Music Trade Review

Issue: 1897 Vol. 25 N. 25

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
. ? i EDWARD LYMAN BILL < < •
Editor and Proprietor
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
3 East 14th St., New York
SUBSCRIPTION (including postage). United States
Mexico and Canada, $3.00 per year ; all other countries,
$4.00,
AnVERTISEJT'NTS, $ 2 .oo peT inch, single column, per
insertion. On quarterly or yearly contracts a special dis-
count is allowed. Advertising Pages $50.00, opposite read-
ing matter $75.00.
REMITTANCES, in other than currency form, should
be made payable to Edward Lyman Bill.
Entered at fie New York Past Office as Second Class Matter.
NBW YORK, DECEMBER 18, 1897.
TELEPHONE NUMBER, 1745--E1QHTEEINTH STREET
THE KEYNOTE.
The first week of each month, The Review will
contain a supplement embodying the literary
and musical features which have heretofore
appeared in The Keynote. This amalgamation
will be effected without in any way trespassing
on our regular news service. The Review will
continue to remain, as before, essentially a
trade paper.
THE TRADE DIRECTORY.
The Trade Directory, which is a feature of
The Review each month, is complete. In it
appear the names and addresses of all firms
engaged in the manufacture of musical in-
struments and the allied trades. The Review
is sent to the United States Consulates through-
out the world, and is on file in the reading
rooms of the principal hotels in America.
PIANO DEVELOPMENT.
T no time since piano manufacturing
assumed rank as an industry has
there been such remarkable progress made
in case and tonal departments as have
been recorded during 1897. The old and
incongruous designs have been discarded,
and in their place have appeared instru-
ments, symmetrical and beautiful in de-
sign.
The tonal development of the piano has
kept in close touch with the architectural
development. Decorative art, too, in
pianos has advanced materially. Between
the craftsman and his material there is an
obvious sympathy which has led to a
higher development as applied to pianos.
As a result of this tendency to cultivate
the art faculty so fully, it is possible that
during the next year or two there will be
radical changes in piano case architecture.
The leading firms to-day are making a
specialty of instruments made to order,
and where years ago this was a rarity, to-
day it is quite a common thing.
It is especially interesting to note that
there has been as strong a desire on the
part of many manufacturers to improve
the tonal qualities of their instruments
as their architectural beauty. This is sig-
nificant.
1897 is a notable year in that the piano
industry as a whole has moved a long
stride forward towards higher develop-
ment in every way. That there should
A
be radical changes in the method of dis-
posing of pianos is admitted by all, and
it is possible that the New Year will
bring about needed changes — changes
quite as remarkable in the selling of mu-
sical instruments as 1897 has been in
their development.
The members of the trade are becom-
ing more intelligently sensitive to the
importance of a revision of trade meth-
ods and it is quite within the range of
possibility that the National Association
of Piano Manufacturers will play an im-
portant part in the year so soon to dawn
upon us.
That there is a strong public senti-
ment in favor of trade reforms is evi-
denced by the formation of manufactu-
rers' associations all over the country in
every line of trade. These commercial
councils add to the effectiveness of mod-
ern business machinery. Through their
agencies new avenues of trade may be
opened up, and the old steadily wid-
ened. The commercial element will un-
doubtedly become more and more influ-
ential in our national development.
Our manufacturing interests now exceed
all others in magnitude and are manifestly
destined to continually expand. We are
scouring the world for new markets, en-
larging our productive capacity, and put-
ting skill, ingenuity and inventive genius
into every possible form of mechanical ap-
pliances to transform raw material into
finished products. We are a thrifty, well
nourished and prosperous people, and this
country does not have to be girdled with
bayonets to keep it intact. Every day fur-
nishes renewed evidences of the growing
preponderance of America in the industrial
and commercial affairs of the universe.
There is no question—there should be
none at least—but that our music trade
markets will continually widen. We under-
stand thoroughly and intelligently the re-
quirements of trade in the different coun-
tries, and with our inventive skill, who
shall say that we will not control the music
trade market of the world?
#
#
NATIONAL BANKRUPTCY BILL.
Rapid progress is being made in the
matter of a national bankruptcy bill. As
reported elsewhere in this paper, a meas-
ure embodying substantially the features
of the Henderson-Culberson Bill, passed
by the House of Representatives last ses-
sion, will be reported to the House before
many days. The judiciary committee have
agreed on the bill, which provides for both
voluntary and involuntary bankruptcy.
The measure is framed to be fair to all
parties concerned, and to make adminis-
tration simple and inexpensive.
While this measure may not be as
acceptable to the business interests as
the Torrey Bill, yet it is a step in
the right direction. The incongruities of
the many different bankruptcy laws in our
States and Territories have, up to date,
been more of a gold mine for lawyers than
a benefit to the mercantile community.
The interests of debtor ^and creditor alike
require uniformity of laws affecting bank-
ruptcy. This alone can be secured by a
national measure.
Of course the ideal law which would do
full justice to the wishes of every creditor
and every debtor under every possible
combination of circumstances is almost an
impossibility, and the business interests of
the country can afford to be satisfied if a
start is made in the right direction. This,
according to the news from Washington,
we are almost assured of now. It has
been a long time coming, but "everything
comes to him who waits."
#
#
It is apparent from the latest figures of
exports and imports of musical instru-
ments which appear in another part of The
Review that the new tariff law is resulting
in a big decrease in imports. For the
month of October alone there has been a
falling off in imports of some $40,103,
while for the ten months the decrease
amounts to over $160,000. On the other
hand, the exports for the ten months show
an increase of some $36,000. Of course
the decrease in imports is not helping to
make the Dingley law successful from a
revenue standpoint, but there can be no
question as to the increased demand for
musical instruments during the past nine
months, and this increased demand, and
the greater portion of the money which
goes to make this increased demand, is
being spent with American manufacturers
instead of being sent abroad.
Failure of Very & Osborne.
[Special to The Review.]
Wellsville, N. Y., Dec. 16, 1897.
Very & Osborne, well-known music
dealers of this place, made an assignment
this afternoon. Particulars are not yet
forthcoming, and no statement of liabili-
ties or assets has been made. The failure
is not considered an important or bad one.
Among the members of the trade in
town during the week were: Mr. Sonnen-
berg, of the Sonnenberg Piano Co., New
Haven, Conn.; Mr. Bates, of the Bates
Piano Co., Worcester, Mass.; Mr. Sanders,
of Sanders & Stayman, Baltimore, and
Washington, D. C.
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Wilcox & White Estate.
CLAIMS ALLOWED BY COMMISSIONERS AMOUNT
TO $ 2 4 6 , 2 8 7 . 8 2 .
[Special to The Review.]
Meriden, Conn., Dec. 15, 1897.
Attorneys E. A. Merriman and Frank
S. Fay, commissioners on the insolvent
estate of the Wilcox & White Organ Co.,
filed their report in the Probate court at
a late hour yesterday afternoon.
The total amount of claims allowed by
them was $246,287.82. The disallowed
and secured claims footed up $28,936.68,
while the preferred claims, mostly wages
of workmen, amounted to $5,615.17.
The report consumed fourteen pages and
was the longest and largest filed in the
Probate court for many years.
Embezzlement Alleged.
ISpecial to The Review.]
Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 15, 1897.
Maxin Gross, who was released from
jail yesterday, after serving a three-months
sentence, was arrested and taken before
Alderman John Groetzinger on a charge of
embezzlement. Gross was employed as a
salesman and collector by W. C. Hamil-
ton, piano dealer, of 335 Fifth avenue.
Mr. Hamilton alleges Gross sold an organ
in June for $44 cash and never returned
any of the money to him. Gross was held
for the court.
Business Prospects in Erie, Pa.
[Special to The Review.]
Erie, Pa., Dec. 15, 1897.
The Dispatch, of this city, has been in-
terviewing the local manufacturers, among
them the Colby and Shaw Piano compa-
nies, about business conditions. Here is
the result:
Colby Piano Co.—This institution is en-
joying a boom of its own and is running
full time with a large force of men. The
pianos are meeting with a ready sale and
good demand is being created. The new
year is expected to be a banner one in the
history of the plant.
.Shaw Piano Co.—Secretary Raymore:
We have about forty-five more men on our
pay roll than we had a year ago and are
running full time ten hours a day. A year
ago the plant was hardly running. Collec-
tions are improved and business is the best
it has been in three years.
To Send Music Over Wires.
Experimenting for a way by which
music from concert pipe organs can be
flooded into every home in Chicago that
could afford the cost of the flood was car-
ried on yesterda)? in Kim ball Hall, says the
Chicago Record. It is believed that an
invention can be perfected to carry pipe-
organ music over the telephone wires, los-
ing nothing but the heavy volume of sound.
The Kimball Co. and a local telephone
company who are making the experiments
are having a hard time to overcome the
organ's vibrations, which drown out much
of the music. Various transmitters are
being used, but nothing has yet been
found to keep the vibrations within har-
monious bounds. The intention is to run
the music over the wires out of small re-
ceivers into the ears of the people. There
can be almost any number of receivers
worked at the same time, according to the
experimenters. In the event of complete
success the promoters contemplate to give
the concerts in towns where there is a pipe
organ and telephones.
Faithful Employees Rewarded.
WM. E. UPTEGROVE & BRO. GIVE THREE OLD
WAGE-EARNERS AN INTEREST IN THE
BUSINESS.
Wm. E. Uptegrove & Bro., lumber deal-
ers, with yards at the foot of East Tenth
street, this city, have set an example of gen-
erous recognition of the services of faith-
ful employees.
The relations of the Uptegroves and
their several hundred workmen have al-
ways been pleasant, because the men have
never failed to receive just and liberal
treatment. As a result the workmen were
faithful, the business prospered and the
establishment grew to be one of the larg-
est in the city.
On Dec. 1 the firm became a corporation
with a capital of $500,000. Shares of
stock were given to John B. Beckwith,
Western representative of the firm; Ed-
ward L. Sinsebaugh, superintendent of the
business, and Myron A. Hull, who has
filled a position of confidence and respon-
sibility in the office. The three men have
been made directors.
" I t is a matter of no consequence,"
said one of the Uptegrove brothers yes-
terday. "Our reasons for doing it were
two-fold, first, to give permanence to our
organization and, secondly, to give recog-
nition to several of our staff, who have
efficiently and faithfully co-operated with
us for years. That's all there is to it."
Big Call for " B e h r " Bros.
Louis XV.
This week's visit to the Behr factory
gained some very satisfactory news for the
many friends of the Behr house. When
the season began The Review announced
that the highly artistic Behr product known
as the "Louis XV " style, previously made
principally in white and white and gold,
would be supplied in mahogany cases. Mr.
Behr told The Review on Thursday, when
asked for news,that the idea has proved to be
a happy one. So large has been the demand
for these instruments that it is leading the
way and promises to become a standard
style in this country.
Adolph Slomosky has been doing effec-
tive work for the Hardman piano in Mt.
Vernon and vicinity. Some time ago Mr.
Slomosky opened up for Hardman, Peck &
Co. in a modest little store in that city.
This week he moved into new quarters
which will more than double the size of
those formerly occupied b^him.
The piano back has proved itself a
feature by no means easy to treat with any
degree of satisfaction, and occupying as it
usually does such a conspicuous position of
the room its importance cannot very well
afford to be disregarded. Many and various
are the arrangements which have been
suggested and tried for its decoration,
some of them very fantastic and awkward,
others too elaborate or heavy, while a few
only may lay claim to being entirely suc-
cessful. A simple and at the same time
artistic treatment can be carried out with
the aid of a drapery of silk or tapestry.
Sometimes this drapery is made with a
narrow heading and fulled upon a narrow
brass rod to fall in natural folds to the
ground; then again it is a double drapery,
one material being in a plain color, or it
may be finished by some pretty trimmings.
*
*
*
*
E. J. Hogben & Co., of New Haven,
have just published an unusually brilliant
and tuneful set of waltzes for piano and
orchestra, entitled " T h e Normandie."
The composer is Miss Maud L. Studley,
daughter of Judge John P. Studley, of the
Court of Common Pleas for the County of
New Haven. Miss Studley is a member of
the musical department of the Yale Univer-
sity, and is a most promising student.
This is her first attempt at composition,
and as she is only in her eighteenth year, it
is undoubtedly a highly creditable piece of
work. The waltzes are written in a flow-
ing style, well and carefully arranged, and
decidedly pretty and original. Miss Stud-
ley, who, by the way, is a pianist of no little
ability, can feel proud of this, her premier
effort. The walzes are dedicated to Prof.
Benjamin Jefferson.
*
*
* *
The town of Mankato, Kan., has a sav-
age breast that refuses to be soothed by
music. A few years ago it rose up in its
wrath against "After the Ball" and
squelched it. This was accomplished by
imposing a fine on everybody who whistled
or played the then too popular tune. Now
Mankato is after ' • There'll Be a Hot Time
in the Old Town To-night," and any man,
woman or boy caught whistling, singing
or playing it between the hours of 6 A.M.
and 10 P.M. will be fined fifty cents.
Fifty cents is not much, of course, com-
pared with the result in joy and self-satis-
faction that man, woman or boy whose
heart is bubbling over with content and
melody finds in whistling or warbling a
popular tune, still it is a tax on feeling
good and we are sorry to hear about it.

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