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THE MUSIC.TRADE REVIEW
8
the highest ideals inspire improvement by
the influence of their motives. The forma-
tion of local and national associations
among the different trades has been pro-
ductive of good, not so much in the sur-
face or in immediate apparent benefits, but
in the broader views among business men
in general, and the better business methods
instilled into the minds of competitive
men. Progress and business association
are inseparable in this age of keen compe-
tition.
PRESUMABLY we shall hear something
interesting regarding the commission
evil from the Manufacturers' Convention
at Chicago. In the furniture trade this
question is exciting considerable comment
and it is one of the most important mat-
ters which was brought up before a recent
meeting of the Furniture Manufacturers'
National Association.
Fighting Fraudulent Failures.
Monopoly reduces trade to the mini-
mum, for it would compel tribute and
patronage, and human nature rebels
against coercion. Fair and reasonable
competition stimulates trade to the max-
imum, even, at times, to the extent of ex-
travagance, and therein lies the only dan-
ger from it, whereas, on the other hand,
unscrupulous competition is the illegiti-
mate offspring of monopoly, for it seeks,
through unlawful means, to create a mono-
poly—it is bad and harmful in every
particular.
It may be asserted with confidence that
no one thing is more conducive to ruinous
competition than fraudulent failure, and it
may be said with equal assurance that the
evil thereof falls as heavily, if not more
heavily, upon the honest debtor, upon the
man who intends to and who does pay his
debts, dollar for dollar, than upon the un-
fortunate creditor.
Honest failure is a deplorable misfortune
but not necessarily a disgrace. Fraudu-
lent failure is a blight upon commercial
honor, a deadly, loathsome plague, which
can be stamped out, or even controlled,
only by concerted, united and vigorous
action on the part of all honest men; it
should be of interest, therefore, to all men
that such action is being taken.
The National Association of Credit men,
an organization with a strong, influential
and growing membership in every business
centre in the country, has for its object the
betterment of the business community at
large, debtor no less than creditor, for it
recognizes that the good fortune of the one
is to the benefit of the other.
This National Association of Credit Men
has established a Bureau for the Investiga-
tion of Fraudulent Failures and for the
prosecution of Fraudulent Debtors. This
bureau will have constantly at its com-
mand a fund sufficient to enable it to
carry on its plans with energy and deter-
mination, and every honest man should
feel it is his duty, as it certainly is to his
interest, to assist in the crusade.
tions of musical instruments of which
this collection in the University of Penn-
OF OLD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PRESENTED TO
sylvania
takes high rank, both in number,
THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BY
intrinsic
value and scientific arrangement.
MRS. WM. FRISHMUTH.
The largest collection is that of the Metro-
(Special to The Review.)
politan Museum in this city where Mrs. J.
Philadelphia, Pa., May 8th, 1900.
Crosby Brown's fine donation is suitably
In the collection of musicai instruments housed. The Smithsonian Institute at
just presented to the University of Penn- Washington also possesses an admirable
sylvania by Mrs. Wm. Frishmuth, and collection which is very satisfactorily dis-
now on exhibition in the Free Museum of played. More recently Frederick Stearns,
Science and Art at Thirty-third and Spruce of Detroit, has presented his private col-
streets, the evolution of the modern piano lection to the University of Michigan.
is extremely well illustrated. The oldest Within the past few months, Morris Stein-
instrument in the collection is an Italian ert has given his world-famous collection
spinet of the 17 th century which has three to Yale University. This public spirit is
and one-half octaves. It is in a case from commendable. It demonstrates the atten-
which it is lifted out and placed upon the tion that is being paid to the piano and its
table and played. Its strings are of wire precursors.
and it is operated in the usual style of the
period by points of quills or hard leather
A Visitor from Honolulu.
elevated on wooden uprights called ' 'jacks,"
J. W. Bergstrom, proprietor of the Berg-
which twitch or pluck the strings as the
depression of the keys causes them to pass strom Music Co., from far away Honolulu,
has been in town this week. Mr. Berg-
upward.
Another early instrument, represented strom is enthusiastic over the Kroeger
by two excellent examples of the 17th and product and while here left a goodly order
18th centuries, is a clavichord. In it a with President Garritson.
small bit of brass, resembling a flattened
OBITUARY.
nail, called a "tangent,"is fastened to the
John C. Schooley.
back end of the key and when raised by
John
C.
Schooley
died May 4th at the
pressing the key both strikes the string and
divides it, thus producing at the same home of his son-in-law, Jeremiah W. Cur-
tis, of No. 1 East Fifty-third street, this
time tone and pitch.
city.
He had been sick for several weeks.
Of the harpsichord, which resembles the
Mr.
Schooley
was at one time treasurer
modern grand piano, Mrs. Frishmuth's ex-
and
a
director
of
the ^Eolian Company.
ample is an English instrument of the 18th
century made by Joseph Dale. The ac-
Richard Storrs Willis.
tion of this instrument is practically the
Richard Storrs Willis, the musician and
same as that of the spinet and is operated poet, died of heart failure at Detroit, Mon-
in the same manner.
day, aged 82. He was born in Boston and
These keyed instruments, just referred educated at Yale. His first venture in the
to, had as their antetypes the monochord, publishing business was with the Musical
harp, psaltery, while the dulcimer is the Times, afterward known as the Musical
prototype of the piano. Some very hand- World. He established Once a Month,
some examples of these early instruments a magazine, and edited it for some time.
are to be found in this collection.
He was a brother of N. P. Willis and
Coming down to the piano family we Fanny Fern. He leaves a widow and
find an early German example (of about three married daughters, one of whom is
1716) with wrench pins at the right side as Mrs. Blanche Willis Emory of Roslyn,
in the clavichord. Another beautiful in- L. I.
strument is a French upright piano of the
John L. Peters.
shape of the harp of the time of the First
The
death
is announced of John L.
Empire. This has fire-gilt mountings and
Peters,
manager
of the sheet music de-
faded silk curtains and tassels.
partment of E. Witzman & Co., Mem-
An English piano of about the same
phis, Tenn., which occurred Thursday of
period was made by Clementi. The case
last week. His death was unexpected and
is of mahogany with drawers for music.
was brought about by a stroke of apo-
Another English piano of about 1770 was
plexy while on duty in the store. He ex-
made by George Astor. Like the preced-
pired almost before his associates could
ing, it has drawers for music, and is char-
reach his side. He was sixty-three years
acterized by a simple elegance.
of age, widely known and esteemed.
The grand piano is also adequately rep-
Chas. A. Cheever.
resented and is an American production,
Chas.
A.
Cheever,
who was among the
being made in Philadelphia by Loud Bros.
first
to
discover
the
commercial
utility of
It has a beautiful inlaid case of massive
the
phonograph
which
he
aided
in put-
mahogany.
ting on the market, died at Far Rock-
Mrs. Frishmuth is constantly adding to
away, L. I., on May 3. He was in his
her collection, which embraces not only
forty-seventh year.
European instruments, but Oriental and
T. M. Allyn.
Primitive as well. It is her intention to
T.
M.
Allyn,
who in the years agone was
augment her gift from time to time by
a
manufacturer
of melodeons in a small
other rare old instruments.
way
in
New
London,
Conn., died at his
*
*
*
late
home
in
that
city,
May
5, at the good
America is now fortunate in possessing
round
age
of
seventy-six,
a number of extremely fine public collec-
A Rare Collection