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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
NEW ORLEANS.
This is carnival week and no one can be
expected to discuss calm trade topics while
all about on every hand is music and feast-
ing. No man with blood in his veins could
fail to be enthused with gay old New
Orleans, which is now given over to
pleasure.
As I sit in my room in the Grunewald—
thanks to Theodore Grunewald I have a
room—the windows are open wide and the
glorious Southern sun is throwing a flood
of light across my balcony. The day is
warm and languorous; my coat and vest
are across a chair.
There. I hear the fanfare of trumpets.
The temptation is too strong, I leave my
work and look out. The scene is a gay one
as I look up toward Canal street.
I must hasten, it is only the poor devil
of a newspaper man who has to work now-
adays, when the whole city is given over
to the reign of Rex.
My pen will not work and the muse like-
wise, and unconsciously I find myself beat-
ing time to the music of that band which
is playing "Maryland, my Maryland."
This work can wait, and the procession
will not—besides there is a to-morrow and
a Rex ball to-night.
The coat and vest are taken from the
chair.
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*
I am glad that I closed my letter yester-
day when I did, because I had thought
myself impervious to the charms of Mardi
Gras, and had I continued I should have
missed much. I have been here a number
of times before and have spent many da} 7 s
in this romantic old city.
To my mind there are on the North
American continent three interesting cities,
cities totally unlike any other and each
rich in romantic and picturesque charms—
Quebec, New Orleans and Mexico.
Cities which bring one face to face with
the deeds of a romantic people of a bygone
age.
Perhaps of the three, I shall have to ac-
knowlege the stronger attraction of New
Orleans.
All through her career from her settle-
ment by the voyageurs, through successive
rules by Spanish, French, Americans, she
has possessed an individuality and a charm
which the shocks of war have been power-
less to destroy and the encroachments of
other civilizations unable to efface.
In the nomenclature of her streets she
preserves her history as no other American
city has done, and in her queer little alleys
and courtyards she breathes the spirit of a
changeless past as faithful as the records of
a camera.
If one has the spirit of investigation the
vista of interest will broaden as he proceeds
in New Orleans.
I shall not endeavor to enumerate them,
but always in New Orleans the curious
visitor may find something to engage his
thoughts and inspire still further research.
I shall not pretend to write a description
of the Mardi Gras festivities or speak of
their significance, but I will say in no
other city in the United States could these
world-famous pageants occur with such
success.
Only a Latin, a mercurial people, could
enter into the Mardi Gras festivities with
such enjoyment. After witnessing the day
and night parades down the wide artery of
the city—Canal street—which was terraced
with precipitous hillsides of humanity,
after listening to the music, in other words
after Mardi Gras, it is hard to get right
down to straight plain commercial matter,
therefore I shall reserve for a later issue
an extended trade sketch of New Or-
leans.
I may say, however, in a general way,
the three great music houses of New
Orleans are Grunewald's, Hart's, Werlein's.
Each one of these houses maintain large
and commodious quarters on Canal street,
which is the business street of the city.
Rene Grunewald, to whom I am in-
debted for many courtesies during my
tarry, has just purchased a building adjoin-
ing his present factory on Conti street,
which he will at once proceed to demolish,
after which he will erect on its site a fac-
tory of the same size as his present quarters,
in other words just double his present
facilities.
Rene Grunewald besides being a prince of
good fellows, has developed a very success-
ful business, mamifacturing guitars and
mandolins. It required some business
nerve to start a manufactory of musical in-
struments in New Orleans and Rene
Grunewald had the business push neces-
sary to make a great success out of the
venture.
All over this country and in Mexico, the
Grunewald mandolins and guitars are
fast winning an enviable reputation.
I was much pleased to meet J. K. M.
Gill, of the Shaeffer Piano Co., while in
New Orleans. Mr. Gill has been doing
most effective work in behalf of his piano
and I know personally where he has just
made some very desirable agencies.
I learned Charles N. Post of Lyon &
Healy's was in town yesterday on his way
back from Mexico. As far as I have been
able to learn, Mr. Post, Mr. Ludwig, Mr.
Gill and myself comprised the music trade
contingent from the North who witnessed
Mardi Gras in 1897.
As a traveler, I 'can hardly close this let-
ter without making an open acknowledg-
ment of my thanks to Theodore Grune-
wald for the sumptuous treatment given
me at his hotel and by the way the Grune-
wald is the popular hotel of 1 New Orleans.
If you want to meet a friend you must go
to the Grunewald, it is patronized by the
very best class of people, and then they
have a way there of making one feel decid-
edly at home.
New Orleans, La., March 4, 1897.
The Sterling Piano Co. Incorpor-
ated.
Articles of incorporation of the Sterling
Piano Co., Derby, Conn., were filed at the
office of the Secretary of State, Hartford,
Conn.,last Saturday. Capital stock isplaced
at $35,000 in 350 shares of $100 each. $17,-
000 was paid in in cash and $7,500 in prop-
erty. The stockholders are Win. S. Den-
slow, 170 shares; Rufus W. Blake, 100
shares, and James R. Mason, 80 shares, all
residents of Derby.
Making Money.
The Century Piano Co.'s assignee is
making money. Judge Russell Saturday
signed an order permitting the sale of the
sheet music and small articles in the pos-
session of the assignee for the sum of
$1,000. This makes the amount realized
for the personal property outside of the
pianos $2,760, which is $60 more than the
property was scheduled. About $2,000
profit has been realized so far from the sale
of pianos.
Another Gildemeester & Kroeger
Sale.
Henry K. S. Williams, receiver of the
defunct firm of Gildemeester & Kroeger,
has issued a public notice pursuant to an
order made and entered bearing date
March 3, 1897, that he will sell at public
auction, by Bryan L. Kennelly, auctioneer,
on the 23d day of March, 1897, at twelve
o'clock noon, at the New York Real Estate
Salesroom, No. 111 Broadway, in the city
of New York, all of the receiver's right,
title and interest in and to certain claims,
a schedule of which can be seen at any
time at the office of said auctioneer, No. 66
Liberty street, New York city, or of his
attorney, F. C. Train, 41 Park Row.
Oscar Stranburg has recently engaged in
the piano business at 109 East Second
street, Jamestown, N. Y.
Highest Grade Pianofortes
(WREST-PIN AND STRINGER SYSTEMS.)
LISZT, CHURCH, CHAPEL and PARLOR
ORGANS.