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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
6
a show of patronage in the Annex at any
price, shows more plainly than explanatory
columns the straits to which it is driven.
How can a man who places no valuation
on his own advertising space expect others
to do so? Space which costs nothing usu-
ally is worth about the price asked.
Corn Buys Pianos.
KANSAS FARMERS INTEND TO
THIS WINTER.
HAVE
MUSIC
LSpecial to The Review.]
Topeka, Kan., Oct. 3, 1898.
The dealers in musical instruments in
Franklin County say this has been the big-
gest year they have ever enjoyed. Prob-
ably one hundred new pianos, with double
that number of new organs, have been sold
in Franklin County to the farmers within
the past twelve months. No stronger proof
of the prosperity of the farmers could be
given. A farmer does not buy musical
things for his home until the mortgage is
paid and there is a surplus in the treasury.
The Behning Piano Co.
In common with their neighbors, the
Behning Piano Co. are enjoying a whole-
some run of active business. The firm's
traveling representatives are making ex-
cellent records on the road, and Behning
agencies generally are sending in good
reports and orders.
Henry Behning has been seriously ill
with dysentery and malaria. For several
weeks he was confined to his bed and un-
der close medical supervision. This week
finds him at the factory again as alert as
ever and rapidly gaining strength.
A New Style " Crown."
Geo. P. Bent has just placed on the
market a new style " Crown " piano which
excels in attractiveness anything which he
has heretofore produced. It is a style C
and the model is Colonial. It is an archi-
tectural gem, the proportion in all its
lines being perfect.
Business at the
" Crown " factory is excellent; the demand
for "Crown" -p'anos and organs is so
active as to break all previous records.
Will Hurt Business.
Henry F. Miller, Alex. Steinert, and
other prominent music trade men of Bos-
ton, are protesting, according to the Boston
papers, against the removal of the car
tracks from Boylston street. It is stated
that the removal of the cars will hurt busi-
ness in that section, and as a compromise
it is suggested that there should be more
subway stations, particularly, that one near
the Common should be built.
R. W. Gertz, the Mason & Hamlin piano
expert and factory superintendent, who
has been spending his vacation in Germany,
sails to-morrow, the 9th, by the " Penn-
sylvania," arriving in New York on the
20th. He will resume his labors at the
Mason & Hamlin factories a day or two
later.
Busy Harlem Factories.
THE
REVIEW NOTES
UNUSUAL ACTIVITY
EVERYWHERE MANY CONCERNS ARE
WORKING OVERTIME TO FILL
ORDERS.
The Review, visiting the piano factories
on both sides of the Harlem this week,
noted healthy activity in every instance.
Orders are evidently arriving in a steady
stream from out-of-town representatives.
In several factories there is sufficient
pressure in the order department to justify
overtime work for many of the employees.
This condition of affairs is a welcome one.
That there is no actual rush makes it none
the less acceptable. Masters and men
alike are content to be kept busy, moving
at something like an even pace.
The general feeling seems to be one of
contentment, the outlook being decidedly
auspicious in all sections of the country.
Advices from the East, West, Northwest
and South show the present commercial
status to be most encouraging.
T H E first Chickering invitation musicale
* of the season took place last Tuesday
afternoon in the presence of a fashionable
audience that crowded Chickering Hall to
the doors. The program, which was pub-
lished in last week's Review, was splen-
didly interpreted. Mrs. Eloise Morgan
was enthusiastically applauded for her
artistic singing, while Miss Kuhr displayed
the beauties of the Chickering grand with
the authority and finish of a master.
Franz Listemann was, as usual, admirable
in his numbers on the 'cello. All in all, it
was a significant and appropriate premier
of a musical season that promises much
for the augmentation of Chickering fame.
Will Sue If Not Paid.
*
*
*
*
[Special to The Review.]
A N English piano manufacturer, who has
Albany, N. Y., Oct. 1, 1898.
**• recently spent some time in Peking,
The finance committee of the board of brings news of the recently deposed Em-
education at Cohoes, is struggling over the peror's fondness for music and his interest
pr6blem of who purchased the piano now in pianos and other instruments of West-
in use in the high school and whether it ern make. He is even said to perform
was .^ever purchased at all or not. J. himself upon the pianos of the palace, but
& C. "Fischer of New York, who were assign- as the privilege of listening to the imperial
ed the old accounts of the Piercy Company, recitals is reserved for only the most ex-
which went out of business recently, have alted of the Celestial Kingdom the manu-
presented a bill of $428 for the piano which facturer did not have an opportunity of cri-
has been used since March, 1895, in the ticising the Emperor's technique. Kwang-
high school. They threaten to sue the city Su, however, hearing of the presence in
if the piano is not paid for. The board the capital of an English piano expert,
has no record that the piano was ever pur- desired him to look at the palace instru-
chased or its purchase even agreed to. ments and see if he could put them into
J. & C. Fischer have been asked to produce better order. Several high officials, bear-
their order or contract.
ing an ancient and evidently much-thumped
piano, arrived at the Englishman's house
and deposited their precious charge. It
On a Flying Trip.
was, says the manufacturer, in horrible
Aug. Palle, the popular representative condition. The keys, besides being brown
of Schwander piano actions, sailed for with dirt, were covered with queer Chinese
Paris by the La Gascogne last Saturday. characters which had been stamped on.
His trip is a flying one, and undertaken The instrument had not been tuned in many
for business only. He will be at his post years, if, indeed, it had ever had that ex-
again the last day of October. Since Mr. perience since it was new. The piano-
Palle took charge of the Herberger & Co. maker went to work thoroughly, and finally
business he has built up a very excellent got the keys clean and the instrument re-
trade, which he has been able to augment paired and in fairly good tone again. It
steadily. This is a reward well merited, was returned, and the Emperor expressed
because Mr. Palle is a tireless worker in his general satisfaction, but criticised the
the interest of the institution he so ably removal of the Chinese writing from the
represents.
keys. That was not necessary, he said,
and the characters irmst be replaced im-
The "flajestic" Advance.
mediately. The manufacturer wondered
During a talk with Mr. Spies, of the Spies if this meant that he was henceforth to be
Piano Co., on Wednesday, with reference to in disfavor as a repairer, but he was soon
the ' 'Majestic," he said that each succeeding assured to the contrary by receiving seve-
twelve months since its introduction, five ral more pianos, an orchestrion and one or
years ago, shows a marked advance in the two other queer instruments, upon which
number of sales made. To-day he is will- he was requested to exercise his skill. For
ing to place the "Majestic," for tone, qual- all these services Kwang-Su sent his thanks,
ity of material and style, against any in- through an officer of the imperial guard.
But the end of the work had not come
strument now on the market at the same
yet.
What was the Englishman's astonish-
figures. Mr. Spies says he would like
ment
to
receive, a few days later, a dilap-
dealers to note this and make inquiries.