Classic Mode

Music Trade Review

Issue: 1898 Vol. 27 N. 17

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
reputable, reliable and newsy publication.
A man who gives an equivalent for every
dollar invested; a man who eschews in-
sincerity in any form, and above all things
abhors intimidations and threats of any
character made for the obvious purpose of
bringing non-supporters into line. The
date at which his rise became marked was
the date upon which the thinking men of
the trade concluded that it was about time
to place a fair share of their patronage
with a concern which had given undeniable
proof of its loyalty to trade interests and
unswerving honor in all business dealings.
Thus the future trade historian may
write in years to come when all those who
are now active upon the stage shall have
become but memories.
The name of A. T. Stewart stands as a
monument of success. Stewart as a boy
is remembered as absolutely reliable.
Everybody who came in contact with him
felt that he was to be depended upon. He
inspired confidence when dealing with a
customer. The customer always felt that
he was personally getting the benefit of
the deal. No one ever had the feeling
that there was a cunning game back of a
business transaction with this merchant of
a by-gone generation.
The same feelings must come to every
manufacturer who does business with the
legitimate trade journalist. When the
business element of this trade is brought
in contact with the stencil trade journalist
who bears upon his brow the stencil-crime,
they feel that their own honesty is over-
matched by cunning. They know, or at
least they believe that they have no show
in an unequal fight where the one has a
blackmailing journal which he uses as a
bludgeon to gain the gold of the other.
Talent—time—energy and ambition are
not considered by the stencil trade journal-
ist who is troubled with no such feelings as
pangs of conscience. He coldly asserts
that he is in the business for money and it
is the money game that pays. In the past
he has played the game successfully, but
after all, his ill-gained wealth has melted
as a wreath of mist before the morning
sun. He, too, has lost that which a man
holds most dear—character.
One William Shakespeare, who in his
day was reckoned good, correctly inter-
preted the relations between character and
purse.
It is nothing less than a crime to attempt
to defame the reputation of men who have
always been fair in their dealings with
their fellowmen, who have given good
values, and have lived lives above reproach.
But in comes the stencil journalist;
smooth, oily and loquacious, Even the
contact with his flesh as he extends his
hand, as it is met in exchange, is cold and
repulsive. There is something about his
touch which makes one shudder—it is sug-
gestive of the snake, and while he talks his
eyes do not meet you in full gaze; they
wander. He wins by his cunning and not
by his virtues.
Years ago the stencil journalist talked
through his paper anent "stencil" piano
making, but he talked with his mouth to
"stencil" manufacturers.
The stencil
journalist aimed his shafts of satire at some
poor dealer in Skowhegan while he was
holding out both hands to catch the drop-
ping gold from stencil manufacturers who
were selling the poor devil of a dealer.
So he has gone on, the insincerity of the
stencil journalist who has debauched music
trade journalism becoming more and more
apparent. However, the laws of destiny
are immutable, and in the end right must
triumph, and now in these close of the cen-
tury days, the hand of the stencil journal-
ist has been stricken from its throttling,
thieving clutch on trade honor.
Now and then we see spasmodic kicks
which afford evidence that some life still
remains in the diseased body of the stencil
trade journalist. Having been brought to
his knees on several occasions by the re-
plies of outraged honor, his grasp has be-
come weakened ; his touch, while still hav-
ing power of communicating disease, is
fast being removed from the possibility of
contact. There are still a few flings at
reputable manufacturers. Nothing is lack-
ing, however, in the way of evidence to
prove the rottenness of the fount from
which the stencil journalist draws his sus-
tenance. It shows its pollution by the fil-
thy poetry—by the splenetic attacks upon
men who have been scrupulous in their
dealings with all mankind. The tide of
his reckoning can not be turned to some
remote date. All the twisting and evasion
cannot dodge or evade the issue. The de-
struction and total annihilation of the sten-
cil trade journalist is as sure as that the
sun will rise on to-morrow's Sabbath.
decadence and imbecility of the stencil
journalist who now goes begging from
door to door, to check the wave of disaster
which is now overwhelming him. It is
loo late—too late; his forehead is stenciled
with the inaffaceble brand of crime.
T H E residents of the central West fortu-
nately are reaping great big golden
harvests these October days. The farmers
belong to the favored class this year, and
they are not slow in making investments
in pianos and other accessories to home
comfort.
One of the traffic managers of one of the
great railroad systems in the West, re-
cently remarked to us, that almost every
depot on his line of roads was filled with
articles of luxuries such as pianos, organs,
sideboards, tables, paintings, and all mat- ,
ters intended for home adornment and
home culture. He stated that with the ex-
ception of last year such a condition had
not existed—well, not before within his
memory.
No stronger proof of the prosperity of
the farmer can be given than such testi-
mony as this, for a farmer does not usual-
ly buy musical instruments for his home
until the mortgage is paid and there is a
surplus in the treasury.
Here is a trade illustration showing how
the West is specially favored: It is said
that the September trade of Crancer &
Curtice, Lincoln, Neb., was more than
double that of September, '97, which by
the way, was a record breaker over the
preceding years. The West is surely en-
joying its innings in great big royal shape.
Kernels of Success:
Keep in touch with the trade.
Be posted.
Read The Review.
Use its pages liberally for advertising,
and dull times will pass you by.
T H E most extraordinary "recipes "for
keeping pianos "in condition" are
usually encountered in the daily papers.
For instance the following regarding
There is a force incorporated in this "sticky keys" from the Evening Post,
trade to-day which means a steady aug- which, by the way professes to know
mentation of the right. Men of soundness everything about trade and musical mat-
have nothing in common with a filthy ters, is unique:
blackmailer-—have nothing in common
" Sticky piano keys can be made smooth
with the man who has prostituted the best by putting a little gin or spirits of wine in
interests of this trade to selfish gain. Im- the water, but for actual discoloration a
moral greed will receive its final check paste made of gin and whiting is recom-
from outraged honor. Only a short time mended. With a flannel cloth wound
will have elapsed before the entire edifice around the finger the paste is applied with
of the stencil journalist will crumble. brisk rubbing. When the place is dry,
That which is right will live; that which rub off and polish with a very little dry
is wrong must die. The days of sandbag- whiting, finally giving a dry rub with a,
ging have gone. Eyery week ^dds to tk§ chamois."
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Seizure of Violins.
Collector Bidwell on Tuesday received
word from Special Agent Traitteur, who is
now in Philadelphia, that he had made a
seizure of a number of violins recently
imported by Frank Vandeveken, who is
said to be a well-known Belgian musician
and composer. Vandeveken brought the
violins to this country on the American
liner Southwark. It is said that he de-
clared their value to be only $55. The
Treasury agents investigated the matter,
and obtained from the musician, it is said,
a confession that the aggregate value of
the instruments imported by him was
nearer $10,000. The violins are now in
the custody of the Collector of the Port of
Philadelphia, to which city they were
shipped by Vandeveken, after they had
been passed by the local inspectors. They
will be reshipped to this city and appraised
here. The duty on musical instruments
is 45 per cent.
Referring to Rot.
The Indicator, that sturdy exponent of
trade interests in the West, says the sub-
joined :
"Old man M. T. Poccet, has been
writing insufferable rot for the Musical
Courier and its trade extra for some years.
Now the Trade Extra's running mate, the
Chicago Small-Fry, has unearthed M. T.
Poccet, Jr., of Pewtertown, N. J., and in
a small way has spread before a few mem-
bers of the trade more silly rubbish. If
anyone can inform us why the reputable
members of the music trade of this coun-
try should have such an infliction as this
put upon them we wish they would rise
and explain."
Our contemporary scores a bull's eye in
this, and how any paper can serve up such
rank doses as the " Poccet " stuff to read-
ers is beyond the comprehension of ordi-
nary minds. Thank Heaven there are
papers which are run on decent, respecta-
ble lines, and it is gratifying too to note
that there is a large element in the trade
which rebels against brainless rot, which,
after all, only brings the utterances of such
dignified journals as the Indicator into
stronger relief.
Strich & Zeidler.
Activity at the Strich & Zeidler factory
continues. So far, the present season's
results have been very satisfactory. Mr.
Widenmann, during his last Eastern trip,
made some valuable connections and
secured a number of good orders.
In the lists of orders received since the
fall business began, the percentage of S. &
Z. Baby Grands called for prove beyond
doubt that the merits of these delightful
instruments are becoming more and more
widely recognized.
Comstock, Cheney & Co.
THIS GREAT INSTITUTION FEELS THE BUSINESS
BETTERMENT ORDERS COMING IN SUFFI-
CIENT TO KEEP THE IMMENSE PLANT
VERY BUSY THE SECRET
OF SUCCESS.
In the commercial world the opinion pre-
vails, and very correctly, we think, that
there can be no safer or surer basis on
which to compute the real position of a
product in trade esteem than that afforded
by a steadily augmenting business; and
this is more forcible when the quality of
the product and the reputation of the house
are fully recognized.
Now, this applies with especial aptness
to that great piano action, key and hammer
institution of Ivoryton, Conn.—Comstock,
Cheney & Co.
From an unpretentious beginning, year
after year, we have had to record their suc-
cessful progress as manufacturers up to to-
day when they occupy several acres of floor
space in the manufacture of their special-
ties, and hold a front rank as specialists in
their line. The tremendous extent of their
business and the popularity of their wares
in all sections of the country are irrefut-
able testimony to the excellence of the
piano actions, keys, hammers and other
supplies which they manufacture. In the
piano action and key departments especial-
ly, there has been a steadily increasing
trade this season, due to the general im-
provement in business as well as to a
broader appreciation of the merits of their
wares.
There are many substantial reasons why
Comstock, Cheney & Co. continue to pro-
gress with the times, some of which may
be summarized briefly as follows: " Their
policy has been and is to put honor and re-
liability before aught else. They have
been keenly alive to the tremendous
changes and advances in the manufac-
turing world and have succeeded in keep-
ing in the front in the battle of com-
petition, aiming meanwhile at a greater
perfection of their wares and a recognition
of the necessity of employing modern
methods to that end."
Anyone having dealings with Comstock,
Cheney & Co., or who has visited their im-
mense establishment at Ivoryton, will con-
cede that this is hardly an adequate esti-
mate of those admirable business methods
which have made their wares so deservedly
popular with the trade.
Indeed, it is only after a visit to the
Comstock Cheney factory that one can
properly appreciate the important place
which this firm occupy in the music trade
industry of this country as large producers
of these important specialties, piano
actions, keys, hammers, etc. Just now
there is an atmosphere of activity prevalent
that furnishes a very excellent idea of the
prosperity of this institution and general
business betterment in the music trade.
E. S. Conway, of the W. W. Kimball
Co., and James Lane Allen, the lawyer of
this city, will entertain Gen. Shaf ter during
his stay in town jubilee week. Mr. Conway
A. B. Cameron, of the A. B. Cameron
will ride with Gen. Shaf ter in a carriage Co., left town on Tuesday for a brief tour
during the great procession.—The Indi- of the New England States. Cameron
cator.
products are jn active demand.
Trading on Established Reputa-
tions.
Conditions across the water, as far as
trading under the names of reputable man-
ufacturers, are not far different from at
home. : The following, clipped from the
Piano, Organ and Music Trades Journal,
of London, refers to this matter very per-
tinently :
" A more insidious evil than any of
these has affected the reputation and inter-
fered with the business of some of the
firms of highest repute in the piano trade.
We allude to the frequently-repeated at-
tempts which have been made recently to
pass off tenth-rate pianos at prices far
above their actual value, by conveying the
impression that the instruments have been
turned out by firms whose name is a suffi-
cient guarantee for their excellence. The
method employed is the adoption of some
colorable imitation of the name of a noted
house, as in the celebrated " Bachstein"
piano case, or as in the more recent Brins-
mead case, the starting of another firm
under the same name but with a variation
in style; or again, the labelling of pianos
with the names of well-known firms which
have had nothing to do with the making of
them.
Of course, these devices are readily de-
tected by the observant; but in auction
sales and under conditions where the cus-
tomer is liable to buy hurriedly or without
a full and careful inspection of the articles
acquired, the disposal of such goods is by
no means a difficult matter. The Mer-
chandise Marks Act of 1887 has been of
great service in putting a stop to frauds of
this kind. But in spite of all laws to the
contrary they still recur from time to
time, and ingenuity is still exercised in
evading the spirit of the law while appar-
ently observing the letter. Good firms
thus lose custom, and their name suffers
through association with inferior instru-
ments wrongly supposed to be theirs."
Within the last week R. E. Johnson has
closed for Emil Sauer engagements at Mon-
treal, Ottawa, Cleveland, St. Paul, and two
orchestral concerts and six recitals in Chica-
go. This is certainly not a bad week's
work.
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY.
A young man who thoroughly understands
piano action and case repairing, and who is will-
ing to work for reasonable wages can secure a
good situation by applying to D E. N. Care of
The Review.
A SPLENDID FACTORY
OPPORTUNITY.
A well equipped piano factory, located in a manufactur-
ing: city, easy of access to all parts of the country, is for
sale. This plant has all the necessary accessories for the
production of pianos. The name is well known, thousands of
instruments having; been sold over the country from the
Atlantic to the Pacific A regular output is assured If party
purchasing did not desire to buy factory a lease on suitable
terms could be secured. A moderate amount of capital
would be sufficient to purchase the entire machinery and
stock which is now being manufactured Parties who de-
sire to investigate this matter can address: " Factory Oppor-
tunity", Care of The Review, 3 E 14th Street, New York.

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