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V O L . XXIX. N o . 2 3 . Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman Bill at 3 East Fourteenth Street. New York, December 2,1899.
Litigation Over Hale Estate.
PIANO
MAN'S SON-IN-LAW LAYS CLAIM TO
EXECUTOR PORTER'S HOUSE.
Charles H. Stone, as executor of the will
of his wife Augusta, has brought an action
in the Supreme Court to have the Court
decree that the house 126 West Seventy-
second street is part of the estate of his
wife's father, Joseph P. Hale, a piano
manufacturer. Hale died on October 15,
1883, leaving his estate in three parts,
one for his wife, Lucy Ann Hale, and a
part for each of his daughters, Julia H.
Demarest and Augusta W. Stone. The
executors were his widow, George W. De-
bevoise and Hugh Porter. The plaintiff
says that the executors received $1,500,000
in securities and other property, including
an interest in the piano firm. It is alleged
that there has never been an accounting,
and that since 1889 the executors have kept
no proper books.
The conduct of the estate, says the com-
plaint, has been practically left to Hugh
Porter, who, it is alleged, has been al-
lowed by the other two executors to draw
about $600,000 from the estate and apply
it as he desired.
Mr. Stone says he is informed that the
house 126 West Seventy-second street, in
which Mr. Porter has lived for several
years, and which is mortgaged for $50,000,
was purchased with part of the money of
the estate and he wants it decreed that the
equity belongs to that estate.
The will of Stone's wife left her interest
in the estate of her father to her husband
for life with remainder over to their chil-
dren, Joseph Parker Stone and Charles
Everett Stone.
Freight Rates to go up.
INCREASE
IN WAGES, IRON AND EXPENSES
GIVEN AS THE EXCUSE.
[Special to The Review.]
Louisville, Nov. 29, 1899.
Marshall P. Washburn, Chairman of the
Southeastern Mississippi Valley Associa-
tion, is responsible for the statement that
all railroads from the Atlantic to the Paci-
fic are on the verge of raising freight rates.
This raise in rates will be done through
what is known as classification committees.
There are three of these committees in the
United States.
Mr. Washburn said to-day: "The rail-
roads have been compelled to consider the
revenue question. Everything that enters
into the building and operating of railroads
has gone skyward. Wages have been ad-
vanced. Iron, which is the chief factor in
railroad construction, has advanced over
150 per cent. It is true business has ad-
vanced and also our gross earnings, but
think of how the expense of operation has
also advanced. Something must be done."
Wegman-Adams.
The marriage on Nov. 23, of Miss Lillian
Alice Wegman, daughter of the late Henry
Wegman, founder of the Wegman Piano
Co., and George Francis Adams, at present
connected with the Wegman Co., was the
occasion of much rejoicing in Auburn, N.
Y., where both are highly popular and sin-
cerely respected.
The ceremony took place at the spacious
home of the bride's mother, which was
transformed into a bower of greens and
blossoms by florist Patrick, following which
a wedding supper was served to TOO guests,
Teall of Rochester being the caterer. Dur-
ing the repast Stevens' orchestra furnished
music.
The happy couple were the recipients of
many beautiful and costly remembrances,
one room being reserved for the gifts.
One table was completely filled with cut
glass,another with silver, while other gifts
of various descriptions were in abundance.
Mr. and Mrs. Adams are enjoying their
honeymoon in this city. They will reside
in Auburn.
Our Growing Southern Trade.
WE
ARE BUYING MORE FROM THE LATIN-
AMERICAN COUNTRIES AND SELLING
MORE TO THEM.
Our Consuls in the Latin countries to
the south of us give notice in every mail
that we are not getting our share of trade
of those regions. They have been preach-
ing in this vein for years and told us re-
peatedly what they thought to be the rea-
sons why England and Germany are so far
ahead of us in those fields. They have
given our exporters some good advice and
the trade statistics of this year show that
our business relations with our neighbors
are looking up. In nearly every line of
exports, including pianos and organs, of
course, and which embrace forty-seven
classifications, the sales of 1899 show a
substantial gain over those of 1898. Im-
port trade from Central America also shows
an increase, so that the volume of business,
both export and import, to and from our
Southern neighbors is on the up grade.
$2.00 PER YEAR.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.
Inquiry is Postponed.
DECEMBER 9TH THE DATE FOR HEARINGS ON
DEPARTMENT STORES BY THE IN-
DUSTRIAL COMMISSION.
Washington, D. C., Nov. 27, 1899.
The Federal Industrial Commission has
been obliged to postpone the hearings
planned for representatives of the leading
department stores of the country until De-
cember 9th, when John Wanamaker will ap-
pear and testify at some length. The delay
has been occasioned by the necessity of
completing the Commission's report on
trusts, which it is desired to submit to
Congress early in the coming session. The
Commission expects, however, to make a
preliminary report upon the general scope
of its work and to cover the department
stores as well as other enterprises, the pres-
ent purpose being to have this report in the
hands of the House and Senate early in
January.
Mr. Wanamaker will be followed by rep-
resentatives of half a dozen department
stores, including two or three from New
York, and the remainder from Chicago, St.
Louis, Kansas City, etc. Correspondence
is now being conducted with the heads of
a large number of stores, as the Commis-
sion finds it difficult to secure the attend-
ance of these busy merchants on the desired
dates.
A special effort will be made to get a
representative department store proprietor
from St. Louis for the purpose of securing
the views of an expert on the subject of
the new Missouri law. The Commission
will not be satisfied, however, with the
testimony of the department store propri-
etors alone. If there is sufficient time, and
if the desired witnesses can be secured,
one or two sessions will be devoted to de-
veloping the small merchants' side of the
question.
Stieff Outlook Bright.
Fred P. Stieff who recently visited the
Stieff branch houses in Pittsburg and Har-
risburg, Pa., speaks enthusiastically of
trade conditions in these cities. A very
clever advertisement in the Harrisburg es-
tablishment is a square piano 119 years old
and by its side a new style Stieff upright—
a practical illustration of the remarkable
advance made in piano construction to-day
as compared with the past.
Henry F. Miller, head of the famous
Miller house of Boston, says that the busi-
ness of his firm is the best in its history.