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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
mer was present. The dealer was in a
hurry. He had been hustling ever since
he arrived in town and wanted to leave
without fail on the next train for
,in
one of the Western States. Before going
there was an important order he had yet to
place.
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We will call the dealer A, the reporter
B, and the drummer C. When A asked B
to give him a "straight tip" where to get
the best goods in a certain line, B prompt-
ly recommended a manufacturer whom we
will call D. After A had started off on a
Newspaper men, trained to be alert in
bee-line for D's place, C took B to task for
discovering and holding on to the rnuch-
not mentioning other manufacturers, whom
sought-for but proverbially elusive item,
we will call E and F. "It's wrong, sir,
occasionally run up against material for a
dead wrong," was his way of riling an ob-
good story where they least expected to find
jection.
it. When the wind is blowing in his direc-
tion—in other words, when things are com-
Here was B's defence. "I know, as well
ing his way—a newspaper man is able to as you do—perhaps better—that the goods
impress on his mental cylinders many in- made by E and F are quite equal to those
teresting fragments of an enjoyable or at of D. If A had been willing to give him-
any rate serviceable character. Here is self more time, I would have given him
one.
the names of E and F, but I would still
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have mentioned D first. He only had
The other day, when a member of the an hour or so to spare, so I gave him D.
craft was making the best of his way over
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the well-worn and rugged tracks of the now
"Why?—Well, I'll tell you in very few
nearly extinct Cliamois Harletnictis, or
words. When I call to see F on business he
every-day Harlem goat, he espied, round-
sends someone to talk to me over a wooden
ing a corner near by, another of the fra-
fence fastened on the inside, or through a
ternity, in company with a friend, who, it
wire screen or a cashier's window. Some-
turned out, was a traveling representative
times he comes himself and gives me the
for a big wholesale house on Broadway.
'frozen face' or expresses his feelings by a
The reporter in the drummer's company
smile that would chill the blood of an arctic
was on the out-door staff of a trade paper.
Never mind which trade—perhaps it was bear.
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dry goods. Certainly it was not miisic\
"Whenever I drop in to see E he lets
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me sit down and await his convenience,
When within hearing distance, as the two whilst he calmly proceeds to finish his re-
men approached, the drummer was heard plies to a stack of letters, none of which
to exclaim, "I tell you, sir, it was wrong— will be mailed before the evening and many
dead wrong!" These words were spoken of which are orders resulting directly or in-
with marked emphasis, being rendered directly from our indorsements of his
more emphatic by the pounding of the wares. He advertises with us and thinks,
clenched right hand on the palm of the because he does so, he has a perfect right
left. His friend evidently differed in opin- to monopolize as much of my time as may
ion. About this time the two newspaper suit his fancy. If I don't call he com-
men had come face to face. Greetings plains that he is not receiving sufficient at-
were exchanged. The drummer was in- tention.
troduced. With the inborn confidence of a
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man who spends most of his time "on the
"When, at any time, I visit D, he isglad
road" grappling with human nature, the to see me. I am treated with the respect
drummer insisted on appealing to his that is my due—nothing more, nothing
newly-found friend for support in his less. If he is busy, he asks to be excused
views.
for a moment and requestsme to be seated.
Without delay he transacts the business in
" Well,"said the party of the first part, "I hand and then comes to me. He speaks as
positively decline to act as umpire or re- one white man ought to speak to another
feree on this open spot. Give me a cage in these United States, not as one would
with a padlock on the inside, and after I speak to a yellow dog. He is always
have secured myself against all comers, I thoughtful for others first rather than for
may give you in return an honest opinion, himself, therefore he is always a gentle-
frankly expressed. But at present, no. man. Now you know, I hope, why I sent
However, you can state the case, and I will A to D. Do you blame me? "
reserve decision." So the drummer stated
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the case. This was his story.
The popular song writer is a peculiar in-
dividual. When you meet him he will tell
An out-of-town dealer in their particular you that he has just written the (to be)
trade met by chance, in New York, the greatest hit of the season. And then he
drummer's newspaper friend, whom he, will drag you into the nearest music store
the dealer, knew and trusted. The drum- and play it over for you. He will call your
special attention to the beauties of particular
passages and go over and over these with
so soul-satisfied an air that you cannot but
agree with him.
He will do anything to push his song and
even now I can imagine the composer of
that classic ballad "Down in Poverty Row"
wandering along the streets of New York
whistling its chaste melody. At other times
he would act as "the boy in the gallery,"
and sing the refrain with the singer on the
stage.
But there is not such a mint of money in
a popular song, as the popular opinion
seems to be. A composer rarely gets more
than 5 cents a copy royalty, so when you
hear of so and so making $100,000 of "Lit-
tle Annie Laurie," remember there must
have been two million copies sold. And it
would be well to keep the old adage in
mind that " Barrabas was a publisher."
A youthful composer of a popular song
was so elated over his success that he had
to put his hat on with a shoe horn, and
grease the rim as well. One day he met
an old friend. "Ah, there, old man!"
was the greeting he got. "How de do?
How de do?" was the common-place return.
Having his head in the clouds of a new
hit, he did not recognize the speaker, but
he did a moment later, and apologized for
his forgetfulness by telling how so many
people accosted him since he "wrote that
hit, you know." "Oh, don't mind that,
old man," was the cheering response, "I'll
think just as much of )'ou as if you never
had written it."
At a special term held in Rochester, N.
Y., last week, John Wilder, a farmer, living
near Le Roy, was sued by Gibbons & Stone
of that city, on a promissory note for $85.
It was alleged that Wilder bought a piano
of the firm and gave a note as part payment.
The defendant denies having bought the
piano or given a note, in fact claims that
he did not want the piano, or did not sup-
pose he was buying one, but thought he
was signing a receipt for the instrument
taken only on trial. Of course there are
two sides to every story, and this case is
no exception.
Judge Davy granted a change of venue to
Genessee County on motion of the defend-
ant.
Geo. P. Bent, manufacturer of the
"Crown" piano, Chicago, in the full page ad-
vertisement from his house, which recently
appeared in these columns, used a half tone
cut representing a sweet little child sing-
ing to the accompaniment of a charming
woman who is useing a "Crown " piano.
This artistic and captivating picture, of
course enlarged, has been sent out to the
trade in the form of a hanger, size 21x14
inches. It is an advertisement that will at
once attract and be of great benefit.
Shardlow & Baker, pianos, organs,
musical merchandise, Cherokee, Iowa, are
reported as having made an assignment.
C. H. Cooke, musical merchandise, Kala-
mazoo, Mich., has sold out to Sarah Ballou.