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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Brewer & Pryor Piano Co.
John Weser's Latest Invention.
flore Guernsey Litigation.
A NEW CORPORATION IN SAGINAW, MICH.,
WHICH VIRTUALLY SUCCEEDS THE ERD
PIANO & HARP CO. BUSINESS TO BE DE-
VELOPED ON PROGRESSIVE LINES.
PATENTS A DEVICE WHEREBY CRESCENDO
AND DIMINUENDO EFFECTS CAN BE CON-
TROLLED IN AUTOMATIC MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS.
[Special to The Review.]
[Special to The Review.]
This week John A. Weser, of Weser
Bros, this city, was granted an important
patent (No. 648,717) which relates to all
classes of self-playing or automatic mu-
sical instruments, the object being to ef-
fect automatically a certain "expression"
in rendition by the production of crescendo
and diminuendo effects, the forte and pi-
anissimo effects being more or less sus-
tained as desired. These effects are pro-
duced by gradually increasing or decreas-
ing the force which produces the sounds
and not by means of pedals and dampers
or mufflers. The invention may, however,
be employed, if desired, in connection with
the usual pedals, and it may be operated,
for example, in a self-playing piano by
varying the force or sharpness of the blow
of the hammer on the string, increasing or
decreasing such force gradually and if ap-
plied to an automatic organ the same or a
very similar effect may be produced by
gradually and automatially changing the
valve which controls the pressure of air on
the reeds or in the wind-chest. If applied
to a self-playing piano where the stroke of
the hammer is effected electrically, then
the current may be controlled by an auto-
matically-operating rheostat so as to pro-
duce the desired expression. In the present
case the invention is set forth as applied to
an automatic or self-playing piano, the
strokes of the hammers on the strings
being effected mechanically and controlled
by a moving perforated music-strip. The
mechanisms are driven by an electric
motor, and the expression sought is at-
tained by varying the speed of the friction-
drum—driven from the motor—which ac-
tuates the hammers.
As will be seen from this summary, Mr.
Weser's invention covers a very important
and long desired feature in connection with
self-playing piano media, and its applica-
tion and development will be followed with
some interest.
Mr. Weser is a tireless worker in the
field of invention. The wonder is that he
is enabled to find time to develop his ideas
in this particular line in view of his varied
business interests. In the early history of
the trade all the patented improvements in
connection with musical instruments came
from the manufacturers ; nowadays it
doesn't happen that way. There are some
exceptions, however, and Mr. Weser can
be numbered among them. He has now
to his credit quite a number of important
inventions, all of which show him to be an
original thinker and a close student of his
art.
Saginaw, Mich., May 7, 1900.
A certificate of incorporation was issued
by the Secretary of State on Thursday last
to the Brewer & Pryor Piano Co. of this
city which is the official title of a new cor-
poration to succeed the Erd Piano & Harp
Co. whose stock was purchased some time
since by W. A. Brewer. While the Erd
Piano & Harp Co. are still an organized
corporation under the laws they are vir-
tually succeeded by the new concern which
will act as a general factor for them. The
officers of the new corporation are: W. A.
Brewer, president; C. E. Pryor, vice-pres-
ident and superintendent; J. T. Wylie,
secretary. Vice-President Pryor has been
prominent among the music trade interests
of Saginaw, having made the first Germain
piano.
The new concern are starting in to man-
ufacture at once with a full force of men.
The product of the establishment has been
contracted for in advance, and the pros-
pects are bright for a very large business.
They will cater exclusively to the whole-
sale trade.
An important move in connection with
the development of the institution is the
fact that they have secured the services of
P. J. Lydecker, formerly superintendent
of the Brown & Buckwell Harp factory in
New York, who has taken charge of the
harp manufacturing department. Mr. Ly-
decker is an expert of national reputation
and he will do much to add to the celebrity
of the harps to be turned out by the Brewer
& Pryor Co.
It is not unlikely that in the near future
larger manufacturing quarters will be se-
cured and a removal thereto consummated.
It is intended to build up this enterprise
on a large scale and important plans to this
end are now being considered. With such
a magnificent line of pianos, noted for
their beauty of casings and musical worth,
and a variety of harps that do infinite
credit to American genius, there is no rea-
son why the enterprising men who are
back of this institution should not be able
to develop an immense trade not only in
all parts of the United States but in foreign
countries.
Protest Against flarine Band.
The Springfield Musicians' Protective
Union has sent letters to the Massachu-
setts senators and the representative from
this district in Congress, to Secretary of
the Navy Long and to President McKinley,
protesting against allowing the United
States marine band to play at the Pitts-
burg exposition in September. Musicians
all over the country are sending similar
letters, as it interferes with the business
of citizen musicians. The secretary of the
union has already received letters from
President McKinley and Congressman Gil-
lett stating they will look into the matter.
Walter Z. Holmes & Co., of 28 Mont-
gomery street, Jersey City, are building
up a fine trade with the Kranich & Bach
pianos, which they represent. Recent pur-
chasers of these instruments were the
Emory M. E. Church, the Bethany Luth-
eran Church, the Samson M. E. Church,
and Saint Aloysius Academy.
Scran ton, Pa., May 8, 1900.
The Guernsey differences will not down
apparently. Saturday M. W. Guernsey
began criminal prosecutions against J. W.
Guernsey, T. Keller and Chas. Bennett on
a charge of conspiring to defraud him of
the use of certain testimony and witnesses
during the recent famous trial before Judge
Savage—a suit in which $12,000 commis-
sion on piano sales, was involved, claimed
by M. W. Guernsey as due him from J.
W. Guernsey. In this trial considerable
hard feeling was manifested, so much so
that Judge Savage, who presided, was thor-
oughly disgusted with the proceedings.
There are two charges against the defend-
ants, first, conspiracy, and second, dissuad-
ing witnesses. They were each held on
$1,000 bail on each charge, bondsmen being
secured. The developments in the pro-
ceedings promise to be as sensational and
as bitter as family feuds usually are.
The Wulschner Music Co.
[Special to The Review.]
Indianapolis, Ind., May 5, 1900.
The Wulschner Music Company of this
city was incorporated Wednesday with a
capital stock of $100,000 to carry on a
business in musical instruments and mu-
sical supplies in this country, Canada and
Mexico. The incorporators and directors
are: F. S. Wulschner, Alexander M. Stew-
art and William E. Ludlow. The Regal
Manufacturing Company, in which the
same incorporators and directors appear,
was incorporated with a capital stock of
$10,000. This company will manufacture
all kinds of musical instruments.
Few Failures in April.
Business failures in April were not only
fewer than in any corresponding month for
a number of years past, but they were 13
per cent, smaller in number than in March,
and were, in fact, the lightest recorded in
any month since September last year, when
business embarrassments and liabilities
were the smallest reported in any single
month for at least seven years past. Lia-
bilities showed even a larger shrinkage
from the preceding month of March than
did failures themselves, the decrease being
nearly 21 per cent, but, compared with
April a year ago, the falling off is only a
fractional one, this being due mainly to
the occurrence of a few large failures in
New York city and Boston, none of which,
however, was significant of any particular
change or tendency in the general course
of business.
Will Receive Good Dividend.
There seems a fair prospect that cred-
itors of the Muehlfeld& Haynes Piano Co.,
will now receive a dividend of about thirty
per cent. This is based upon the report of
the referee made last week, in which he
shows gross receipts of $8,603.74; expendi-
tures, $2,068.72, leaving a credit balance
of $6,535.02. This is a cheering outlook
in view of the fact that a short time since
considerably less was expected.