Music Trade Review

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
number not over one-third are ever in-
David T. Haraden.
quired for, so that there is an unnecessary
David T. Haraden, who enjoyed the dis-
expenditure of revenue for most meagre tinction of being the oldest employee of
Chickering & Sons as well- as the longest
but partial investigation.
This fact in no small degree accounts in continuous.service.with any one com-
for the inadequacy of information notwith- pany in Boston, died at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Adelaide W. Stiles, 40
standing a contribution by merchants of Rockland street, Roxbury, on Sunday last
many millions annually for this purpose at the patriarchal age of almost ninety.
of investigating only a smaller number. Death resulted from old age, and the end
. . . . .
We need greatly improved reference books came quietly without suffering.
Mr.
Haraden
was
born
in
Dorchester
in
in all lines of trade. The tendency to an
1810
and
at
the
age
of
thirteen
entered
the
expansion of credit incident to a time of
employ of Jonas Chickering, the founder
prosperity's invested with grave danger. A of the celebrated house which still bears
consideration of these facts has moved the his name. After twelve years of service,
business community to admit such a change during which time he turned his hand to
in the methods of obtaining and communi- many things, the lad, now grown to man-.
cating information as will make them com- hood, resolved to learn the piano business.
mensurate in accuracy and fullness of de- Accordingly, he bound himself to six years'
service with Jonas Chickering and John
tail with the volume of trade and magni- Mackay, who at that time constituted the
tude of its risks. There are many defects firm, and he had the honor of working on
which exist in our present system, defects the first piano made in the Chickering fac-
which are apparent to all who have gone tory.
The contract then made, which is still
into the question in an exhaustive way.
carefully preserved by the present firm
A N increase of fifty millions in the cir- of Chickering & Sons, is a curiously in-
teresting document. The paper is yellow
culation of national banks is now in and worn. It is written in a fine old-
sight. The amount of bonds deposited to fashioned hand. The contract stipulates
secure circulation has been increased about on , the part of David Haraden that he
thirty-four millions, and the banks are in- will ' 'stay in their employ, conduct him-
creasing their circulation to the best value self in an able and correct manner, come
of the bonds deposited. It is thought by to his work early and stay in the factory
or warerooms until 9 of the clock in the
the end of the year the increase in bank evening for the term of six years." On
circulation may be a hundred million. This the part of Jonas Chickering and John
state of affairs should contribute materially Mackay the agreement was that young
Haraden was to receive $6 per week the
to the betterment of trade conditions.
first year, $7 the second, $8 the third, $9
the fourth, $10 the fifth and $11 the sixth,
the first time in the history of the and to have one night a week off during
country the aggregate value of im- the six years.
At the expiration of his term of appren-
ports and exports of merchandise in a sin-
gle month exceeded two hundred million. ticeship, he took a definite position with
The imports in March were valued at the firm making a specialty of tuning and
toning in which field he was an expert.
nearly $87,000,000, while the exports were Later he kept books in the office and in his
nearly $135,000,000. This is the greatest last years had full charge of the library.
month, in that it surpasses any previous Thus he continued in the employ of
record as far as our foreign trade is con- Chickering & Sons without interruption
from 1823, till his death on Sunday morn-
cerned.
ing last. Latterly, of course, Mr. Haraden
I T requires a stupendous accumulation of had been inactive and was allowed to. come
concentrated extract of gall to roast and go as he pleased, but he was retained
on the pay roll of Chickering & Sons with-
members of the trade and then whirl out depreciation of salary as a reward for
calmly about and affirm that these very his long and faithful service with this in-
men admire you for so doing it.
stitution. This is a record which speaks
volumes for the man and for his employers.
Chilton's Good Work.
David T. Haraden had more than a sen-
Carroll Brent Chilton, of the JEolian timental interest in the house of Chicker-
Co. 's musical and literary departments, is ing & Sons for his sister was Jonas Chick -
preparing a series of small volumes having ering's wife. Mr. Haraden was married
for their object the musical education by in 1840 to Adelaide E. Osgood in Portland,
easy stages of those who appreciate the Me., and since her death he has lived with
qualities of the ^Eolian in a general way his daughter in whose house he died. . He
without comprehending fully the niceties had been an Odd Fellow since 1842, and
was financial secretary of Siloam Lodge
of expression for which it is so famous.
for
twenty-five years.
The task, voluntarily undertaken, is en-
The funeral services, which were held at
tirely congenial to Mr. Chilton, and it is
more than likely that a valuable text book the First Universalist Church at Roxbury
will be evolved as a result of his labors in last Tuesday, were attended by a-host-of
friends as well as factory associates.
this direction.
.
David T. Haraden was a splendid type
of the old school of mechanics, who con-
tributed so much toward the development
of the industry in the earlier stages of our
country's growth. In his day specialism
in trades was unknown and he possessed a
thorough knowledge of all branches of his
craft. A genial, cultured gentleman with
a fund of information, David T. Haraden
will be missed from his old haunts. He
was a link between the past and the present.
Pianotists for Paris.
Two of the most beautiful pianos prob-
ably ever shipped from this country went
to Paris Wednesday on the "La Touraine"
for the Exposition. One was a hazel-
wood Hardman, the other a mahogany
Shaw. Both instruments are fitted with
the latest "Pianotist" attachments. These
instruments should cause the music-loving
public of Paris to realize the class of prod-
uct that is being manufactured in this
country. The pianos themselves, both as
to their musical qualities and beauty of ex-
terior, leave nothing to be desired, and the
"Pianotist" attachments operate so artisti-
cally that it is a difficult thing to realize
that it is a mechanical device and not a
master hand that is producing the music.
The Adek Manufacturing Co. are ex-
tending their fieli in all directions. Among
callers at their warerooms last week was
Mr. Daniels, of the Mason & Hamlin Co.,
who freely expressed his astonishment at
the results obtained; Mr. Grass, of the
Steck Co., who are shipping instruments
fitted with these attachments to Grau &
Co. of Cincinnati, and who were deputed
to investigate the matter on behalf of
Heppe & Co., Philadelphia; Mr. Curtis, of
Curtis, Davis & Hill Piano Co., who placed
an order for an attachment to be fitted to a
large Hardman for one of the most promi-
nent residents of Red Bank, N. J. The
only difficulty now seems to be the ability
of the Adek Co. to fill its orders promptly.
Boedicker to Remove.
J. D. Boedicker Sons, who have been in
business at 145 East Forty-second street,
N. Y., since 1857, when the firm was
founded, are moving to larger premises at
1381 Third avenue between Seventy-eighth
and Seventy-ninth streets, where, apart
from manufacturing quarters, they will
have store frontage and show rooms. This
firm is working on an innovation in the
way of a double sounding board, which
will be referred to later.
Praise the Behr Piano.
From the Public Library, Minneapolis,
Minn., comes the following letter concern-
ing the Behr piano: "I purchased my
piano [Behr Bros. ] over fourteen years ago.
It has kept its tone and action wonder-
fully well. Just after tuning, I am some-
times inclined to think it as good as new".
(Signed)
Gratia Countryman.
M. J. Slason, son of the proprietor of
the Slason Music House, who handle the
A. B. Chase, Wegman, Newby & Evans
and Gapen pianos, in Malone, N. Y., was
in^own. last week.
, t