing, constantly increasing,
unlimited volume of trade.
A thorough canvass of the various ware-
rooms yesterday discovered the busiest lot
of men in Chicago. Between the flies, who
have a great affection for some of the un-
covered pates presented by some of our il-
lustrious salesmen, and the manipulation of
the palm leaf fan c , which are furnished
gratis by some of our manufacturers here
in this windy city, these salesmen have all
they can possibly do, although a few of them
did cease operations long enough to say,
"How d'ye? How's business?"
This will give you a fair idea of the state
of trade here in Chicago, in which, of
course, you are interested, and we trust that
through the enlightening columns of your
valuable journal we shall be able to keep
equally well posted regarding the condi-
tions in New York City and "further East."
We hope that this will find you sufficient-
ly cooled off to wade through these dismal
lines without soaking your shirt with pers-
piration, anu remain,
Yours very truly,
WILL L. BUSH.
Chicago, Aug. 18, 1896.
The Derrick Case.
THE SHERIFF MUST PAY.
•"THE last litigation arising out of the fail-
\
ure of the Rochester, N. Y., piano
dealer, F. M. Derrick, last winter, was
closed up August 13. It will be remem-
bered that Sheriff Hannan levied on four
pianos in the store of Derrick on claims
held by the Waterloo Organ Co. and H. C.
Albee. These pianos were replevined from
the sheriff by the coroner on behalf of
Dwght H. Baldwin and others comprising
the Arlington Piano Co., of Cincinnati,
who claimed to own the instruments.
Derrick conducted a piano store on South
St. Paul street until last winter, when he
failed. A number of pianos which were in
his store were levied upon by Sheriff Han-
nan to satisfy creditors. Among these
were four pianos of the Ellington make.
The company claimed the pianos had sim-
ply been consigned to Derrick.
The creditors admitted, on investigation,
that the pianos rightfully belonged to the
Cincinnati company, but legal proceedings
were necessary for their recovery. The com-
pany therefore began an action through
their attorneys, Foote & Havens, against
Sheriff Hannan.
Justice Werner handed down a decision
adjudging that the sheriff must pay the
$800 demanded by the firm or restore the
pianos.
Is afforded the dealer and mu-
sician who sells or plays that
modern and artistic creation, the
Henry F. Hiller
Piano
^
It is one of the best examples of
all that is latest and best in the
r e a l m of piano construction.
That's the reason wide-awake
dealers should handle it.
Henry Fjiller& SODS Piano Co.
88 BOYLSTON STREET
30STQN, MASS.