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V O L . XXIX. N o . 17. Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East fourteenth Street. New York, October 21st, 1899.
Warren Crocker.
Weaver Enlargement.
Warren Crocker, vice-president of the
Wegman Piano Co., died at his late home,
No, 142 North street, Auburn, N. Y., last
Saturday morning at the good round age
of 75 years. He was taken ill a week be-
fore with what was first supposed to be
heart trouble, but which later Dr. Sheldon
Voorhees, who attended him, diagnosed as
apoplexy. He continued to fail until the
end finally came. With Mr. Crocker's
death passes away one of Auburn's oldest
and most active businessmen, who, during
his' long career, made a host of friends,
who will sincerely mourn his demise.
Mr. Crocker was born in Lansing,
Tompkins county, March 9, 1824. For
nearly 40 years past he had been an active
figure in the business circles of Auburn.
vSince 1887 he had been engaged in the
manufactiire of pianos, being a member
of the firm of Wegman & Co. and later
an officer of the Wegman Piano Company.
He was engaged in the manufacture of
shoes for some time in the firm of Start-
well, Hough & Crocker and before that
in the retail shoe business. He was for
many years a faithful member of the First
Presbyterian church and was also a trustee
and elder for several terms.
Besides his wife he is survived by one
daughter, Mrs. Charles M. Herrick, of
Dansville, N. Y. ; two sons, Fred J., of
Santa Anna, Cal., and Albert W. Crocker,
of Auburn; also one sister, Miss Henrietta
Crocker, of Lansing.
Funeral services took place at the fam-
ily home, No. 142 North street, Monday
afternoon at 3130 o'clock, which were at-
tended by the employees of the Wegman
Co. as well as by his associates and a host of
friends. Burial was in Fort Hill Cemetery.
*
*
* *
At a meeting of the employees of the
Wegman Piano Co. held Saturday, the fol-
lowing preamble and resolution were
adopted:
Whereas, Our beloved employer, Warren
Crocker, has been called to his everlasting
rest, therefore as a testimonial of our pro-
found esteem and in grateful remembrance
we submit the following:
Resolved, That to his family in their
severe affliction we extend our sympathy
and the assurance that the memory of his
life will be cherished by his late associates
and employees as a precious legacy.
E. Penney,
A. Hickstein,
W. C. Gates,
B. Hermonson,
Committee.
The Weaver Organ & Piano Co., of York,
Pa., have just consummated the purchase
of a tract of land about two hundred feet
by ninety feet, adjoining their present
premises. They found that although their
property occupied a whole square of
ground they would not have room for any
further expansion of their factory without
first acquiring separate ground for a lum-
ber yard.
M. B. Gibson, president, and W. S.
Bond, secretary, of the Weaver Co., are at
the Philadelphia Exposition this week.
They report some excellent results from
their handsome exhibit of instruments.
Low vs. High Pitch.
The widely circulated statement that the
principal pianoforte manufacturers have
decided, after the beginning of the present
month, to adopt the low pitch seems to be
an exaggeration, says the Times. All the
leading Continental makers, it is true, have
agreed, but only three London piano
makers signed the undertaking, namely,
Messrs. Broadwood, Challen, and Brins-
mead. Some of the greatest firms, on the
other hand, appear to be entirely against
it. Messrs. Collard & Collard (whose firm
is now amalgamated with the still older
house of Kirkman & Son,) for example,
write inter alia:
"Our pitch has been that universally
adopted in this country, which we believe
to be far better for the piano than the
lower French one; and, holding this opin-
ion, we consider the subject a very grave
and important one for the manufacturer.
We do not, therefore, intend to follow
other houses who may consider it advan-
tageous to remove any brilliant quality
from their manufacture, but we shall con-
tinue to issue our pianos at the old pitch
until this half-hearted, qualified support,
reluctantly given by the dealers to the pro-
posed change, takes the form of a definite
and widespread expression of feeling in its
favor, which we hope may be long de-
ferred. "
*
*
* *
A rather humorous result of the discus-
sion of normal pitch has come to light in
the form of a letter sent to an eminent
firm of piano manufacturers in London by
one of their customers anent the tuning of
his piano. He himself confessed that he
knew nothing about it, but added, "My
daughter is of opinion that the piano
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLK COPIES loCK
wants tuning very badly, and that it is
now at least seven or eight octaves below
concert pitch. What is this new normal
pitch that I have been hearing about ? If
it makes the piano keep in tune longer, I
wish you would kindly supply me with
one.
Would a second-hand pitch do,
though ? I suppose that it is not expen-
sive, and that it can be easily fixed to the
old piano." What on earth this gentle-
man imagined the diapason normal can
possibly be is not at all clear.
Canadian Trade is Lively.
[Special to The Review.]
Toronto, Ont., Oct. 16, 1899.
A rather unusual sight . was witnessed
Saturday when five C. P. R. lorries were
seen leaving the Gerhard Heintzman
Co. 's factories loaded with pianos for ship-
ment. In conversation with Mr. Heintz-
man he said that their business was
such at the present time that they
were unable to keep up with orders,
although they are turning out 100 pia-
nos per month. The busy season for
these instruments is just beginning, and
it indicates a healthy condition of trade
when the demand is already so strong.
Mr. Heintzman showed an order from
Winnipeg, which had just been received,
calling for forty of their high-class instru-
ments. Although their capacity has com-
paratively recently been doubled, should
the present rush continue they would be
unable to cope with it without further ex-
tension.
A very gratifying feature to the Gerhard
Heintzman firm is the popular favor in
which their pianos are held by musical
people. They have just supplied a num-
ber of colleges, while Dr. Edward Fisher
and Dr. Ham are also recent customers.
W. G. Seaverns at the Helm.
The Seaverns Piano Action Co., of Cam-
bridgeport, Mass., has been for years man-
aged by W. G. Seaverns and not Frank H.
Mr. Seaverns has shown exceeding ability
in the management of this enterprise, and
it will continue under his wise administra-
tion.
Useful War Souveners.
Don't waste a moment! Turn immedi-
ately to page 16. The information con-
tained there will interest you, because
everyone is interested in useful war relics.
It will tell you, too, how we have secured
more than five hundred new subscribers
to The Review.