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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Mehlin Activity.
Copyright of Title No Good.
Latest reports of trade conditions at the
Mehlin factory and warerooms continue
to show a marked and steadily growing
increase in the volume of business. The
call for Mehlin grands—especially the
Colonial Grand, Style V, recently shown
in the Review—is gratifyingly frequent.
Oftentimes when the Review calls at the
warerooms for news, sales of grands or
uprights are in progress. Out-of-town
representatives are sending in good orders.
Composers and playwrights who have
chanced to use a title copyrighted by
some other person, will find consolation in
a decision handed down by Judge Truax
in the Supreme Court, this city, on Thurs-
day, to the effect that an injunction will
not be issued for the mere use of the same
title.
This decision was made in a suit brought
by Richard F. Sullivan against Victor
Herbert and others, for an injunction to
restrain them from using for an opera the
title, " T h e Fortune Teller."
Sullivan based his right to an injunction
on the fact that in 1895 he copyrighted the
title, " T h e Fortune Teller," for a play
which was subsequently produced.
In opposing the plaintiff's application A.
H. Hummel contended that the injunction
should be refused on the ground that there
had been no infringement of Mr. Sullivan's
play. He said that the mere title had not
and could not be copyrighted, and that all
that was protected by the copyright was
the words and scenes of the play.
Justice Truax sustained this contention.
He said that there had been no assertion
made on behalf of the plaintiff that the
defendants had appropriated any part of
his play.
Justice Truax then dismissed the plaint-
iff's suit with $10 costs.
Nordheimer Change.
The firm of A. & S. Nordheimer, so
well known throughout the Dominion as
pioneers of the piano and music business
in Canada, have resolved their affairs into
a joint stock company, which hereafter
will be known as the Nordheimer Piano
and Music Company (Limited). While
those interested in the company will be
limited mainly to the members heretofore
comprising the firm, the change involves
the withdrawal of Mr. Samuel Nordheimer
(president of the new company) from as
active a participation in the business as
formerly, and the management will be as-
sumed by Mr. Albert Nordheimer, the
vice-president and managing director of
the new company.
Praise the Behr Pianos.
The following letters addressed by prom-
inent dealers to Behr Bros. & Co. need no
commendatory preface, further than the
remark that the widespread existence of
such sentiments as are therein expressed
go far to explain the healthy growth of the
Behr prosperity:
Nashville, Term., Oct. 5, 1898.
Messrs. Behr Bros. & Co., New York.
Gentlemen:—I wired you this morning for three
style " G " pianos. Every " B e h r " in the house
is sold and the mahogany pianos which have not
yet arrived are sold, I believe. I am going to have
the finest Behr trade this season that has ever been
done here. People are feeling better and seem to
be more willing to spend money for high-grade
pianos than they have been for the past six or seven
years. Hurry all the pianos ordered.
Yours very truly,
FRANK G. FITE,
Successor to R. Dorman & Co.
Tiffin, O.
Messrs. Behr Bros. & Co.
Gentlemen:—At our carnival of business we had
the nicest arranged booth, just like a fine parlor,
and the music, vocal and instrumental, were highly
appreciated, also your style G which came just in
time. Everybody spoke of our well arranged dis-
play as the finest, and we had a big crowd before
the booth right in front of our store Sept. 21st,
22d and 23d. On the 22d we had a fine street
parade. Behr Bros, style G was on a well ar-
ranged wagon and was played by a good player;
it was sold while on parade to Mrs. Hoffman. She
says it is the best toned piano she ever heard.
Style O was sold to H. G. Spath, and the other
style G to Mr. Thomas Gross in Chicago. All
Behr Bros, piano customers are your friends. En-
closed your check for style G.
Truly yours,
C. F. Boos, Music Dealer.
Eugene B. Baehr, formerly of the firm
of Eugene B. Baehr & Bro., has been en-
gaged by Wm. R. Gratz to travel for his
house. Mr. Herman Baehr, his brother,
will also travel temporarily for the same
establishment.
H. Kleber & Bro., of Pittsburg, have
opened a music store in McKeesport, Pa.,
which is under the management of T. J.
Smith,
H
DOSENTHAL, the great pianist, made
* ^ his debut for the season at Carnegie
Hall on Wednesday evening. Notwith-
standing the inclemency of the weather
there was a large audience present, includ-
ing a goodly showing of musical cognos-
centi. The programme included so'natas by
Weber, Chopin, the "Don Juan" fantasie
of Liszt's and a number of small pieces.
The Steinway piano, of course, was used,
and it rarely underwent a severer test in
the matter of tone forcing. In the " Don
Juan " fantasie Mr. Rosenthal apparently
let loose the torrent of his technique, but
the resources of his instrument seemed to be
illimitable. Magnificently did this superb
Steinway grand answer to the demands
made upon it by the great pianist. At all
times its majestic tonal volume filled the
hall; while in such numbers as Henselt's
" Si oiseau j'etais," it sang sweetly and en-
trancingly. Critics may differ about Ros-
enthal's playing, but there can be no dif-
ference of opinion regarding the magnifi-
cent Steinway grand.
Attachment Issued.
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*
[Special to The Review.]
D I C H A R D M. WALTERS, the well-
Plainfield, N. J., Oct. 26, 1898.
Alvah Hoagland has sworn out a writ of *^ known piano man and chairman of
attachment against Richard Menzel, who the telephone committee of the Board of
kept a music store on West Front street Trade, is doing some magnificent work
until a few months ago, when he went to toward smashing the present telephone
Germany. The attachment is made on monopoly. He is persistently agitating
the matter of cheaper tolls, and the pros-
goods in the store house.
pects are that he is in the fight to win.
*
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*
Baehr Schedules.
T C. HENDERSON, general manager of
Schedules of Eugene B. Baehr & Bro.,
^ • the Ann Arbor Organ Co., was a visitor
dealers in musical instruments at No. 7
to New York during the week. During a
West Fourteenth street, show liabilities of
chat in The Review sanctum on Wednes-
$18,667; nominal assets, $14,185 ; actual
day he spoke encouragingly of the condi-
assets, $7,857.
tion of business with his company. During
the past six months he has been constantly
C. F. Zimmerman Dead.
traveling and with such success that the
C. F. Zimmerman, the inventor of the demand for Ann Arbor organs and
autoharp, died on Saturday last at his home Henderson Pianos is so brisk as to exceed
in Philadelphia from injuries received by the most sanguine expectations. Mr.
being run down by an engine on Pennsyl- Henderson left town on Thursday night
vania Avenue.
Mr. Zimmerman was and on Monday will leave on a journey
eighty-two years old.
through the South lasting over six weeks.
If any proof were needed of the neces-
The Kranich & Bach report for the week
sity
of hustling and traveling as aids to
is very satisfactory. Messrs. Kraemer and
success
in business to-day, it is only neces-
O'Brien, traveling in the firm interests,
sary
to
point to the growth of the Ann
are making an excellent record.
TINGUE, HOUSE & CO.,
ACTION
CLOTHS
BUSHING—Domestic and foreign.
PUNCHINGS—All colors and thickness.
RAILS—All colors and thickness.
Offices and Warerooms, 56 Reade Street, New York.
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Mills a t Glenville
Seymour, Coon,