Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
New Items from Chicago.
LSpecial to The Review.!
Chicago, March 21, 1900.
Geo. W. Armstrong, Jr., of D. H. Bald-
win & Co., has been in the city this week
on business in connection with the local
interests of his house. He speaks very en-
couragingly of trade conditions in all de-
partments of this vast business, and looks
for good results from their very complete
Baldwin exhibit at the Paris Exposition.
I am pleased to learn that James M.
Hawxhurst, the Bradbury representative in
this city, is on the road to recovery from a
very severe attack of typhoid fever.
The new Story & Clark warerooms at
2
5 5-7 Wabash avenue will be ready for
occupancy, it is expected, about the middle
of April. Alterations are now being made
by the contractors and a very showy front
is being put in.
Geo. P. Bent has just issued a catalogue,
pocket size, which contains illustrations
and descriptions of the new style Crowns
which he is about placing on the market.
They are splendid instruments and they
cannot fail to augment the prestige of this
progressive house. More on the subject
later.
Fire alarms will be shouted into engine
houses of the city by means of phono-
graphs if a newly patented automatic ma-
chine tested this afternoon conies into use
in Chicago. The new device is the inven-
tion of George C. Hale, Chief of the Kansas
City Fire Department. He invented the
Hale tower and automatic harness used by
Chicago Department.
The new machine is based upon the in-
crease of temperature resulting from a
fire. When the temperature goes above
the maximum fixed for the building, an
electric circuit is opened that puts into
operation a phonograph which talks into a
telephone, telling Fire Headquarters that
there is a fire at whatever address the
alarm is located.
Mr. Hale believes his automatic alarm
will solve the problem of prompt alarms.
The new device has been adopted in many
New York and Boston business houses,
and it is said a reduction in insurance
rates has been made in each case.
Dealers visiting this city should spare
sufficient time to look up Henry Detmer,
at 261 Wabash avenue, and examine the
pianos which he is now turning out. They
are fine examples of up-to-date manufac-
ture, both in tone and design and should
prove excellent sellers.
The location of the new factory for the
Cable Co. continues to be discussed, but it
is sufficient to say that when the plans are
consummated the proper parties will give
the matter out.
W. N. Van Matre, secretary of the Smith
& Barnes Piano Co., accompanied by Mrs.
Van Matre, have been making a trip South.
On their way home, they spent some days
with friends at Rockford, 111., where one
of the S. & B. factories is now located.
John V. Steger has returned from his
trip through the West and Northwest with
a good fatbook of orders, and a knowledge
that his prodncts are widely esteemed in
that section.
Among the members of the trade in this
city this week was David O. Calder of
D. O. Calder's Sons, Salt Lake City. He
placed a large order for the Kimball line.
Wm. Riggs, long connected with the
retail interests of the Cable Co., has been
advanced to the position of manager of the
retail department. This promotion is well
deserved and a tribute to admitted busi-
ness capacity.
Hodell & Dahl, who opened a small
piano factory some time ago on Michigan
avenue, this city, have sold out their stock
and materials to Adam Schaaf.
The Brown Testimonial Concert.
Substantial evidence accumulates of the
esteem in which J. Burns Brown is held
by his fellow workers and the musical peo-
ple of this city in connection with the pro-
jected testimonial concert- which is sched-
uled to take place at Chickering Hall on
the night of April 12. Letters have been
pouring in on the gentlemen having charge
of the affair from noted artists volunteer-
ing their services while a big roster of
piano men desire to be utilized in any ca-
pacity where they can of service.
In order to bring the program within a
reasonable limit and to diversify it, many
offers tendered have had to be thankfully
declined. The following artists will ap-
pear: The Dannreuther Quartette; Miss
Katherine Hilke, soprano, of St. Patrick's
Cathedral; Richard Hoffman, pianist;
John Cheshire, harpist; Tom Carl, oper-
atic tenor and teacher; J. G. Frank,
trumpet soloist; Frank Taft, the cele-
brated organist and Emile Levy who will
preside at the piano.
Chickering & Sons have very generously
donated the Hall and have given substan-
tial aid in other directions. Next week
the program will be announced and the
ickets formally placed on sale. A num-
ber of people from out of town have taken
much interest in the Brown benefit. This
is natural, for Mr. Brown is an old time
road man having traveled for many years
for the Estey concern, the A. B. Chase
Co., and others. Every indication at the
time of writing points, we are pleased to
say, to the Brown testimonial being a
great success.
The Church and Music.
That music is essential to the success of
the church of to-day has just been demon-
strated in Jersey City. The late million-
aire, George R. McKenzie, who was for
many years President of the Singer Sew-
ing Machine Co., during his lifetime built
a church and parsonage, in Barrow street
that city, for the use of the Scottish Pres-
byterian Church, and stipulated in his deed
of gift that no musical instrument should
ever be put in the church. Mr. McKenzie
believed that the preaching of the Gospel
should be sufficient to attract people to the
services without the aid of any side attrac-
tions. The society, however, has had a
hard struggle to get along without running
into debt. It has decided to abandon the
struggle and transfer the property to the
Jersey City Presbytery for a nominal sum,
with a view of having legal proceedings
instituted to have Mr. McKenzie's deed
modified so that an organ may be put in
the church.
Valuable for Reference.
" The Piano and Organ Purchasers Guide
for 1900" which has just made its appear-
ance is unusually complete and exhaustive
in its information regarding musical in-
struments and their makers. Much of im-
portance has been embodied in this volume
and it is invaluable for purposes of refer-
ence. A splendid support has been vouch-
safed the enterprise in a business way
which is well exemplified in its advertising
columns. The Music Trades Co., 24 Union
Square, publishers. Price 25 cents.
Incorporated.
Among the certificates of incorporation
filed with the Secretary of State at Albany
on Thursday was that of the Standard Pho-
nograph Co., of New York City, to deal in
phonographs. Capital, $1,500. Incorpor-
ators: J. Brundy, of New Haven, Conn.;
•G. Lands, L. L. Pleshet, both of New York
City; L. Pleshet, attorney, New York City.
Von Jenney Exposed.
In the Rome, Ga., Tribune of recent
date appears a letter from Prof. B. F.
Clark, in which he exposes "one Jos. Von
Jenney, an expert in piano tuning and re-
pairing," who claimed to be recommended
by Steinway & Sons, New York and se-
cured considerable work on these refer-
ences. Prof. Clark, wrote to Steinway &
Sons of this city and recently received a
letter stating that Von Jenney was not,
nor never had been in their employ, nor
was he authorized to represent them in
any manner whatsoever. Mr. Clark has
published the correspondence in full.
Salesmen Wanted.
Competent salesmen with wareroom or
traveling experience are at present in great
demand and no man desiring to secure
a good position need be out of employ-
ment. At this office we have had during
the past ten days an unusual number of
inquiries for men to fill positions in the
capacities referred to. We shall be pleased
to hear from salesmen.
It came late but none the less it is wel-
come. We refer to the attractive calendar
for 1900, issued by the Waterloo Organ
Co., Waterloo, N. Y. The center illustra-
tion is entitled "Writing to Papa," below
which appears a cut of the Malcolm Love
piano. The colorings are very effective.
It is a souvenir that merits preservation.
The Cable Co. have just sent out a hand-
some catalogue containing illustrations
and descriptions of their two great Kings-
bury sellers, Style B and Style E. Like
all the literature emanating from this in-
stitution this catalogue is right to the
point in a literary way while typographi-
cally, it is a creditable production.