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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
THE "SMALL GOODS" TRADE
The Phonoharp Co.'s Advance. ing department is flourishing.
Hamilton S. Gordon's Display.
The Columbia Zither of the Phonoharp
Co. is making a splendid record as a quick
seller, and a large number of active agents
who have a keen instinct for goods that
move quickly are rallying around the
Columbia banner.
Mr; Pierce, the ever-alert New York
member of the firm, informed The Review
on Monday, in answer to a question, that
the shrewdest jobbers in this country have
included the Columbia Zither in their
catalogues for 1899 and are already receiv-
ing good returns.
Mr. Freeland, who has charge of Hamil-
ton vS. Gordon's musical merchandise de-
partment, is now busy attending to stock
renewals and correspondence with out-of-
town dealers. It is Mr. Freeland's am-
bition to make the Gordon stock of musi-
cal merchandise for 1899 one of the largest
and choicest in the trade. "We expect a
big demand," said he, "and are well pre-
pared for it."
44
Criterion" Progress.
At the Paillard warerooms, the latest
news concerning "Criterion" progress
shows that rapid strides are being made in
the right direction. The personal work
done in 1898 by Mr. Paillard as a "Crite-
rion " traveling representative has pro-
duced highly satisfactory results.
Mr. Varrelman, on every trip, secures
several converts to the '' Criterion ' faith.
One of the strongest points made in connec-
tion with the "Criterion's " admitted claims
for recognition is the extraordinary durabil-
ity of the discs, secured by a patented plan.
John Church Co.
At the John Church Co.'s musical mer-
chandise warerooms, Mr. Adams reports
business as active. The John Church metro-
nomes are bought up as rapidly as they can
be completed. The Imperial stringed in-
struments are in good demand, and musi-
cal merchandise generally receives a full
share of patronage. The music publish-
"THE CRITERION"
Pronounced by Musical and Mechanical Experts
"The World's Best Music Box/'
With an unlimited supply of Music at trifling cost.
Attractive
additions are constantly being made. Both
traveling representatives are sending in
good reports and orders.
Human Skull for Violin.
A human skull used as a violin is the
much-prized musical instrument of an
Englishman living in a suburb of London.
No one can doubt it will produce weird
tunes. It was made by stretching over
the hollow part a sheet of sheepskin as a
sounding board. A part of the leg bone is
used as keyboard, with pieces of the small
bones of the arm for keys. This curiosity
came from Durban, South Africa. One
could well imagine this an appropriate
instrument for a cannibal orchestra.
This curiosity was sent to Mr. A. I. J.
Harwood, of No. 87 Park street, Camden
Town, a part of London, by his friend, Mr.
Charles Wilson, of Durban, South Africa.
In sending it, Mr. Wilson wrote that he
had to risk his own skull to 'get this one.
He attended a pow-wow of the natives in
the guise of a wandering hunter. When
the climax of their ceremonies was reached
he was startled to see them bring forth
this hideous musical instrument. Upon it
was played the Yu-ku-ka, or death dance,
while naked forms of the warriers danced
in the lurid light of the brush fires.
Mr. Wilson knew enough of the native
dialect to learn that this death's head vio-
lin was made from the skull of the great
chief of their tribe, who had lived hundreds
of years ago. It was thought to have
miraculous powers of incantation and was
use'd in all the great ceremonies. When the
death dance was over and the performers
exhausted and stupefied by the native wine,
the Englishman secured the skull violin
and succeeded in escaping with it undetect-
ed to Durban. He at once sent the price-
less trophy on to his London friend.
The human skull has been utilized as a
curio in many strange ways, but it is
doubtful if it has ever before served as a
musical instrument.
Grubb & Kosegarten.
The co-partnership existing between
Grubb & Meyer, action makers, of Nassau,
N. Y., has been dissolved, Mr. Meyer's in-
terest in the firm having been purchased
by Mr. Albrecht Kosegarten. Mr. Grubb,
the senior member of the firm has been
connected with the business for ten years^
and is too well known to the trade to need
any introduction. Mr. Kosegarten is an
action-maker of seventeen years experi-
ence, having learned the trade tinder the
guidance of Mr. Frickinger, who was the
founder of the firm of which he is now a
member. He has also interested with him-
two of his brothers, one of whom has been
a foreman for two years in the Roth &
Engelhardt factory.
The annual banquet of the Merchants'
and Manufacturers' Board of Trade will be
held at the Hoffman House, Washington's
Birthday. R. M. Walters is chairman of
the dinner committee.
OUR CATALOGUE
is a safe guide through the best stock of musical
merchandise in America.
We make quick shipments of little and big orders.
The Bay State instruments.
Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, Zithers and Flutes.
The Regina Music Box and tune sheets.
JOHN C. HAYNES & CO.,
453459 Washington Street,
Boston.
Wm. Tonk & Bro.
Mechanically, it is faultless. Musically, the highest achievement
of its kind. In appearance, an ornament anywhere.
M. J. PAILLARD & COMPANY,
806 BROADWAY,
NEW YORK.
This week's report at the Tonk ware-
rooms is very satisfactory. With hardly
an exception, the Tonk musical specialties
are in steady demand, the Solophone and
Serenetta leading.
"Beau Ideal" strings, so strongly in-
dorsed by professional and amateur musi-
cians, are being called for by musical or-
ganizations and soloists in every section of
the country.
The Tonk piano stools, scarfs and cabi-
nets for 1899, are in great favor. The
latest Tonk idea for shipping stools, illus-
trated in a recent issue of The Review, is
widely appreciated.
Bodies of beautifully engraved aluminum. Sound-boards
of selected spruce. Tone, B e a u t y , Durability.
. . . . Wonderful in
'
£._
CATALOGUE FREE.
J
ALUMINUM MUSICAL INST. CO, Mt. Yernon, N. Y,