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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
cross mounted with brilliants, and it was fol-
lowed by a grand banquet given by M.
GouttiSre to his friends and fellow workers in
all departments of his business.
The event just recorded brings to mind
how admirable is this plan of the French
government of recognizing merit in the dif-
ferent industries. It puts a premium upon
capability, and encourages advancement in
technical and musical fields. Of course in
this country decorations and all of that kind
of thing savor of royalty, but there can be no
question that governmental recognition of
some sort acts as a stimulus to the leaders in
the varied walks of labor.
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The following good story concerning our
neighbors over the border comes to us by
way of England. It is worth telling:
The late Catholic Bishop of Newfoundland
had a piano of which he desired to dispose,
and which a friend, a Protestant doctor, de-
sired to purchase. Considerable chaff en-
sued before the bargain was struck at a price
•which the Bishop declared ruinously low.
The only vehicle in the town which would
accommodate the piano was a hearse, and in
this it was driven to the doctor's door, who
came to the Bishop in high dudgeon. " Why
on earth," he asked, "did you send my piano
home in a hearse ?" The Bishop's eyes
twinkled as he answered, "Why? Oh, be-
cause it was such a dead bargain."
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In The Review's journeyings through the
trade, vigorous and telling testimony is spon-
taneously presented regarding the merits of
the Strauch piano actions. Patrons and ad-
mirers are, one and all, sincere and enthusi-
astic in declaring that whatever merits others
may possess, the Strauch action is the best
they ever used, or wish to use. This
tribute is the more valuable because it is un-
solicited, and is plain proof that the high
standard of the Strauch products is appre-
ciated so widely that competition, instead
of shaking the solid foundation on which they
stand, only tends to bring their sterling merits
more clearly into prominence.
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tact with, at its ends, a suitable sound board,
the sound is loud and distinct, because the
board which vibrates in sympathy with the
string presents a large surface to the air, and
therefore moves it with much greater energy
than it is possible for the string to do,
which presents only a small surface to the
air. The same is true of the violin, only in a
much greater degree. The violin, when per-
fectly made, has all the variety of gradation
in pitch as the human voice. The piano and
organ and all instruments with a key board
are limited to certain definitely determined
tones.
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Verdi, who objects to hand organs, has an
effective though expensive way of suppress-
ing them at Moncalieri, where he spends his
summers. He hires all the organs in the dis-
trict for the season and stores them in his
house. A reporter of Le Figaro counted
ninety-five instruments, and the composer
told him that it cost him $300 a season to
suppress them.
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One of the finest displays of instruments in
this city is that to be seen in the Everett
warerooms, 141 Fifth avenue. Such hand-
some art casings, fine veneers and perfect
workmanship it would be hard to match. A
personal examination of the instrument, both
in the matter of tone and careful manufac-
ture, will confirm anyone that the Everett of
to-day is an instrument which well merits all
the good words that are said for it. It is
satisfactory to know that the Everett is con-
stantly growing in appreciation in this city.
Retail trade, month after month, is on the up
grade, and this speaks for itself.
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"Yes," said the earnest music lover,
"Mme. Squawkica is a great artist. She's
won fame and fortune, she's sung before
crowned heads and uncrowned geniuses, and
she's one of the few upon the operatic stage
as gifted dramatically as she is vocally; but
her success lacks one thing. The highest tri-
bute that a devoted public can pay a singer has
never yet been hers. No stencil piano has
been named after her."
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There will be a notable concert by the
C. G. Conn, whose enterprise and go-
famous Women's String Quartette of New
York at Steinway Hall on next Monday even- aheadedness is proverbial, is receiving con-
ing. In the quartette are included Janet siderable attention from the New York papers
Allen and Florence Muriel Austin, violinists, these days. The Evening Journal recently
Mary E. Rogers, viola, Agnes Mathilde published a cut of an immense Conn horn as
high as the Washington Monument, from the
Dressier, 'cellist and pianist.
The program embraces a charming selec- bell of which is coming "Yankee Doodle,"
tion from the classics. Among them is Men- not "on a pony" as we learned in our younger
delssohn's Spinning Song, which will be given days, but in the form of musical notes. The
as a piano solo by Will. E. Rogers. Brahms' strains of the melody are being wafted across
famous Hungarian Dance will be rendered by the English channel from La Belle France,
a trio—Misses Austin, Dressier and Rogers. with the object of striking terror into the heart
A very pleasant evening's entertainment is of John Bull. This is what the Journal says:
"Yankee Doodle" blown clear across the
promised.
British Channel! "Yankee Doodle"—a clar-
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The resonance of a piano, says Prof. Gray ion blast begun near the Notre Dame in Paris
in the Chicago Times-Herald, comes from the and carried to St. Paul's, in London! Thai
sound board and not from confined air bodies. is a dream of patriotism to make proud the
It is so constructed as to be sympathetic to heart of America.
any rate of vibration that the various strings
It is an American who has dreamed of a
are capable of transmitting to it. If a string horn to accomplish such a marvel. He has,
is vibrated alone in the air the sound is very moreover, begun to make it.
feeble, but when strained over and in con-
He is C, G, Conn, an American maker of
11
musical instruments. He has begun work
upon his giant horn for the Paris Exposition
in ^1900. He has already applied to the
managers of the exposition for space on
which to place his musical monster.
The standard and pedestal of the horn—it
is to be appropriately a French horn—will
require an acre lot.
The machinery which will operate the horn
will need another acre.
The top of the horn will be as high in the
air as the point of the Washington monument.
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"Fifty American Beauties" is the fetching
title of an album containing stage beauties,
which Mrs. Isabel Gordon Curtis of Bing-
hamton, N. Y., has nearly finished. The
volume will represent half-tone portraits with
autographs and quoted lines from the favorite
song or part played by each "beauty." It
will be interesting to decide who are the fifty
most beautiful women on the stage, and we
wish Mrs. Curtis the best of luck with her
work, but I can see that her lot will not be
all happiness in her selection and she will
find that in any event much criticism awaits
her.
This "exquisite brochure" will have a
cover decorated with American beauty roses,
and there will be no advertising to mar its
fair pages. The books will be dedicated to
the Commercial Travelers of America and
will be put on sale all over the country, the
net proceeds to be given to the big fair fund
which will open February 28th at Madison
Square Garden. It is safe to say that every
traveling man will want this souvenir of the
Fair and of the fair ones who have shown
their interest in helping it along.
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At the ^Eolian warerooms, news this week
is highly encouraging. Orchestrelles, Grands,
/Eolians,' Princesses and Aeriols are all in
favor with music lovers. There is no lack of
orders. The enterprise of the ^Eolian Co. in
keeping up the feature of ^Eolian recitals has
been amply justified. At every recital con-
verts are made and purchases arranged for.
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Last Saturday's issue of the Commercial
American of this city contained an interesting
interview with John C. Freund, regarding the
present condition of, and the outlook for the
music trade industry of this country. Mr.
Freund sums up the situation in his usually
able manner
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w
Adolph Sutro, ex-Mayor of San Francisco,
and brother of the late Otto Sutro, Balti-
more, has been adjudged mentally incom-
petent by Judge Belcher, of the Superior
Court, at the request of his children. Mr.
Sutro is over eighty years old, and the loss
of his mental faculties is attributed to the
weight of years.
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E. W. Furbish of Vose fame was in town
the early days of the week.
WANTED.
By experienced traveler, good com-
mercial Piano, also Reed Organ, to sell
Eastern trade on commission. Address,
"MEDIA,"
Care of Music TRADE REVIEW.