Music Trade Review

Issue: 1900 Vol. 30 N. 25

Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
he therefore got behind it to push it out
into the middle of the floor., He was heav-
ing away with his shoulder against the
case when his foot slipped on the carpet
and he went down and rolled over with
the weight of an elephant. He fetched up
against a chair and knocked that over, and
he was still lying on his back when Mrs.
Bowser came half-way down the stairs to
call out:—
"I thought the walls were falling in!
What are you doing on your back on the
floor?"
"I wanted to see the underside of the
piano," he replied as he got up. "Should
I find myself in need of your assistance I
will call you."
As tools for piano tuning Mr. Bowser
had a hammer, hatchet, a tack puller, a
corkscrew, a screwdriver and a monkey
wrench. As he folded back the cover he
saw the inside of a piano for the first time
in his life. He had taken only one glance
when he walked to the foot of. the stairs
and called to Mrs. Bowser:—
"No wonder there was an ur-ur-ur when
you hit some of the keys! What d'you
s'pose your first-class piano tuner left
among the wires?"
"He couldn't have left any of his tools?"
she queried.
"No tools, but half a dozen strips of red
flannel. He even wove them in among
the strings. That's probably where my
missing flannel shirt went to. He was
probably some man from a woolen mill."
"Why, those strips are always put in,"
protested Mrs. Bowser. "I think the idea
is to soften the sound."
"Well, I don't. I think the idea is to
attract rats and mice, and out they come."
When Mr. Bowser had finished pulling
out the "rags" he very quickly discovered
the method of tightening up the strings.
With one hand he fitted the monkey
wrench to turn the keys and with the other
he started a tum-tum-tum on the keys, as
he had once or twice seen a regular tuner
do. He couldn't exactly decide whether
all the strings ought to be tightened or
loosened, and so he took a middle course
and tightened half and loosened half. The
effect wasn't exactly magical; it was worse.
Some of the keys piped and sobbed, and
there were others which produced sounds
as of a saw trying to eat its way into a
crowbar.
"For the land's sake, but what are you
doing now?" called Mrs. Bowser, after
three or four minutes.
"Saving a piano from wreck and ruin,"
replied Mr. Bowser as two chills tried to
gallop up and down his spine at the same
time.
He hadn't quite hit it. He grudgingly
admitted the fact to himself and then
began anew. In a dim, uncertain way
he seemed to remember something about
a "pitch" in connection with tuning. He
couldn't possibly recall whether it was
high pitch, low pitch, or half and half
pitch, but he wasn't the man to hesi-
tate. He began humming the air of "The
Girl I Left Behind Me" and keeping
up the turn-turn on the keys. After
awhile he found a sound to agree with
his hum, and he took that for a rally-
ing point. It was what he called a so-so
pitch, and after half an hour of keying
up and keying down he got three keys
which appeared to agree that some sort
of a girl had been left behind some-
body. The other strings were obstinate.
They wanted to play "Sally Waters,"
" T h e Sweet By and By" or "Yankee
Doodle," and every five minutes Mrs.
Bowser kept calling down to know if a
strange cat had got into the house, or if
Mr. Bowser had got an attack of colic. He
finally refused to answer her, but with
teeth shut hard and a glare in his eyes he
started out to bring those strings into har-
mony or bust the box. He tightened ten,
one after another, until they set up a hum-
ming, and then he mopped his brow and
started in to tum-tum the keys.
There were ten sounds to bring out the
gooseflesh, but scarcely had the first shud-
der passed over Mr. Bowser when the
wires began to snap. The end of the first
one ticked his ear, the second one curled
his hair and the third just brushed his chin.
He was moving away when four went at
once, and one of them had business with
his nose. Mrs. Bowser heard a yell and a
sit down, and she came flying down stairs
to find Mr. Bowser sitting against the wall
with his nose in his hand. It was bleed-
ing like a cider barrel with the bung out,
and the skin had been peeled from end to
base. His eyes were also weeping large
tears, and his bald head had a welt across it.
"Well, you've tuned the piano!" said
Mrs. Bowser, as she looked down upon
him.
."Who—who threw a cat in my face?" he
asked, as he realized her presence.
"It's a wonder you didn't say I did,"
she answered, "and then go and threaten a
divorce and all that. It was one of the
wires that struck you, and you'll want
court plaster on that nose for a month."
" Wo-man—wo"—he began, but she
stopped him with a gesture and said:—
"It will cost $25 or $30 to have that
piano fixed, but it shall be done to-mor-
row! You've got to the end of your tune,
and now go up stairs and let me see how
nearly killed you are!"
Mr. Bowser obeyed without a protest.
More than that, he never said a word
while she was crisscrossing his nose with
six strips of plaster. It was only after he
was in bed that he growled under his
breath:—
"It was a put-up job to assassinate me,
and you bet your life I'll make it cost
somebody mighty dear!"
Jesse French Co. Offer Medals.
The Jesse French Piano & Organ Co.,
of Nashville, Tenn., have decided to offer
twelve handsome gold medals as a stimu-
lus to the study of piano music. The
medals are to be given to the students who
make the greatest progress in their studies
during the next school year in each of the
twelve leading schools in Nashville. This
is an excellent plan for stimulating a love
for music and redounds to the credit of
this great Southern music house,
From the City by the Lake.
[Special to The Review.]
Chicago, 111., June 20, 1900.
The unusually agreeable weather and
gratifying trade conditions in both whole-
sale and retail departments has resulted in
the members of the industry in this busy
burg being in a complacent frame of mind
these June days. Even the building
trades' unions are coming to their senses
and there is some prospect ahead that the
long-drawn-out war between labor and
capital, which has resulted in the idleness
of thousands and the non-circulation of
capital, will soon come to an end.
The Smith & Barnes Piano Co., at their
recent meeting, elected W. H. Rattray
secretary, to succeed Mr. Van Matre,
whose retirement was chronicled last
week; the other officers of the company
are: President, C. A. Smith; treasurer,
Chas. Smith. The latter is the son of the
president of the institution. He has had
a thorough experience in both wholesale
and retail departments, and has been care-
fully schooled in the piano field. He
should succeed in making a record for
himself in his new sphere of activity. E.
M. Eastman has been selected to take
charge of the wholesale desk. A good
selection, for Mr. Eastman is well and
favorably known to dealers everywhere.
The new Hamilton factory is fast ap-
proaching completion, and it seems now as
if the contractor will be able to turn over
the structure to the Hamilton Organ Co.
around the early part of July. Business is
excellent, domestic and foreign trade being
large.
There have been quite a number of
trade visitors this week. The genial
Major Howes, the McPhail ambassador,
has been exchanging hearty handshakes
with a host of friends. Calvin Whitney,
president of the A. B. Chase Co., Mr.
Leonard, of the American Felt Co., Geo.
H. Campbell, of the Knight-Campbell Co.,
Denver, R. S. Howard, the D. H. Baldwin
traveler, E. S. Payson, of the Emerson
Piano Co., were also in the city, each and
all apparently well satisfied with trade con-
ditions. Mr. Whitney is especially enthu-
siastic over the gratifying demand for the
A. B. Chase products, and he expresses
himself as confident of the re-election to
the Presidency of his friend and fellow
Ohioan, William McKinley.
The new self-player recently purchased
by the Schaeffer Piano Co. will be manu-
factured in their factory under the super-
intendence of J. T. Smith, a thoroughly
experienced man, who for many years was
with the Lyon & Healy factory.
Geo. P. Bent is enthusiastic over the ex-
cellent demand for the new style ' 'Crowns."
They are certainly worthy of the apprecia-
tion bestowed. Whether in appearance,
careful manufacture or tonal qualities,
they are instruments that are bound to in-
crease the "Crown" reputation. That the
new "Crown" styles will continue to in-
crease their already large roster of ad-
mirers is inevitable.
At the headquarters of the Cable Co.
qheering reports regarding the business
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
12
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
situation are given out. In a recent talk, which have resulted in his father's success
President Cable stated- that the demand in in life. He is a genuine piano man—
the organ field has not been so active for shrewd and conservative, with the keenest
many months as it is at the present time. foresight, and is tireless in his energy and
Proof of this may be adduced from the efforts to advance the interests of the firm's
fact that last month two thousand organs business and incidentally the interests of
were sent out by the Cable Co. Orders so the Bradbury patrons, by striving to make
far this month continue to show an undi- the Bradbury piano, which he knows from
minished demand. In their piano depart- the castor to the top, structurally, musical-
ments the Cable Co. are unusually busy ly and artistically, the most perfect musi-
and the summer trade with them will evi- cal instrument in the world."
dently be larger than usual.
The Trade Outlook in Africa.
The Baus piano, made by Augustus Baus
It is interesting to note, now that the
& Co., is now handled at the warerooms of
Wm. J. Schultz, 241—3 West Madison principal cities of the South African Re-
street. The Baus is a popular instrument publics are in the hands of the British, that
and should find no small army of admirers Pretoria, which previous to the war had
about twelve thousand population, had
in this city.
also eight music dealers who handled the
New Gabler Brochure.
leading American makes of organs such
At hand, but not in time for extended as the Mason & Hamlin, Clough & War-
review this week, is the new Gabler broch- ren, Wilcox & White, Needham, and Kim-
ure. It is of convenient size and shows ball. Their names are as follows: Alf.
five illustrations of the latest Gabler styles. Allen, Church street; Petrus van der
The artistic features of the work are inter- Burg,.Market street; W. E. Burmester &
esting and form a pleasing departure from Co., Church Square, opposite Government
the form adopted by many. There is an House: Hirst & Schaedler, Church street,
absence of glaring color work and the ef- East; John Keith, Church street; Mackay
fect produced is one of marked refinement. Bros., Church street; Maggs & Co., and
The Gabler firm are to be congratulated F. W. Becket & Co. Two of them, Bur-
upon the issuance of such artistic literature. mester and Maggs, closed their doors at the
This work is in complete harmony with beginning of the struggle, and if still liv-
the Gabler institution which always works ing are fighting in the "forlorn hope."
along dignified and progressive lines. The
In the beautiful city of Johannesburg,
brochure bears the stamp of Stillson, whose six dealers were in business at the opening
work, by the way, surpasses, that of any in- of the war, namely, Mackay Bros., Rissek
stitution in New York and in the country and Loveday, P. Davis & Son, Wm. Hirst,
for that matter.
Casiraghai Bros, and Paul Mueller. Of
these the latter was an officer in the Boer
F. Q. Smith's Accomplishments. ranks. Among these dealers, the Mackay
Freeborn G. Smith, the celebrated man- Bros, are perhaps the most enterprising
ufacturer of the Bradbury piano, and his and go-ahead concern. In addition to a
notable career are the subject of an ex- full line of American instruments they
tended and unusually well written article handle a very complete assortment of band
in last Sunday's Brooklyn Eagle, wherein instruments of London and Paris manu-
he is characterized as the father of the facture and "small goods" embracing
branch system in the piano business. many American specialties.
After reference to Mr. Smith's early strug-
Since the occupation by the British of
gles and successful accomplishments in the these towns, business according to the lat-
piano field we read:
est accounts is again looking up. Of
"From the small Bradbury plant of course, it will take time to heal the wound
thirty-five years ago Mr. Smith has evolved, to industry and commerce which has been
as sole owner and director, three great fac- inflicted by this lamentable war. In any
tories and seventeen distributing houses, event sympathy must be extended to the
with an invested capital of upward of $2,- unfortunate members of the trade, whose
000,000. In spite of his advanced age and ambitions and fortunes have been over-
thrown through the present trouble. The
the fact that he and his son, F. G. end of the war, which is now only a matter
Smith, jr., are now heavily interested of time, will of course stimulate somewhat
in banking and financial institutions our organ exports in South Africa, al-
throughout the country, Mr. Smith is though it will be some time before the
still actively engaged in planning new farming element in the late Republics will
enterprises and directing the many be equipped to purchase luxuries. Peace
details of his business with the same skill, will immediately stimulate trade in Cape
acumen and earnestness which have placed Colony and experience has shown that
after a war there is a marked period of
him so high on the ladder of success.
"Any statement regarding the career of activity in all lines of business.
achievements of the piano business of Mr. Phonorium for Waldorf=Astoria.
Smith would be incomplete without a word
George L. Weltz, of the Estey ware-
concerning his son. To that quiet gentle-
rooms,
informed The Review yesterday,
man, F. G. Smith, jr., is due in no small when asked
for news, that he had just con-
degree the remarkable progress made in summated arrangements for the purchase
late years by the Bradbury establishment. of an Estey Phonorium, style O 87, for
F. G. jr., as he is frequently called by in- the Waldorf-Astoria. A case of special
timates in the trade and in local social life, design is being constructed to match with
surroundings. The instrument is to be
while totally different from his father, is placed
near the main entrance to staircase.
still a combination of many of tliose traits Jt wiU be 10 feet in height and 12 feet wide.
REVIEWLETS.
The splendid Chickering grand piano
that James A. Guest sent to Des Moines,
la., for the use of the National Music
Teachers' Convention this week had a
narrow escape from destruction in the
Auditorium fire, reported on page 20 of
this paper.
Among the visitors this week at the
Kranich & Bach factories and warerooms,
were Chas. S. Losh, of M. P. Moeller &
Co., Hagerstown, Md.; E. E. Forbes,
Montgomery, Ala. ; and Fred. Lechner, of
Lechner & Schoenberger, Pittsburg, Pa.
These gentlemen are all Kranich & Bach
agents, and selected full stock during their
visit.
P. J. Gildemeester, in charge of the
Knabe retail interests in this city during
the absence of Ferdinand Mayer, of the
firm, is expected to return on Monday
from a brief business trip in the Knabe in-
terests.
The moving of stock from the present
Wilcox & White warerooms on Fifth av-
enue, to the elegant new quarters two
blocks farther north on the same thorough-
fare, has begun. It is expected that the
entire transfer will be completed within
two weeks.
We notice that John Hoyt, the veteran
piano dealer of Davenport, la., has joined
the ranks of Benedicts. Last week he was
married to a prominent Ithaca lady, a sis-
ter-in-law of the Mayor of Davenport.
The Review extends congratulations.
Jack Spies, son of Henry Spies of the
Spies Piano Co., who recently returned
from camp at Peekskill, where he took
part in the exercises of the Twelfth Regi-
ment, finishes his five years term of State
militia service this year.
Moses Lee Fergusson, Richmond, Va.,
and Mr. Hamilton, Pittsburg, Pa., both
Fischer agents, were visitors at the J. &
C. Fischer warerooms this week.
Among callers at the Weber warerooms
this week was Mr. Werner, of Werner
Bros., Weber agents at Bangor, Pa.
C. A. Burns, brother of Frank B. Burns,
returned on Saturday from a very success-
ful business trip.
Stetson Visits Alaska.
Nahum Stetson, accompanied by his wife
and daughter, will leave Seattle, Wash.,
to-day for Alaska. It is not probable that
they will go as far north as Cape Nome,
but follow the route usually pursued by
tourists. It will be past the middle of
July before Mr. Stetson reaches New York.
At Chautauqua.
C. E. Brockington, of Mason & Hamlin,
leaves town on Monday for Chautauqua,
where he will, as usual, assume charge of
the large Mason & Hamlin interests in con-
nection with Chautauqua Assembly work.
The 27th Annual Assembly begins on June
27 and ends on August 23, 1900.
The Mason & Hamlin instruments are
used exclusively during the course, as here-
tofore. ' Five grands, thirty-one uprights
and eight organs have been shipped for
use during the course.'

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